Kevin returned to his car. The head of security waved his hand, and the gate was opened. With that, Kevin drove his Maybach into Queen Enterprise with swag. A few minutes later, the tall and handsome Kevin swaggered into the company building with several bags in one hand and a large bouquet of flowers in the other. “Mr. Kevin.” “Mr. Kevin.” As he walked, everyone who saw him greeted him with respect. Kevin had a good temper. He responded to everyone who greeted him, giving the people of Queen Enterprise the impression that he was easy-going. He did not have the airs of the third son of the Yorks. In fact, out of the nine sons of the Yorks, apart from Zachary who had a flashier status, the rest were quite approachable. Even for Zachary, he was not pretentious but only had bodyguards with him to prevent admirers from getting close to him. This was not Kevin’s first time at Queen Enterprise. He went up to the top floor with ease. “Mr. Kevin.” Hayden’s secretary was a
The elders in Queen Enterprise were also of the same generation as Mr. Donald. In a way, they watched Hayden grow up and knew his character and abilities very well. Putting aside Hayden’s identity, they admired a young man like him and hoped that their daughters could make him their son-in-law. Kevin was someone who appeared unexpectedly and disrupted the situation. Given that he was a man and the third son of the Yorks, anyone who wanted to do something to him would have to consider the Yorks and the Buchams who had his back. Now, even the Stones, who never used to deal with the Yorks, would help the Yorks. Therefore, no one dared lay a hand on Kevin. They could only scold him behind his back for being shameless. It was not a problem that he was gay, but he infuriated everyone else by trying to make Hayden, who was deemed the most ideal son-in-law candidate by many elders, gay as well. After throwing away the breakfast Kevin brought, Hayden returned to her seat and sat d
“Mr. Hayden, Mr. Kevin is here,” announced Hayden’s secretary respectfully. Hayden did not turn around. She just waved her hand, indicating that her secretary could go out. The secretary invited Kevin to sit down on the sofa in the waiting area of the office and once again went to pour a glass of warm water for him. Afterward, he quietly left the CEO’s office and closed the door for Hayden and Kevin. Once the secretary left, Kevin got up and walked to Hayden’s side. He extended his hand toward her. Hayden turned to look at him in confusion. “Mr. Hayden, give me a cigarette to smoke. I haven’t smoked for a long time, and seeing you smoke makes me want to smoke too.” Hayden kept quiet for a while before she fished out a pack of cigarettes. She pulled out a cigarette and handed it to Kevin. “Lend me your lighter.” Kevin borrowed a lighter from Hayden. He seldom smoked because Serenity and Jasmine did not like the smell of tobacco. Moreover, Zachary and Josh were quitting
It was not that women did not smoke, but women who smoked were still in the minority. “I only smoked because you’re here, Mr. Kevin. I’m usually in a good mood and won’t smoke,” Hayden answered. Kevin chuckled and asked, “Are you saying that I put you in a bad mood? Tell me, Mr. Hayden, how are you in a bad mood? Am I ugly? I’m not ugly. If you look at me, you’ll only find me pleasing to the eye.” Hayden glared at him. Kevin was not afraid of her glare. When being glared at by her, he even felt the urge to touch her big beautiful eyes. Of course, he could only think about it at the moment. He was afraid they would fight if he touched her. It would also ruin his image. “If you dare confirm in front of me that you’re a man, I promise I won’t appear in front of you anymore in the future.” Kevin knew Hayden was displeased because of his pursuit. Hayden was somewhat mad. She reminded him coldly, “Mr. Kevin, have you forgotten the wife candidate your grandmother chose for you
“Mr. Hayden, since you don’t have vases in your office, I’ll send you a few in the afternoon. You can display the flowers I give you in them. Your office will look more beautiful as well,” Kevin said. Hayden did not want to accept Kevin’s bouquet, but he did not care if she liked it or not. He simply put it on her desk. Afterward, he returned to Hayden’s side and reached out to pull her but she evaded. “Kevin York, please behave yourself and don’t get handsy.” “Don’t you always stress that you’re a man? No one is at a disadvantage when a man pulls a man’s hand. What are you afraid of?” After saying that, Kevin forcefully pulled Hayden to the sofa in the waiting area. “I also bought you a set of clothes and a pair of shoes.” He picked up the bag with the dress and stuffed it into Hayden’s hand. As for the bag with the high heels, he took them out for her and put them on the floor, saying, “Sit down and try these on to see if they fit. I visually measured your feet and boug
“It’s almost lunchtime now. Let me treat you to lunch. I’ll send you back to work after that, and I’ll leave,” Kevin suggested to Hayden. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be grateful if you just leave. Kevin York, please just give me a break.” Hayden was going crazy. Kevin had only pursued her for two days, but she could not take it anymore. He had endless tricks up his sleeves and always had a way to restrain her, angering her and rendering her helpless. Hayden thought that she must have been Kevin’s enemy in the past life, which was why he was persistently seeking revenge on her in this lifetime. Kevin responded seriously, “Hayden, I truly like you. I’m serious about you, and I’m genuinely pursuing you. I might be shameless and thick-faced, but I’m trying to pursue my wife, so I must be shameless. “If I’m diffident and give up easily after being scolded and rejected by you, I’ll have to be single for the rest of my life. It’d be a pity for a man as outstanding as me to be sing
Hayden’s eyes flickered. She asked Kevin, “What do you mean by that? Your sister-in-law and her sister look like Caroline? Does your sister-in-law have lost sisters?” “I can be sure that Serenity only has an older sister, Liberty, and no younger sister. She has a cousin, but her cousin doesn’t look like Liberty.” Kevin continued, “I just found it strange how strangers can share such an uncanny resemblance, so I wanted to ask you if the Fishers have any displaced children—not recently, but decades ago. “Serenity and Liberty can’t be displaced children of the Fishers. I know about the Hunts very well. “However, their deceased mother was an orphan and seemed to have only been sent to an orphanage when she was a few years old. She was later adopted, but unfortunately, she was given to someone else to raise after her adoptive parents gave birth to their own child. She was later given to someone else again, and this was repeated several times. “This caused Mrs. Stone to put in a lo
“Hayden, I envy you. Your parents aren’t anxious about your marriage and don’t rush you at all.” Hayden pursed her lips. It was not that her parents did not pressure her, but they could not rush her. After all, she was dressed as a man. Her parents wanted her to go on blind dates with men, but if she did, she would probably scare the men away. Many people were pursuing her, but they were all ladies. She could not marry them even if she wanted to. As such, her parents were helpless. They could only urge her brother, but Hugh disregarded his parents’ pressure. Every time he was urged to get married, he turned a deaf ear to it. As long as he was out of the house, he would forget what his parents said. His parents were helpless in this. “Mrs. Stone’s maiden name is Fisher. My big brother’s mother-in-law is Mrs. Stone’s younger sister, so her maiden name is also Fisher. Given how Caroline and Liberty look so similar, it’s highly likely that Mrs. Stone is Madam Fisher’s nie
“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