Sonny opened his mouth to counter his uncle, but he was too young. He got flustered because he could not retort Uncle Zak’s words at all. His flustered look made Zachary laugh. Zachary peppered Sonny’s face with kisses again. It was to the extent the child had to push Zachary’s face away and wipe his small face with his hand. Sonny said unhappily, “Your saliva is all over my face from the kisses.”Zachary smiled and said, “You used to cover my face in your saliva just like this too.”Sonny went silent. When they almost reached the company doors, he wanted to be released from Zachary’s arms. Zachary put Sonny back on his feet. Sonny jogged to Serenity and raised his handsome face. He complained to her, “Aunt Ser, Uncle Zak covered my face in saliva. Please do the same to him for me later.“He only thinks of me while doing something else. He doesn’t like me as much anymore.”Serenity laughed and said, “Did Uncle Zak bully you? Okay. I’ll avenge you after we get back home.”S
As Serenity stared at Zachary, he bent to whisper by her ear, “Don’t look at me like that, Seren. I won’t be able to resist kissing you.”“Uncle Zak, what secrets are you sharing with Aunt Ser?” asked the little third-wheeler, neglected by the adults, curiously. Serenity pushed Zachary lightly. Zachary stood up and looked downward at the little third-wheeler. He patted Sonny’s head resignedly and said, “Sonny, you really are a third wheel.”“Uncle Zak, my name’s Sonny, not Third Wheel. I’m not a wheel!”Serenity lifted her nephew with a laugh and walked toward Zachary’s car. As she walked, she smiled and said, “You’re right. Sonny isn’t a third wheel. Your uncle was just teasing you.”“Why does Uncle Zak keep calling me a third wheel, Aunt Ser? A wheel can spin quickly, but I can’t. Uncle Zak’s talking nonsense.”Zachary opened the door for Serenity like a gentleman. He said, “Yes. I was talking nonsense. Sonny’s the most serious child who won’t spout nonsense.”“I’m a good kid
Sonny seemed to understand, but he still looked confused. After some time, a few cars stopped outside Liberty’s new store. Duncan sat at the entrance, waiting for Sonny. His bodyguard stood behind the wheelchair. Zachary opened the door and got out of the car. Then, he turned to carry Sonny out of the car. Once Sonny’s feet touched the ground, he escaped Uncle Zak’s grip and jogged toward Duncan.“Don’t run so quickly, Sonny.”Duncan was anxious upon seeing that. He called Sonny not to run so fast. At the same time, he wished he could lift Sonny. However, he could not yet walk or move fast enough in a wheelchair. The child ran fast. Duncan only moved his wheelchair slightly, but Sonny already arrived in front of him. “Dunc.”Initially, Sonny wanted to climb onto Duncan’s lap. He had already positioned himself to climb but soon gave up because Dunc’s legs had not recovered. He could not sit on Dunc’s lap. Duncan saw Sonny’s slight movement and felt glad. The child a
Duncan hugged the child tight. He told Liberty, “The pain isn’t that bad now. I only feel it in my legs when I walk. It’s fine when Sonny sits like this.”Liberty said, “You have to voice out if you feel unwell. Don’t hold it in.”As she spoke, she still carried her son away from Duncan. Only then did she greet Zachary and Serenity. “Liberty.”Serenity gave her sister a hug. After the sisters hugged each other, Serenity observed Liberty and said, “We haven’t met for only several days, but I feel like you’re different.”Liberty laughed. “What’s different? I’m still the same.”“Mom, I’m hungry,” Sonny told Liberty. Next, Serenity lifted her nephew and said to her sister, “Liberty, Mr. Lewis, let’s go and eat.”“Okay.”Zachary went behind Duncan and pushed his wheelchair while Duncan’s bodyguard walked with Zachary’s team. Liberty and Serenity were in front, accompanying Sonny. Zachary asked his friend in a whisper, “Has there been progress between you and my sister-in-la
Serenity saw Liberty off to her car and did not forget to give her reminders. Liberty smiled and said, “I should be telling you that. Your driving speed is too fast. You should listen to Zachary and get a driver.”She was older than Serenity by several years and more mature. She drove carefully while Serenity would occasionally speed. Serenity enjoyed the thrill of speeding. “I like being in control of the steering wheel.”Liberty smiled helplessly. The sisters went back to their respective stores from the preschool. The bookstore was already open. Jasmine was cleaning the bookshelves with a duster. As students had already returned to school, the store was quiet. The Bucham family’s bodyguards were chased away by Jasmine. She would stay in the store all day and did not need two people guarding the door. It would scare the students. Serenity parked her car and got out of the car with her car keys. She called out to Jasmine as she walked into the bookstore. She had also p
Jasmine said angrily, “Seren, you don’t have to mind what others say. It’s fine as long as Zachary and his family aren’t urging you. Besides, you can’t be blamed for not getting pregnant. Who knows? It can be Zachary’s problem too.“He did reject you when you mentioned getting a checkup.”Jasmine believed there were no issues with Serenity’s and Zachary’s bodies, but outsiders kept saying that her best friend was a hen that could not lay eggs. Therefore, she could not help but get angry. Why did they not say it was Zachary’s problem?It was unfair. Why would people always blame the woman whenever a couple could not have children after trying for a long time?“I used to mind, but I don’t care what others say now. Maybe I’ve become numb after hearing a lot.” Serenity had become indifferent. When she heard her friend getting angry for her sake, she smiled and said, “Don’t let Zachary hear you, Jasmine. He’s healthy. If you were to say he has a problem, I’m the one who’ll get u
“The man delivered food to Ms. Daniels once and then became her lover. That’s what I heard. After becoming her lover, she bought him expensive suits and ties. She even arranged for bodyguards to protect him and assigned a luxury car to him.“It seemed like she was trying to make her into a second Zachary. Her desire for Zachary is so obvious.”Anyone who had seen Zachary before would have mistaken the back of Jenna’s lover for Zachary’s.After a moment of silence, Serenity said, “Even if he looks like Zachary, he’ll never be him. As long as it isn’t Zachary, Jenna can have whoever she wants as her lover. It’s none of my business.”“Other people will suspect Zachary’s the person she’s being lovey-dovey with and posting on Facebook every day. The man’s face is never revealed every time she posts a picture. She’s obviously trying to mislead people into thinking that she and Zachary are together.“She’s ruining your and Zachary’s relationship by making you suspect and misunderstand hi
Jasmine chuckled. Her best friend had Zachary wrapped around her finger, but Zachary had Seren wrapped around his too. It was because the husband and wife had a good relationship. Without love, they could not have influenced one another. Serenity cleared her throat before picking up Zachary’s call. “Babe.”She deliberately made her voice cuter and addressed him. On the other end of the call, Zachary’s hand trembled. His phone almost dropped to the ground. He thought he had called the wrong person. After moving his phone away from his ear and taking a look, he verified that he was indeed calling his wife. He placed the phone by his ear again and asked Serenity with a laugh, “What bad deed have you done that you don’t wish for me to find out? Or did you badmouth me behind my back?”“Nothing. I just miss you. Did your bones tingle from me calling you like that? Or did you dislike it?”Zachary smiled and said, “I was startled and thought I dialed the wrong number. You must
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