Not feeling awkward at all, Marcus retracted his hand. He sat back in his seat with composure, but his eyes did not break contact with Caroline. Celine smiled and said, “Caroline, Dad chose Marcus for you. You should try and get along with Marcus. Although the Wrights aren’t super rich and powerful, their assets are worth at least a few million dollars. “Marcus’s parents don’t mind their son taking our family’s name. You know it’s hard to find a man to take the wife’s family name. Dad immediately thought of you when Marcus was happy to compromise. See how good Dad is to you.” Celine was gloating. The Fishers encouraged Celine to pursue Hayden. Although Celine had not made much progress, her family demonstrated their support for her to marry into wealth and power. Yet, Hunter found a mediocre husband for Caroline. Sure, the Wrights were worth several millions, and to an ordinary family, the Wrights were wealthy. However, they were considered poor to the rich and powerful lik
Hunter’s smile froze. Marcus was once him. If Hunter had something to show for, he would not have married into the Fisher family and become a sperm donor to Belinda. At least, Belinda was good to his family. His sacrifice had given something back to his parents and siblings. However, Hunter did not have freedom, especially financially. His wife only gave him a daily allowance of five hundred dollars to prevent him from cheating. He did not have the guts to cheat on Belinda anyway. Many women threw themselves at him over the years while he was already married, but Hunter dared not cross the line. He did not have the courage to talk with those beautiful women. He knew too well what Belinda was capable of and would be in for it if he got on her nerves. Even his family could feel her rage. After Caroline was born, Belinda settled down and reduced their bedroom activities by a large margin. He was afraid she would leave him now that he had lost his value to her. Cheating was the
Hayden would not even look at Celine. Yet, the man was nice to a country bumpkin like Caroline. “Mom, I’ll go with Caroline tomorrow,” Celine proposed since Caroline mentioned buying Hayden a meal. Madam Fisher said indifferently, “Don’t go, Celine. You know what Mr. Queen thinks of you. I don’t care how you approach Mr. Queen. I only want results. But Caroline is treating Mr. Queen to a meal, which will be beneficial for the company. You can’t ruin this for us.“Caroline, I don’t have a problem if Mr. Queen accepts your invitation. I’m happy that you closed the deal tonight. I’ll get you a new car tomorrow. You can pick one yourself at the dealership. Your budget is five million dollars.” Celine uttered with envy, “Mom, my car isn’t even that expensive.” Caroline replied, “You’re adopted, but I’m the biological daughter. How can you compare yourself to me? Celine, you should know where you stand.” Celine had no words and showed her mom those puppy dog eyes. Madam Fisher p
Belinda provided benefits to his family, but they had always kept a low profile outside due to her authority over them. Hunter also had to be meek in front of his wife, like a maid, and that upset him. He had no choice but to bet all his hope on his daughter. “Cece, I can’t change what your mom has decided. You should go to her. I can’t do anything. Didn’t you hear what Caroline said? I married into your mom’s family. I don’t have any authority.”“Dad.”Hunter said resignedly, “Cece, my hands are tied. You know what status I hold in this family.”Celine pouted. She knew her dad was telling the truth. He had no authority in the Fisher family. In the study room on the second floor, Belinda was already seated behind the table and waiting for Caroline. She said, “Lock the door.”Caroline did as told. “Why did your car break down?” Belinda asked. “It was tampered with.”Belinda leaned against the chair and asked, “Do you suspect anyone?”“I can’t think of anyone besides my d
Belinda would be over the moon if Hayden became her son-in-law. “Mom, Mr. Queen and I are friends. He told me not to fall in love with him and that he would never accept me. If I were to like him as Celine did, I’d get hurt in the end.“We’re better off as friends.”Caroline had a crush on Hayden, experiencing that natural sense of admiration that came with meeting an outstanding individual. Though after Hayden expressed his thoughts honestly, her admiration did not go beyond that. Belinda was silent for a moment before giving a hum. She said, “Mr. Queen doesn’t suit our family. It’s better if you two stay as friends.”Befriending Hayden would benefit Caroline as well. “Did you have someone you liked before you returned to this family?”She was concerned about her daughter’s marriage. “Let me know if you have someone you fancy. You can bring him back and let me meet him. I won’t object if he has a good character. Those who are financially well-off won’t marry into our family.
Belinda’s expression softened. She said, “You don’t have to mind what others say. They don’t want you or Celine to be the next matriarch.“The Fisher family has been around for a century. We’ve been through ups and downs. What else out there that we’ve yet to encounter?“We’ve overshadowed our distant relatives for many years, so of course they’d be dissatisfied and want to move up the hierarchy whenever possible. They must’ve been the ones who spread the rumors too.”Belinda could never tell Caroline that she herself was the one who had caused her sisters' deaths. Those who knew about it were all dead and all evidence was destroyed by her. Thinking about it, did she forget anyone?It had been decades since the incident. She would never admit to her crime if there was no concrete evidence. Her nieces were young back then, so any recollection they had was vague at best. Plus, they were difficult to locate. For decades, she had been keeping an ear to the ground about her nieces
Belinda sighed and said, “She’s indeed different from us, but the multiple DNA tests and results tell us that she’s our daughter.“Caroline’s features do resemble us. It’s just her way of doing things is too soft. She’s too weak for someone with Fisher blood flowing in her veins. I’m getting older, but I don’t know when she’ll be ready to succeed me. Otherwise, I could retire and take care of our grandchildren with you.“I wonder when our daughters-in-law can give us a granddaughter. I hope our first grandchild is a girl. I’ll feel reassured that way. If Carol isn’t capable enough, I can nurture our granddaughter to be the successor while I’m still alive.”Hunter started having ideas upon hearing this. Caroline was a better fit as the matriarch than his granddaughter. However, she did not grow up by his side. Their relationship as a father and daughter was distant.If Caroline were the matriarch, he would have to behave and be cautious.On the other hand, if his granddaughter were
Caroline had no idea what her parents were talking about. She returned to her room and sent a message to Darren to inform him that Belinda found out about her visit to Wiltspoon. Immediately, he replied: [I’m sorry, Ms. Caroline. I was incompetent.]Caroline texted him: [It’s normal that something was discovered since my mom’s assistant was the one investigating. You don’t have to blame yourself. They were just some receipts proving my spending in Wiltspoon. This outcome is good enough.]Darren still felt bad about it and replied: [I made a mistake, Ms. Caroline. Please deduct my salary and bonus for this month.]Knowing his personality, Caroline replied: [I’ll deduct your bonus but not your salary. You still need to survive. I can’t possibly pay for your living expenses, right?]Darren stared at Caroline’s message for a long time before replying: [I accept this punishment.]He did not want Caroline to pay for his expenses. Instead, he wished to become her right-hand man. From
The bodyguard in the passenger seat turned and informed Caroline. Caroline remained calm. She said, “Speed up and let them chase us. The road ahead has many curves. A truck will turn over if it goes too fast.”The people in the truck were probably her brothers from the Dott family. She wondered how much money Adrian had given them. Were they planning to drive the truck to chase her and create an accident?Caroline’s driver immediately acted on her orders. The truck behind them accelerated as well. Soon, they arrived at the section of the road with many curves and downhills.Accidents could happen easily if a car drove too quickly at a curve. The truck driver was not ready to give up his life. He decelerated when he saw the curved road ahead. By the time the truck turned, Caroline’s car was gone. The truck driver immediately stepped on the brake. He stopped by the roadside and made a call. He was not one of the Dott brothers but someone else they hired. The driver c
“They’re my biological brothers and father, Em. Although they had attacked me with their words before, they never hurt me physically.“It’s okay. I have bodyguards with me.”Caroline was letting Emma know that she would still be heading home. After sighing, Emma said, “Be careful. Call the police if something feels off. We didn’t treat you well in the past, Carol, but I saw through your family and came to a realization.“You helped me a lot, and you’re the aunt of my children. I wish you well.”Caroline knew Emma was genuinely concerned about her. Ever since she exposed her brothers’ affairs and took her sisters-in-law’s side, her sisters-in-law, especially Emma, have changed their attitudes toward her. When Adrian and Emma were fighting on the verge of divorcing, Caroline stood by Emma unwaveringly. She had also assisted Emma in many instances. Although Emma had left the Fisher family, she would always be Caroline's sister-in-law. “I will be careful and live well, Em.
Since it would be a sleepless night, drinking some coffee could help them stay awake. At eleven o’clock, Caroline and her bodyguards left the cafe. She sensed some people had been following her the entire night. The bodyguards had also noticed it, but Caroline prevented them from alarming those people and let them continue following her. It would be none other than Adrian’s people anyway. Adrian, Justin, and Jason had finished their tasks early and got off work on time. They had the entire night to themselves as they did not have to work or attend events. After Caroline got in her car, she suddenly received a call from Emma. She picked up the call. “Hi, Emma.”“You can call me comfortably, Carol. I’m not your sister-in-law anymore.”Caroline immediately switched to Emma’s nickname. “Why aren’t you asleep but calling me at this hour, Em? I hope my nieces and nephews are obedient. Now that the school term has started, you should be able to relax when they’re at school
Liberty and Sonny had a lot to share with each other. Meanwhile, Caroline had not gone home yet. She told Liberty she was going home after they separated but ended up going shopping instead. It was still early. There were too many cars on the road. Even a fool would not choose that time to make a move. To play along with her brothers’ scheme, she had to go shopping and only head home late at night. That would make it easier for Adrian and his brothers to take action. Darren sent Caroline a message to tell her that the Dott brothers and Clark brothers were waiting to ambush her when she was on her way back. When she approached them, they would hit her car with theirs. Her dying on the spot would be the best-case scenario. If she did not die, they would kidnap her. Adrian was already waiting in a deserted place by the sea. They planned to chop her up and throw her body into the sea. The fish in the sea would eat her up. The Clark brothers were cruel. Caroline wa
Sonny himself needed taking care of. Duncan said, “Summer vacation, then. Since it’s a long holiday, you can be in Jensburg for two months.“Once you graduate from preschool and come over to Jensburg for elementary school, you’ll be able to see your mom every day. I’ll also move my business to Jensburg. That way, the three of us can reunite as a family.”While Lewis & Co. had businesses in Jensburg, there were not many. Since Liberty would be living in Jensburg permanently, Duncan increased his investments there to expand into a new market. Therefore, he had to be in Jensburg as the CEO. It also presented him with the opportunity to accompany Liberty and Sonny there. Sonny pouted. “Okay.“Mom, you haven’t answered my questions.”Sonny turned his attention back to Liberty. Liberty smiled. “I’m not as busy tonight, so I don’t have to work till late. I’m on my way home now. I called you because I knew you’d be going to bed soon.“Do you miss me, Sonny? I miss you so much.”“
Serenity shouted from the stairs, “Sonny, your mom’s on the phone.”Sonny was concentrating on his game of chess with Liam. Naturally, he was not as good as Grandpa Liam. He lost most of the time, aside from the few games Grandpa Liam let him win. However, even if Sonny always ended up losing, he was determined. Liam realized Sonny would change his strategy after every loss. He would learn from his mistakes and even emulate Liam’s playstyle. Sonny had a versatile mind. He was clever. Liam thought, ‘Maybe this is why our family loves Sonny.’Sonny was intelligent, studious, and thoughtful. Serenity was about to give birth. If Liam’s grandson would be as adorable as Sonny, he would not mind having a few more. “Let’s pause this round for now, Grandpa Liam. We can continue after I talk to Mom on the phone.”Liam smiled. “You should go to bed soon, Sonny. You still have to go to school tomorrow. We can leave this here and continue tomorrow evening. I promise not to move the
After the divorce, her life went on an upward trajectory.Hank’s, on the other hand, went on a downward spiral, although that was due to Zachary. He had orchestrated Hank’s downfall behind the scenes, causing him to lose his job. No other employer dared to hire him either.Initially, Hank hoped to join Stone Group, as the Stones and the Yorks were sworn rivals.He thought that if he could make a name for himself within Stone Group, he could wield its influence to take revenge on Zachary.However, who could have expected that Audrey Stone was actually Liberty and Serenity’s biological aunt?Audrey had spent decades searching for her sister, only to find just her two nieces in the end. She doted on them as if they were her own daughters.Elisa and Serenity, who could have been considered love rivals, unexpectedly became close friends. Instead of fighting, they became as close as sisters, and Elisa even gave up on Zachary, whom she had admired for years.Now, she had found her own
Duncan held his wife’s hand and said, “Don’t worry about her. Fletcher’s secretly protecting her and she won’t be in any life-threatening danger.“You’ve been working all day. You must be tired.” Duncan patted his shoulder. “Lean on me.”Liberty smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as he immediately wrapped his arm around hers.“Duncan.”“Hmm?”“It’s wonderful to have you. I finally have someone to rely on too.”In the past, she had been the one her sister and son relied on. Now, she had someone to lean on as well.Duncan said affectionately, “It’s even more wonderful to have you. You’re my support too, my pillar of strength. I really thank God for bringing us together.”He thanked God that they met, got to know each other, fell in love, and would spend the rest of their lives together.“Do you remember the first time we met?”Duncan chuckled. “How could I forget? You were pushing a stroller with Sonny in it, and you accidentally bumped into my car.“My brand-new car g
It would prevent them from ending up with nothing.“Mr. Lewis is coming over. You should go to him.”As they entered the hotel, they saw Duncan slowly walking over. His two bodyguards followed behind him, pushing a wheelchair. People coming in and out of the hotel could not help but glance at Duncan. The hotel manager wanted to help him, but Duncan declined.Liberty took a deep breath and said to Caroline, “Call me if anything happens. Good luck.”“Thank you!” Caroline said and smiled. “We’ll both have good luck.”Liberty walked over to Duncan.Caroline, on the other hand, turned and walked out.“Duncan.” Liberty stepped forward to support him. “Let’s go home.”Duncan let her help him, and the couple slowly made their way out.“Ms. Fisher left.”“Yes, she didn’t tell me, but I think it’s probably happening tonight. Adrian Clark and his brothers left work on time this evening instead of staying late, and they’ve finished everything assigned to them.”Duncan whispered, “They h