Dylan’s face twitched. Grandma May returned the drawing to him after taking a look at it.“Nana.”The old lady raised her hand to stop him from talking. She said, “It was your dream. If you have questions, you should be the one looking for answers. What use is there in asking me? I’m not a know-it-all.”With a bitter face, Dylan said, “But you’ve already chosen a wife for me and handed me her picture. I’m going to look for her anytime now, but both she and the woman in my dreams aren’t the same person.“The men of the York family never divorce or have an affair. I don’t want to be the first York to dishonor his wife.”Grandma May still looked uninterested. “I’ve said that it’s your problem. You should investigate it and find the issue. If you’re having those dreams because I’ve chosen someone for you, you should look for her.”“Nana!”Dylan sat beside her and held her arm to whine. “Don’t you love me anymore, Nana? You always say that I’m your favorite. Can you put up with mak
Grandma May did not budge. She said, “Dylan, you can ask Kevin about this and learn from him.”“I’m not running away, Nana. How can I do that when you’re doing all of this for our sake? I have really been having those dreams for some time now, and they have all been about the woman in my drawing.”He could swear that he was telling the truth. The dreams were real while wanting his nana to let him off the hook was also true. “Let me reiterate. I’ve done lots of research before picking someone and finally deciding on your future wife because she matches you. You’ve never met her nor tried to understand her. How could you be sure she’s not suitable for you?“Why not do it this way? If you can find the girl in your dreams, you can give up on the lady I’ve chosen for you. I won’t hold it against you.”Dylan said, “How can I find her from a sea of people?”Initially, his plan was to use this matter to convince Grandma May to withdraw her matchmaking for him. This would grant him the
A moment later, Dylan said, “Are you hungry, Nana? Let’s head back for breakfast. Zack’s making it.“He truly treats Serenity well. Rarely do we have the chance to taste his cooking, but she can have it every day.”Dylan sounded jealous of Serenity. Zachary was really devoted to her. Grandma May stood up with Dylan’s support. She gestured for him to move the speaker back into the house. She said, “Are you jealous of Zack and Seren’s relationship? You can be the object of envy too.”Dylan followed Grandma May back to the main house along with the speaker. He said, “I’ve never seen the woman you picked for me, Nana. How will I know if I can get along with her? Besides, I’m involved with another woman in my dream.“I don’t know who I’ll marry in the end. If I marry the one you chose, I might betray her, because the woman in my dream isn’t her.“This is too hard, Nana.”Grandma May said, “Everything will fall into place eventually. You’ll know how to make your choice when the t
However, those ladies were not as healthy as Grandma May. Despite being old, she often traveled by plane to pick wife candidates for her grandsons. ‘We’re unfilial,’ Dylan thought. If his nana had not given them the task, he would have gotten married after he turned thirty-five years old instead of twenty-eight. Although he was envious of Zachary and Serenity’s happy marriage, he preferred freedom and being unrestrained. Grandma May had most likely guessed their thinking and knew they would only wed after hitting thirty. Therefore, she tasked them with pursuing their wives. “Nana can stay in shape by dancing. Besides, her dancing at home won’t disturb anyone.”Zachary was aware that Grandma May had learned dancing from the old ladies in group dancing sessions. The elderly had always led a carefree life, unrestrained by their status or identity. As her grandsons, they simply wished for her happiness and supported anything she did that brought her joy. “Why were you lookin
Zachary asked, “What is Nana’s take on the matter?” “Nana told me to verify it myself. She’s washing her hands off it.” Dylan murmured, “I’m starting to question whether I’m really her grandson. Is she trying to push me to become the first guy in the family to get divorced?“I bet Nana’s itching to beat someone with her cane. We’ve been very well-behaved, so she doesn’t have an excuse to discipline us. She would have a legit reason to beat me up by turning me into a cheater.” Zachary burst into laughter. He said with a smile, “Nana would make you feel sorry you ever said that.” “I’m not wrong.” “Can’t you combine Nana’s choice for you with the woman in your dreams?” “How can I do that? They are two different people. They don’t even look the same,” Dylan mumbled. Zachary replied, “Special effects makeup is a thing now. Cheryl, who married into the Johnsons, specializes in that. You might want to look into it. While you’re at it, you could consider a hyper-realistic mask too
Zachary went upstairs. He pushed the bedroom door and walked in to hear Serenity gagging in the bathroom. Today was no exception. As soon as Serenity woke up, she had to go and throw up in the bathroom. “Seren.” Zachary rushed over and approached Serenity from behind. He gave her gentle rubs on the back while feeling sorry for her. “Your morning sickness is happening every day. The baby’s not letting you rest.” The child might be a naughty one. “Pregnancy is a different experience for everyone. A difficult one with morning sickness does not dictate a child's personality.”Serenity stood up for her unborn child. After puking, Serenity washed her hands while Zachary grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth. “I wish I could bear the morning sickness for you.” “If you can do that, you might as well take over the whole pregnancy and save us women from childbirth.” Zachary was speechless. He helped Serenity out of the bathroom and sat her down on the bedroom sofa. He then pour
Minutes later, Serenity changed her clothes and went downstairs with Zachary, hand in hand. Dylan and Grandma May were having breakfast in the dining room. As the couple entered the space, he stopped eating and rose to his feet. “Hi, Serenity.” “Morning.” Serenity was used to the respect she got from Zachary’s cousins and brothers. She knew that they respected her because of Zachary. She gestured for Dylan to sit down. “Nana,” Serenity greeted. Grandma May lovingly asked, “Do you feel better today?” “Same as always. I wonder if things will be better in a month.” “They will.” Grandma May looked at Zachary. Her grandson must feel bad about Serenity’s persistent morning sickness. “Seren, Zachary got up early and made you breakfast. Thanks to you, I get breakfast too.” Grandma May smiled. “Don’t make it as though I’m a bad grandson, Nana. We will always cook for you if you ask,” Zachary refuted. Dylan complained to Serenity, “Look at Zachary. He’s so petty. He d
Snapping out of his thoughts, Sam answered, “I’ll bring the car around, ma’am.” “Go on. I won’t be back for dinner. I’ll return tomorrow. Let Zachary know when he comes back,” Grandma May urged. “Got it, ma’am.” She was always out and about, so Sam was used to it. Grandma May did not have to pack to go home. Out she walked with only her phone.Sam had a car brought to the driveway. She wanted to drive, but Sam was not going to have it. Even though Grandma May was in good health, she was getting old. Sam could not afford her getting into accidents on the road. Moreover, Grandma May loved the adrenaline rush of speeding. Zachary and the rest of the family had warned Sam and his team that under no circumstances could Grandma May drive. “Alright. I just can’t wait to get home. I won’t fight you on this. I won’t drive.” Since Grandma May could not argue over Sam, she relented. The household helper was stubborn when it came to her safety, and it was under Zachary’s orders
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
The Queen family was well-educated and had few members. Sophia had heard of other families fighting over power, but Caroline’s experience shocked her the most. Maybe it was because the Queens was close to her. Sophia quite liked Caroline as well. “How could they… You’re their biological sister!”Caroline smiled bitterly. “Are you having a fever, Carol? Your face is red.”Sophia touched Caroline’s forehead. She said, “You’re burning up. Have you informed the doctor, Mr. Fletcher?”Darren replied, “The fever started at dawn. Ms. Caroline caught a cold. Her fever subsided after taking medication once, but it returned.“It’s time for her to take her medicine.”Sophia spotted the lunch boxes. She told Darren, “Go have your lunch, Mr. Fletcher. I can look after Carol.”“It’s okay, Mrs. Queen. I can eat on my own,” said Caroline embarrassedly. It was her first time feeling cared for by someone her mother’s age. Although Sophia was not part of her family, the lady treated her
Caroline looked toward Darren. She said, “In my younger days, I often caught colds and coughs when the weather was too cold. The coughing will last throughout the changing of seasons. Therefore, I’ve been looking after my health since I grew up.“My immune system strengthened a lot. I haven’t been coughing for years.“I’m not worried.”Caroline stared at Darren lovingly. “I have nothing to be worried about with you here.”Darren pinched her face lightly with affection. “I’m still sulking. I didn’t want you to risk yourself, yet I couldn’t stop you. I’ll only feel better once you recover.”He was Caroline’s assistant and had to heed her orders. Even if they were dating, he still had to follow her arrangements.“Okay. Don’t be angry. I won’t take risks like this again in the future. You’ll age quickly if you get angry frequently. If that happens, your hair might turn gray before I even grow old.“We promised to grow old together.”Under Caroline’s gentle coaxing, Darren’s expre
Darren became an orphan when he was only a few years old. After losing everything, he was collected and trained by the training center to be an all-rounder assistant. He could not remember how he lost his parents as he was too young back then. Since he had no memories, there was no pain.Nevertheless, he had seen others interacting with their parents. He knew parents should love their children. There were not many parents who would not shower their children with love. Ms. Caroline was too unlucky to have met one. “I don’t care. I don’t care about my dad at all.”Caroline asked, “Has my dad asked you to give him money? He doesn’t need money. He just wants to know about his sons’ conditions.“Having lived for so many years, he was probably aware of the consequences of his sons’ plan and had advised them not to do it. They didn’t listen to him, so he’s just hoping to get lucky and waiting for some news.”Hunter must have known that her brothers were going to murder her. Sinc