Julian said, “I’m not worried about my business. The company has a dedicated team. My only concern is only whether I can decline to be Zachary’s groomsman.”“Of course you can’t. Many people wish to attend Mr. York’s wedding but don’t have the chance to do so. You’re lucky to be able to be his groomsman.”Quinn secretly wished to attend Zachary and Serenity’s wedding, but she was neither their friend nor had she met them before. She also rejected Julian’s offer because she did not know anyone from that social circle. Besides, she really had to escort the children back as they had to go to school. Julian smiled and did not say a word. Without Grandma May being the third-wheeler, Julian and Quinn’s bond improved tremendously. Julian continued being a tour guide for the next two days. He brought Quinn and the children around and introduced them to experience local delicacies. Two days later, Quinn and the kids left Wiltspoon; happy times were always short-lived.Soon, it wa
“Ms. Stone,” Mrs. Lane greeted Elisa with a smile. “Why are you here, Mrs. Lane?”A grin lit up Elisa’s face when she saw a familiar face. “Mrs. York has moved back here, so Mr. York assigned a few of us here to look after her. Jim is here too.”Zachary had sent them over as they were most familiar with Serenity and Liberty. He told Mrs. Lane that she and Jim would be working at Liberty’s villa in the future. They could continue drawing their salary from him, which he had even raised.Liberty and Sonny were closest to Mrs. Lane and Jim out of all the helpers and bodyguards working for Zachary. That was the rationale behind his arrangements. Serenity would only be in a good mood if Liberty and Sonny were doing well. Elisa said, “That does sound like something Zachary would do. He gets all the nitty-gritty right when it comes to Seren. What an attentive man.”She used to think Zachary was cold and heartless. Her many years of crush on him was never reciprocated.Zachary did
“That’s how children are.”Mrs. Lane said, “It’ll get better once they grow up. Although Sonny doesn’t want to attend school, he doesn’t make a big fuss about it. At most, he would purposely move slowly to waste time. Even someone as good-tempered as Ms. Liberty could not stand his dilly-dallying.“She said despite Sonny’s slow movements, he was afraid of being late because it was embarrassing.“Sometimes, Ms. Liberty deliberately leaves Sonny behind and walks off with his bag. He would then panic and cry.”Elisa said, “I guess it’s better to watch other people’s kids than have one myself.”Sonny was an obedient kid to her. She could not believe that what she saw was only the tip of the iceberg. She would probably go crazy from looking after a child every day. Mrs. Lane laughed. “That’s true. We often find other people’s children adorable and want many of our own. However, when we raise our own, they’re like little devils.”Elisa decided she would let Remy be in charge of the c
Serenity laughed. “Of course. Not just anyone can handle Julian’s special condition.”“He found the woman destined for him,” Elisa said. “I know. Julian told Zachary about it a few days ago. He wanted to bring Ms. Crawford to our manor for a visit and Zachary agreed. Nana said Ms. Crawford was smart and sporty, a perfect match for Julian. She mentioned that only a woman of Ms. Crawford’s caliber could be the Bucham family’s head missus.“Nana also talked about Ms. Crawford’s exceptional skills in martial arts. Zachary would not be able to win against her. She had been training since a young age, and her family had been involved in martial arts for generations. How can an amateur like Zachary beat her?“I’m an amateur too.”Elisa smiled, “Zachary’s face might turn dark upon hearing our words. He’s overconfident and arrogant, always thinking he’s the best man in the world. He won’t be satisfied if you label him as an amateur in martial arts.”“If he’s unsatisfied with it, he can c
Serenity could not convince Elisa. At the same time, she was moved by Elisa’s devotion to sisterhood. Elisa had been nothing but kind to her before they found out they were cousins. She was a true friend because she would do just about anything for a friend. However, Elisa did not consider just anybody as a good friend. Apart from her long-time best friend, Serenity and Jasmine were also in Elisa’s close circle. “You need to sit down and talk to Remy. Get his take on it. If he isn’t on board, I don’t want you to have a fight with him because of me, Elisa.” Serenity took Elisa’s hand and said, “I want you to be happy. I don’t want to be the reason that comes between your marriage to Remy.” Elisa held Serenity’s hands and replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Seren. We won’t fight. I believe Remy will understand where I’m coming from. Besides, our plan is to get engaged and not rush into marriage.” Remy could not wait to start a new chapter in his life, but he did not bring tha
The only competition Remy saw was Andrew. To Remy, Julian was only acting because his acting was way over the top. “Mrs. York.” Mrs. Lane approached and said to Serenity with a smile, “Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Young-Johnson are here with the kids.” Ben’s family was staying at Wildridge Manor. Zachary and Serenity hosted the Johnson family before she moved to Liberty’s place because the wedding was around the corner. The bridal party would be doing all the wedding preparations there.If Liberty was still married to Hank, Serenity would not choose to organize such an intimate event at the Browns’ residence. However, things were different now. Liberty had the time and place to host the bridal party for her sister. Since Liberty was the maid of honor, she had the final say in all wedding preparations.“Please invite them in.” As Serenity was staying with her sister for the time being, Antonia, Jane, and her little ones dropped by to catch up with Serenity. Jane was new
Serenity said amusedly, “I think it was an accident. Chloe didn’t mean to hit her brother.” Jane smiled. “The little guy is a crybaby. Connor and Oliver can have a crying match.” Serenity knew that Lilian’s son, Oliver, was a fusser too. Lilian was afraid of his cries, and was always tempted to run and hide every time he shed tears. In fact, Lilian came all the way to Wiltspoon and stayed for a while after treating Camryn’s eyes. She said she would only return to FC Manor after Serenity and Zachary’s wedding since Oliver was in good hands with her mentor. The legendary doctor had more experience caring for babies than Lilian did, having raised her himself. Lilian also left her student, Laurence, in his care.She adopted a hands-off approach with Laurence, only testing him every once in a while. Laurence was about the age of Sonny, but his memory and comprehension were much better than Sonny’s. Otherwise, Lilian would not have chosen him as her student. Lilian had met So
Mrs. Lane served the guests beverages, fruit, and snacks. Elisa took a seat and found the courage to carry the baby one more time. She asked for Chloe from her future mother-in-law once again. The baby stared at Elisa with her bright eyes and flashed a smile. “Chloe smiled at me.” The infant’s toothless grin brought Elisa so much joy that she gave Chloe multiple smooches. Antonia was very pleased with Elisa as her future daughter-in-law. Although she loved Jane as her daughter-in-law too, Elisa’s personality shared more similarities with hers, so she found Elisa easier to get along with.She smiled and said, “Chloe rarely smiles. I think she likes her new aunt.” Jane jumped in. “Chloe is like her father. Although it’s too early to tell for sure as she is only a few months old, her personality may become apparent in a few years. She doesn’t cry much and usually keeps to herself.” Chloe would not smile at those she only met a handful of times. Elisa was Remy’s love, and