Knock, knock.Knocks were heard and the people inside the house commented, “That was quick.” Somebody hurried to look out the window. Zachary's bridal convoy had pulled up at the driveway, but Liberty’s driveway was too narrow to accommodate the long line of cars, especially with so many guests already parked there.Hence, half of the fleet had to park outside the estate. From above, the driveway and entrance looked like a car show, packed with fancy cars.Zachary’s usual Rolls-Royce was the wedding car. It was beautifully decorated with a large banner that read “Just Married” in bold letters.Dressed in a black suit, Zachary looked tall and handsome. He was usually solemn and unapproachable with his bodyguards surrounding him. Today, he was beaming at everybody. No wonder Elisa said Zachary would be on his best, most tolerant behavior today. The bridesmaids were free to do whatever they wanted to him. Of course, Elisa was not going to take the lead. She did not want Zachar
Since Sonny was in the room with the bridesmaids, Elisa decided to put Sonny as the first line of defense. She told Sonny, “Zachary will be up soon. Sit outside the door and stop Zachary from coming in, okay?” Sonny did not get it. He lifted his face and asked, “Uncle Zak is here to pick Aunt Ser up. Why can’t he take Aunt Ser to the ceremony? I want to see Aunt Ser walk down the aisle.” He could not be the page boy and ring bearer if Zachary did not take Serenity to the wedding ceremony. Elisa explained, “Zachary can take Serenity to the wedding, but we can’t make it easy for him. We should let him go through some hoops to get to Serenity to make sure he will cherish and be nice to her.” “But Uncle Zak is good to Aunt Ser. Why must we make things difficult for Uncle Zak?” Elisa was speechless. She slapped her hand to her forehead and said to Serenity, “Why don’t you talk to Sonny, Seren? He doesn’t need to do anything. He can just sit outside the door and stop Zachary fr
“How much is the fee?” Sonny played along because it was his favorite game to play. The boy would not say no to money. “You can collect the fee until you are satisfied.” “I don’t get satisfied easily.” Elisa grinned. “It’s all up to you, Sonny. Watch the door. Call me if you need me.” She then closed the door. Sonny looked at Zachary and said, “Uncle Zak, I need to collect the fee until I’m satisfied before you can see Aunt Ser.” Zachary took a few steps forward and gave Sonny a few bills. When Sonny took the money, Zachary picked Sonny up and said, “Sonny, I don’t want to be late to the wedding ceremony with Serenity. You’re our page boy and ring bearer. You have to go with us too. “You must help me. Don’t make it hard for me, okay?” “But I like the task Aunt Elisa gave me. I want to collect the fee. Aunt Elisa said to collect until I feel satisfied. I’m not satisfied yet.” “Come on. Here’s my fee, Sonny.” Julian gave Sonny some cash. The other groomsmen did
Zachary’s breath was taken away when he saw Serenity sitting in bed with a bright smile. He knew that his wife was beautiful, but Serenity was not one to dress up often. Today, she wore her tailored wedding dress and the jewelry he had given her. He could not take his eyes away from her lightly painted face. “The groom is blown away.”Everybody snickered. “Zachary, you must look for Seren’s glass slipper before you can whisk her away,” Elisa spoke, referring to Serenity’s wedding shoes. Zachary approached to give his wife a loving hug. After releasing her, he felt Serenity’s jewelry and asked, “Does the jewelry feel heavy?” Serenity was like the display unit of a jewelry store. She nodded her head with a smile. “I can still handle the weight.” There were a lot more jewelry pieces that she could not put on. She kept the pieces in the jewelry box, which was open for everybody to see.When Serenity first found out about Zachary’s identity, the anger of being lied to drove he
Today, Wildridge Manor opened its doors to a multitude of guests. Everybody had big smiles on their faces. The Yorks rarely hosted parties, and even if they did, the event would be held at Wiltspoon Hotel. The late Old Mr. York built Wildridge Manor for his beloved wife. Only the wedding of Zachary’s parents was held at Wildridge Manor while the rest had their weddings at their hotel. Now that it was Zachary’s turn, Grandma May insisted on having her eldest grandson’s wedding at the manor. Wiltspoon Hotel would not be open for business either. Nevertheless, York Corporation employees were invited for a celebration at the hotel. The employees could enjoy the buffet at Wiltspoon Hotel and wedding favors from attending the joyous occasion. Zachary was generous. He spread joy throughout the company to celebrate his marriage.Quinn did not know anyone, but Julian asked a lady friend to watch over Quinn for him. Of course, Quinn was not supposed to find out that he was the heir of
“Mr. Queen.” Quinn came to know from Julian that Hayden was the President of Queen Enterprise in Jensburg.Hayden was Kevin’s rumored boyfriend.Quinn was surprised that Kevin was gay. Besides, she was surprised that the Yorks were open-minded about Kevin’s sexual orientation, and the family did not even try to break them apart. Nevertheless, Quinn had to admit that Hayden was a hunk. A man of power and wealth like Kevin must have seen it all. Perhaps Hayden's aloofness was what attracted him in the first place.Quinn studied Hayden for a while, debating in her mind the reason Kevin would fall in love with Hayden. “Ms. Crawford.” Hayden was older and wiser than Quinn, having dabbled in the business world for years. She quickly picked up what was going on in Quinn’s mind. She did not try to explain anything, though. Hayden was there to attend Zachary’s wedding as the President of Queen Enterprise, not as Kevin’s girlfriend. She was representing her family. Besides, Ha
Hayden pursed her lips and said, “Next year is far away. Things don’t always go as planned.” Quinn smiled. “That’s true. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Nothing ever goes as planned.“Do you mind if we walk together, Mr. Queen?” Hayden thought about it and declined Quinn. She was blunt. “Everybody sees me as Kevin’s rumored boyfriend, and you’re Mr. Bucham’s guest. It might not look good on you to walk with me.” Quinn was not expecting Hayden to say such a thing. She replied with a smile, “I won’t insist then, Mr. Queen. You’re not what I thought you’d be, Mr. Queen.” “Were you surprised that I admitted I am Kevin’s rumored boyfriend?” Quinn nodded her head. “Yes.” Hayden smiled and said, “From the moment Kevin pursued me, people started seeing us together. The public has seen how relentless he was in his pursuit. I can give that to him.” “Mr. Queen, have you accepted Kevin as your boyfriend?” Seeing that Hayden owned up to reality without running away or get
Hayden glared at Hugh and warned him, “Don’t try anything with her. She’s with Mr. Bucham. Quinn is the daughter of a gym owner. She learned self-defense as a child and can really pull a punch. She’s a coach at her family gym, Power Fitness. “She’s a straightforward girl. She doesn’t play any games. It’s been years since I’ve met such an honest person.” Hayden saw nothing but scheming people around her, except for children but even so, some kids were cunning.Perhaps people in her social circle wore masks. Hugh was not around when Julian brought Quinn over, so he did not know Quinn was with Julian. After hearing Hayden out, Hugh regrettably said, “Oh, she’s with Mr. Bucham. I wouldn’t approach her. It’s a shame because she’s my type… Doesn’t Mr. Bucham have an illness? I thought he’d swear off any men or women.“Medically, he has hypoactive sexual desire disorder, but he basically can’t perform in the bedroom.” Hugh would only talk about it with Hayden. He would not blatant
All he could do was hold it in. However, he soon sneezed again.Imogen commented, “My dad told you to stand in the cold without your coat, and you really did it, like an idiot. It’s not like you feel anything for me or you’re trying to win my affection, so there’s really no need for you to listen to my dad.”Luckily, she came out quickly enough. Otherwise, he would have turned into an icicle.“It was my fault before. I hurt you, so it's only natural that Mr. and Mrs. Doyle are angry with me. They didn’t hit me or scold me, and they just made me stand out in the cold for a while; they’re already being very lenient,” said Dylan, sneezing again.He was usually in good health, but this time, he was afraid he might really catch a cold.Imogen glanced at him without saying anything. She led Dylan into the house and asked their housekeeper if the soup was ready.Wendy replied, “Almost.”Imogen nodded and asked Dylan to sit down. Then, she poured him a cup of tea and asked, “Have you ea
Dylan finally put his coat on after Imogen said that. He had only been standing there for half an hour but even in that short time, he had become so cold.Once he put his jacket on, Imogen turned around and began walking inside. “Come with me.”“Okay,” Dylan quickly bent down to grab the gifts before quickening his steps to catch up with Imogen. “Thank you, Ms. Doyle.”Imogen glanced at him for a moment before turning away. “I was just afraid you might freeze to death at my doorstep, and then your family would come after mine. Plus, since your sisters-in-law are my good friends, I couldn't just let you die at my gate.”After leaving Wiltspoon, Imogen had not gone back there under her real name, but she had stayed in touch with Serenity and the others and was still on very good terms with them.Dylan smiled and said, “Serenity will give birth in a few months, and Josh’s wife is also pregnant, but she's a month ahead of Serenity. Liberty and Duncan have already registered their marr
Her daughter’s excellence was all thanks to Silver’s influence.“What I wanted to tell you was that Dylan is standing at our doorstep. He said he wanted to see you. Your dad and I refused and told him to leave, but he’s not budging.”Imogen was not surprised by this, but she still pretended to be surprised, so as not to raise her mother’s suspicion.“Why’s he here?” Imogen asked, feigning ignorance.“Who knows? He didn’t say. He only said he wanted to see you. The way he treated you, playing with your feelings—your dad and I have been holding in a lot of anger for a long time. “But you didn’t want us to confront him, so we couldn’t vent it. Now he’s come knocking, wanting to see you? It won’t be that easy.”Imogen was not planning to meet Dylan either.“Your dad told him to stand outside for two hours with his coat off and that if he doesn’t freeze to death, he’ll let him see you.”Imogen was speechless for a moment. “Mom, it’s freezing outside. Even wearing a thick coat, it’s
“Still not up yet?” Leticia smiled and said as she entered her daughter’s room after the door opened. Imogen’s room was decorated in a warm style, but the furniture was minimal. Aside from the bed, a computer desk, and a set of sofas, she preferred things to be simple. Her room was also the smallest. She said that if the room was too big, it felt empty and she could not sleep well. Leticia thought it was because when her daughter learned self-defense from her master, she lived in a small room with her fellow disciples, so she had gotten used to smaller spaces.Compared to the average person, Imogen's room was actually quite large, but against the rooms of the other family members, hers looked smaller.Leticia sat down on the sofa.“Mom, let me change first.” With her mother here, Imogen could no longer lie in bed. She went to change and wash up, then came out of the bathroom. She poured her mother a cup of water and placed it in front of her before sitting next to her. “Mom, a
Dylan was speechless.Leaving the warm indoors, he felt Huntington's winter was really cold. It was below freezing, and the temperature was as low as 14°F to 32°F. He had never experienced such low temperatures in Wiltspoon.In Wiltspoon, the moment the temperature dropped to 50°F, everyone would start saying it was freezing.Winston and Leticia headed back. Leticia whispered to her husband, “What if he really stands there for two hours without his coat and freezes to death?”They wanted to stand up for their daughter, but they did not want to kill Dylan. That would make them enemies of the Yorks. Even if they could not become in-laws, they definitely did not want to become enemies.Winston replied, “If he really does it, in half an hour, I’ll let Jen come out and call him inside. If he doesn't follow my request, he won’t freeze to death.”At most, he would just catch a cold. If he did not do it, nothing would happen.“I don’t think he’s here for love this time either. I’m not s
Leticia harrumphed as well. “Mr. York, why are you here?” Leticia asked coldly. “We don't welcome you here. Go back to wherever you came from.”Dylan smiled awkwardly, “Mrs. Doyle, I just want to see Ms. Imogen.”“Imogen doesn't want to see you. Hurry up and leave, or we'll let the guard dogs out.” Leticia rejected him outright. “And you’d better stay as far away as possible. Do you think our Imogen is someone you can just toy and flirt with just because you want to, then say you haven't fallen for her and play with her feelings?“What's the matter? Has the Mr. York, whose heart belongs to someone else, still not managed to win his lady love over?” Leticia mocked, though she was actually probing into the reason for Dylan's visit.Dylan just took the insults without getting angry. He knew he had hurt Imogen. Even though she was someone who could take things in stride, the fact remained he had flirted with her and turned to claim he did not like her, which had hurt her feelings.
Otherwise, the Old Mrs. York would not have taken a liking to her in the first place.“I'll go out and have a look.” Leticia could not sit still and stood up to leave. She wanted to mock that York boy. Winston replied, “I'll go with you.”He was worried that his wife might soften her heart because she was quite pleased with Dylan at first. Well, to be honest, he was too.It was mainly because everyone in Huntington knew of the Wiltspoon Yorks’ reputation. The men of the York family were devoted and loyal to their marriages, and once they married, it was for life.For women, the York family was an excellent family for marriage. Who would not want to marry into it? Families with daughters also hoped their daughters would marry York men, or those who were as devoted as them. Leticia hummed in assent and the couple hurried out.Dylan's car was parked in front of the Doyles’ residence. He had switched to a different car, afraid the security guards might recognize his vehicle, eve
“Goodnight, Mom,” Imogen said.As Leticia turned the doorknob to enter her room, Imogen suddenly asked, “Mom, if Dylan comes looking for me again, would you let him in?”“I'd set the guard dog on him.”Imogen chuckled softly, “Mom, you’re all talk. If he really does, you might just smile from ear to ear and think he’s realized he actually loves me.”Leticia was silent for a moment before she said, “Regardless, I have to make him sweat a little.” After saying that, Leticia quickly closed the door, feeling too embarrassed to face her daughter. She internally sighed. Dylan was the son-in-law she had hoped for. If Dylan really did realize that he actually loved Jen and came back for her, Leticia wondered if she should forgive him for the things he had done months ago. Dylan had hurt her daughter, but… never mind. It was between the two young ones. She should let them handle it themselves. There was no way Dylan would come back anyway.Leticia did not expect her daughter’s hypothet
Leticia then heard faint footsteps. When she went out to check, she saw it was her daughter. That was why she asked.“My friend invited me out for a late-night snack.” Imogen lied, not telling her mother that she had gone to meet that thief. She knew that Dylan wanted to break in by climbing the wall, but she kept to herself because she did not want her mother to have a bad impression of him.Leticia had met Dylan back when he was deliberately approaching her and knowing he was one of the Wiltspoon Yorks, she was very pleased with him. Since Leticia thought so highly of Dylan and said a lot of good things about the York family before her, Imogen took this into consideration and saw him as a potential partner. However, when she started to have feelings for him, he told her that after trying for two or three months, he still could not fall for her.“I thought you didn’t like eating late-night snacks? Anyway, you should just eat what you want at home. Why go out? It’s so cold,” Let