Elisa laughed and said, “Alice, please don’t laugh at me. I’m just so nervous. I bet Clive is panicking right now.”“Okay, I’ll stop laughing at you. Though laughing lessens the pain.”Elisa said, “Then go ahead and laugh! If your stomach doesn’t hurt from laughing, you should laugh more. I really don’t mind since I’m quite thick-skinned.”Alice hugged her belly and laughed, but then she soon frowned and said, “Now it hurts. The pain is getting more intense.”Hearing this, Audrey immediately instructed her daughter, “Bring Alice to the hospital now!”Most women would experience contractions for at least a day or two before giving birth for the first time. Some women would even have to endure the pain for three days. However, some women only had contractions for a few hours before delivery.Maybe Alice would not have to struggle for long.Thus, the Stones rushed Alice to the hospital.On the way to the hospital, Alice called Clive. When he answered the phone, she said, “Clive, m
“I’ll call your mother!” Audrey offered.Alice did not get to call her mother. Audrey felt that Alice’s family should be present when Alice was giving birth, so she took the initiative to call Alice’s family, telling them to meet up at the hospital.Soon after, the Stones and Lafayettes gathered outside the delivery room, waiting anxiously for Alice to give birth.Just as Audrey had guessed, Alice did an examination and was sent to the delivery room immediately upon arrival.Elisa posted a message on Facebook, notifying the Hunt sisters of Alice’s labor.Zachary immediately accompanied Serenity and Grandma May to the hospital while Liberty arrived before Serenity.Seeing the large group of people waiting outside, Liberty walked to Audrey and called out softly.“Liberty, why are you here?”“I saw Elisa’s post that Alice was about to give birth, so I came to see how everything was going. How long has she been in there?”Audrey said, “It felt like she went in a long time ago. But
The door to the delivery room opened and everyone waiting gathered around.A nurse held the baby and asked Clive with a smile, “Are you Alice Lafayette’s family member?”“I am her husband. Has she given birth? How is my wife? Can I go in and see her? When can she come out?”Clive asked multiple questions regarding his wife.Liberty was standing behind the crowd. Seeing how much Clive cared about Alice, she sighed in relief, knowing that Alice had married the right person.The nurse answered Clive. “Your wife is in good condition. She gave birth to a boy. Both mother and child are safe. The baby is 7.3 pounds. Your wife will be out shortly. Here’s the baby.”Clive was relieved to hear that Alice and the baby were safe.Everyone had smiles on their faces when they heard what the nurse said. They were also excited to see the little one.Clive took his son from the nurse’s arms. He looked at his newborn son and handed the baby to his mother-in-law, Felicity. He said, “Mom, you can
Fortunately, Alice did not keep her husband waiting for too long as the nurse soon pushed her out of the delivery room.“Babe!”Clive ran to Alice.Alice’s hair was messy, and her lips were cracked.Even so, Alice was in good spirits when she saw that everyone was waiting for her. She said to her husband, “Clive, we have a son! They said the baby looks like me.”Felicity said, “Yeah, your son resembles you. The baby is very healthy.”Clive leaned down and kissed his beloved wife on the forehead. He said in distress, “Thanks for your hard work, babe. Let’s not have any more children. One is enough.”Alice’s family hoped that she would give birth to a boy.The Stones had a big business empire, and Clive said that they would only have one child. Alice’s family felt that their daughter’s position in the Stone family was secure because she had given birth to an heir.After giving birth, Alice was also glad that she had a son. That way, her son would not have to endure the pain of c
Alice held her son and kissed him several times, smiling. “Of course, he looks like me. I gave birth to him! His mouth looks like Clive’s.”Alice glanced at her husband and said, “He has both our features, but he looks more like me.”Clive said dotingly, “It’s better that way since I’m not as good-looking as you.”Everyone laughed.Alice and Clive were a good-looking couple. The baby was still so small, so it was hard to tell whose looks he would take after. Yet, everyone was sure he would be a handsome little boy in the future.Alice needed more rest after giving birth, so everyone left after a while.Clive and Audrey stayed in the hospital to take care of Alice and the baby.After coming out of the hospital, Serenity and Zachary went to the Stones’ residence.The Stones were beaming with joy because they just welcomed a new baby.The Hunt sisters bought a lot of nutritional supplements for Alice.Audrey said to her nieces, “We don’t lack anything at home. Why did you buy so
Zachary had been reading up on pregnancy and knew that pregnant women should get enough exercise. It was not healthy to stay in bed or sit still all day.“Don’t worry, Aunt Audrey.”Audrey was happy with her niece’s husband and sighed when she looked at Liberty. Serenity was lucky to have met Zachary, who pampered her after they were married.On the other hand, Audrey felt sorry for Liberty.Liberty had a failed marriage with a vile man. After the divorce, Liberty led a better life and even had a sincere admirer—Duncan. However, Duncan got into a car accident and was undergoing rehab for his broken legs. No one knew when Duncan would fully recover.If Duncan could not recover fully, Audrey would not approve of Liberty and Duncan being together because Liberty had suffered enough in her previous marriage. She was hoping Liberty could be as happy as Serenity for the remainder of her life with her soulmate, rather than get dragged down by a disabled person.Audrey was just a pragmat
Liberty read between the lines of Audrey’s suggestion and nodded with a smile. “I hope my food will be served all over the country one day.”“Liberty, that day will come,” Serenity cheered.She had complete faith in Liberty’s ability to pull it off.Audrey laughed and said, “All women of Fishers are capable.”Especially the eldest daughter.If it had not been for their family’s demise decades ago, Liberty would have been the matriarch of the Fisher family.The women in the Fisher family were all capable.Caroline Fisher was a good example. She pretended to be weak and deceived the entire family.Perhaps the only person who could see through Caroline’s act was her biological mother, Belinda.Serenity hesitated to speak and she kept mum till the end.She was fully aware that her sister was capable but becoming the matriarch of the Fisher family might be very intense. After all, it involved grudges across two generations.The current matriarch was so cruel as to kill her elder
Audrey did not notice Serenity’s hesitance, but Liberty did and guessed that her sister wanted to talk to her about the Fisher family from Jensburg.After the Hunt sisters went out, the only ones left in the living room were Darrell, Zachary, and Remy.Grandma May did not follow Zachary and Serenity to the Stones’ residence after the hospital visit, so Zachary arranged for someone to take his nana back to the villa. Zachary did not know and could not care less whether Grandma May made a detour before going home. She was an active elderly woman who just would not stay at home.The three grown men drank tea and chatted about business matters.The Hunt sisters walked out of the house. Liberty wanted to help her sister down the steps, but Serenity smiled and said, “Liberty, I’m less than three months in, and my body hasn’t changed much yet. Aside from the morning sickness a while back that reminded me of the pregnancy, I’m not any different than before. You don’t need to help me down t
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella was insistent on getting answers. Austin had never told her when she had asked him about it before. He kept saying he would focus on working and that he was not in a rush to get married. After all, he was only in his twenties; Zachary only got married at thirty years old. If he was unsuccessful in wooing his fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s eyes. He could detect some feelings in her gaze, but it was not obvious enough. What she felt for him was still mostly admiration. It was not the right time for him to confess yet. He would continue to wait. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella had treated him well ever since he became her private chef. It only got better after she discovered he was a young master of the Yorks. Austin believed her when she said she viewed him as a friend because her actions reflected it as well. However, he was not content with being just friends. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to trust him and love him forever. He would also reciprocate her feelings and trust. Isabella smiled. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s words was not lost on Isabella, but she did not comment on it.She allowed Austin to accompany her into the house. The lights were still on inside, but the first floor was empty. Everyone else had already gone to bed.Since Isabella had not returned yet, the housekeeper had left the lights on for her.The house was warm, so once inside, Isabella took off Austin’s coat and handed it back to him.Austin accepted the coat and followed her to the sofa. After she had sat down, he asked gently, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h