Callum was not satisfied with the fleeting kiss, so he hugged Camryn and kissed her passionately. After the kiss, Callum said, “I know you’re not a saint. I like your way of doing things. You’re just like me. We’re really meant for each other.”“You’re so thick-skinned.”“I won’t be able to have you in my arms if I’m not.”Camryn was speechless.When they heard footsteps, the couple let go of each other.The butler walked in and approached the couple, reporting respectfully, “Ms. Camryn, I have sent someone to follow Carrie. After she left, she borrowed the security guard’s phone to make a call.”The butler gave Camryn the phone number that was written on a piece of paper.“Carrie called this number. They didn’t chat for too long.”Camryn took the small piece of paper with Mrs. Clark’s new phone number written on it. She looked at it and asked, “Whose number is this? None of the Newmans use this number.”She raised her head and said to the butler, “Keep an eye on Carrie’s wh
Hearing this, Camryn looked up at Callum and asked with a smile, “Already? I heard Seren mention that Alice’s due date was next month. How did she already give birth so soon?”“The baby arrived two weeks before the due date, but he’s not premature.”“It’s still early. Why don’t we visit Alice before going back to the manor?”Audrey was Serenity’s aunt, so the Yorks and the Stones were considered relatives. Alice had just given birth, so they should go and visit her.“Alright.”Camryn stood up immediately and said, “I’ll prepare some gifts. By the way, I bought a few gold lockets a while back. Should I give it now or wait until they host the baby’s sip and see shower? I think I should buy a few sets of new clothes for the baby too.”“Just bring a simple gift and save the rest for the party. Why did you buy several gold lockets?”Camryn went to prepare some supplements as gifts and said, “Jas and Seren are both expecting, so I prepared a couple of lockets for the babies to welcome
“Alice.”Camryn smiled and walked to the bedside.Alice responded with a smile, “Hello, Camryn. Please have a seat.”Camryn pulled a chair closer to Alice and sat down.Alice watched her actions, momentarily forgetting to check on her crying son. She asked, “Camryn, can you see clearly now?”She knew Lilian had come to treat Camryn’s eyes, but she was not aware of the progress.She rarely went out during the later stages of her pregnancy and Clive seldom shared information about her with other people either.Alice vaguely remembered her sister-in-law mentioning that Lilian was confident in restoring Camryn’s vision, and she had responded that it was good news. They all felt sympathetic for Camryn, and they hoped she would regain her sight.“Yes, I can see things clearly up close, but things in the distance are still blurry. It’s like people with severe nearsightedness.”Camryn replied warmly and added, “Alice, you should lie down. Sitting for too long isn’t recommended during
“Dr. Carden is truly skilled. She was here before you both arrived but had to leave after less than ten minutes because she was very busy.”Lilian was Remy’s fourth sister-in-law. Elisa and Remy were a couple, and since the Stones and Johnsons would become in-laws in the future, Lilian wanted to visit Alice after hearing about her giving birth.“She is indeed busy, as she mentioned she had other patients to attend to.”Callum was filled with gratitude toward Lilian. Although Lilian credited her success to the previous doctor who was treating Camryn, claiming that Camryn’s eye condition was already half-treated and that she only needed to apply some medication for Camryn to fully regain her sight.Callum remained deeply appreciative.“Your wedding is around the corner, isn’t it?”“Yes, it’s getting closer.”Callum had a joyful smile on his face whenever their upcoming wedding was brought up.“When can Alice be discharged from the hospital?”“She had a normal delivery, so she ca
Three cars stopped at the entrance of the Stones’ villa.The leading car’s driver honked and soon, the butler came out to see what was happening.She opened one of the car doors and walked up to the window. The driver lowered the window at the right moment.“May I ask who you’re looking for?”The butler glanced at the occupants of the backseat. It was an elderly woman, but she did not recognize her.She had never seen her before. The butler was cautious about letting unfamiliar people in.The driver replied, “Our mistress heard that the missus had given birth and came specially to offer congratulations. Our mistress’s last name is Fisher.”“Fisher?”The butler was about to ask for more details but suddenly recalled Caroline and realized that Audrey’s last name was also Fisher. She began to understand and said, “Please wait for a moment. Let me check if our missus is available to see your mistress.”The driver looked at Belinda, and she nodded slightly. The driver then hummed i
Belinda examined Audrey closely, trying to find traces of her elder sister, Tiara Fisher.Apart from the aura, Audrey did not look like Tiara but rather her brother-in-law.The aunt and niece stood facing each other, locked in silent mutual gaze.After a long pause, Audrey calmly said, “Madam Fisher, please have a seat.”Belinda slowly walked toward Audrey and said, “You resemble my brother-in-law. Yes, you looked more like your father when you were young. Lisa looks more like my eldest sister.”“What do you mean by this, Madam Fisher?” Audrey inquired coldly.Belinda smiled and replied, “Drey, I believe there are many things you’re already aware of, the rumors circulating in Jensburg. You can’t possibly be oblivious to them.”Kevin stayed for quite a while in Jensburg.There were rumors about the two daughters of the previous Fisher matriarch in Wiltspoon.Even her own daughter, Caroline, secretly came to Wiltspoon to inquire about the situation.After half a month in Wiltsp
Darrell brewed a pot of tea for Belinda.Audrey poured a cup of tea for Belinda and placed it in front of her. She looked at her and saw that Belinda’s eyes were shimmering. She then asked, “Now that you’ve found my sister and I, are you willing to hand over the position of the matriarch back to us?” Her sister died but Audrey was still alive and kicking. Furthermore, she and Lisa had daughters of their own too.According to the Fishers’ family rules, daughters inherit the name Fisher and the position of the matriarch. However, Audrey was not willing to accept this position, and she intended to let Lisa’s descendants assume it.Belinda did not expect Audrey to ask her in this way. After decades of not seeing her nieces and nephews, and when they finally met again, her niece’s words were laced with suspicion and there was not a single statement she believed.Belinda also never expected Audrey to believe her. Audrey’s legend in Wiltspoon was something she had inquired about extensive
“I know Lisa didn’t have a good life. I was heartbroken when I learned of her situation. I was useless to have only found you two after so many years. If I had found you both earlier, Lisa wouldn’t have had to go through such a tough life. Serenity and Liberty would’ve had more family support too.“Things were vastly different decades ago, Drey. Think about it. Was communication and traveling convenient back then? Did such advanced technology, big data, security systems, or internet connectivity exist? We had none of those. That’s why looking for someone was so difficult.”Audrey remained silent as she watched Belinda put on a show. After Belinda was done, Audrey said calmly, “If my mom hadn’t passed away, I would’ve been the next matriarch because I’m her eldest daughter. It wouldn’t have been you. Celine won’t have the right to assume the position either. Oh, she isn’t even a true descendant of the Fishers. It’s unbelievable that you didn’t know your daughter had been switched fo
Immediately, someone brought a large cup of water for Dylan. Imogen took the cup and handed it to him, urging him to drink. Dylan accepted the cup and drank it all in one go, which eased the spiciness in his mouth a little. “Imogen, your cousin said I need to finish these peppers, but I haven’t even eaten half yet.” Dylan looked at the basket of peppers and saw that he had not eaten even half of them. He had never eaten this much spice in his life. Right now, his throat felt like it was on fire, and his voice was hoarse. The intense heat was affecting him badly.If this had happened in Wiltspoon where the climate was warmer, after eating so many peppers, his throat would have been terribly inflamed, and he probably would have an upset stomach and a serious case of indigestion. Then, he would be stuck in the toilet for half a day.However, since it was cold in Huntington, eating a little chili every day was not a problem, though not as much as Dylan had just eaten. His stomach
“Did you need me for something, Layla?” Imogen, despite being in a rush to stop Dylan from continuing to eat the chili peppers, asked Layla.“Of course, I came to talk to you about work,” Layla replied.“But the discussion might take a while. Are you going to discuss work with me first, or go downstairs to stop Dylan from eating more peppers first?”Imogen hesitated for a moment but decided to stop Dylan first. Layla guessed that her cousin would choose Dylan and sighed inwardly. Imogen was already wrapped around Dylan's finger. However, Dylan had not entirely escaped Imogen’s influence either. Though he had not fallen in love with Imogen herself, he had fallen for her alter ego, who was still her cousin in the end.Fortunately, the woman Dylan loved was her cousin's alias. If he had chosen another woman, Layla would never have allowed her cousin to take him back. The Doyle ladies did not settle for second place.“Layla, give me about ten minutes.”“Alright, I’ll wait for you
It was already so spicy, there was no way it could get worse. Thus, following his family's advice, he began grabbing huge handfuls of chili peppers and stuffed them into his mouth. The heat made his eyes water, and it felt like his mouth was swelling from the spice. Imogen also saw the comments and watched as Dylan continued to eat the peppers in large mouthfuls. She turned off the livestream, not wanting to keep watching. However, her heart was in such a mess that she could not focus on her work. A few minutes later, she tossed her pen aside, pushed her chair away from the table as she stood up, and walked out quickly. She ran into Layla as soon as she left the office.“Layla,” Imogen called out. “You heading out?” To be honest, Layla knew the answer without asking. “He’s eaten quite a lot of chili peppers already. He doesn’t usually eat spicy food. And eating so much at once will harm his stomach.” Imogen still felt sorry for Dylan. Layla smiled, “If you're worried
The security guard brought out a basket and handed it to Dylan.Dylan took the basket and poured the bag of chili peppers into it. Next, following the live broadcast team’s instructions, he walked in front of the camera and said, “Last year, I unintentionally hurt Imogen’s pride. It was my fault, and I apologize to her.“Imogen doesn’t have time to deal with me, but Ms. Layla Doyle said that as long as I eat chili peppers on this livestream, she’ll allow me to come here every day to wait for Imogen. I’m afraid of spicy food and usually don’t eat anything spicy at all.“But for the sake of seeing Imogen and having a chance to get her forgiveness, I’m willing to accept Ms. Layla’s challenge and eat these chili peppers.”The live broadcast team was at a loss for words.Layla had not prepared a script for Dylan, but he went ahead and explained the backstory. Was that okay?Someone secretly messaged Layla to ask for her opinion. Her reply was to allow Dylan to say whatever he wanted a
Isabella had invited him to sit at the dining table and eat with them, but Austin refused. He said he was the chef, so he could just have his breakfast in the kitchen.He always remembered his position as Isabella's personal chef and did not let the fact that the others saw him in a more favorable light now go to his head and cross the line. His adherence to his principles and awareness of his position only made Isabella respect him more.Though he was one of the extremely affluent Yorks, after accepting the job as her private chef, he completely discarded his identity as a rich heir and earnestly took on the role of her personal chef.By the time Austin finished his breakfast, Isabella and the two young boys had also finished eating. He came out to clear the table.Phillip slid off his chair and said to Louis, “Isa’s passing by my preschool today. She said she’ll take me there.”He was showing off. Sure enough, Louis looked enviously at his sister. Isabella did not even glance
Austin placed the two breakfast portions on the dining table and then walked over to Isabella, who was still reading the newspaper. “Ms. Isabella, breakfast is ready.”“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Louis’s voice came from the stairs. Then, they saw him quickly running down the stairs with his schoolbag in one hand.“Louis!” Isabella called out.Louis immediately stopped, then picked up his schoolbag to carry it on his back before slowly descending the stairs step-by-step, no longer daring to run.The two boys really did have very similar personalities.“Good morning, Isa. Good morning, Austin.”Louis walked over to Isabella’s side and respectfully greeted them.“If I ever see you running down the stairs again, I’ll punish you by making you miss a week of eating Austin’s meals.”“Isa, a week is too long!” Louis instinctively tried to negotiate.“You still dare to bargain with me, huh? That shows you don’t want to change. In that case, I’ll make it a whole month.”Louis was speec
“Isa, Austin promised me that he would make cartoon-shaped snacks for us this Saturday. You won’t mind, right? I’ve already told my classmates, and they’re all coming to our house!”The little boy was also concerned about his image. He was afraid his serious eldest cousin would refuse, and if that happened, he would be so embarrassed. After all, after Austin promised him, the other kids at preschool treated him so well. They all wanted to try the cartoon-shaped snacks Austin made. However, since Austin was Isabella’s private chef, if Isabella did not agree, there would be nothing even Austin could do about it.Isabella lightly pinched Phillip’s cheek. “Since Austin’s promised, he’ll keep his word. I’ll be resting at home this weekend and won’t stop you, but don’t make a racket here. Go do it at your own house. I need to rest.”“Thanks, Isa! I’ll tell my friends not to disturb your rest. Isa, has Louis not woken up yet?”With Isa’s promise, Phillip’s little face lit up with a smil
Upon hearing that Phillip might be coming, Louis moved much faster.Isabella did not wait for her brother. She said, “Head downstairs by yourself later, and make sure to check your schoolbag to see if you’ve packed your books and water bottle.”She would not help her brother check those things. Every day, she made sure her brother checked everything himself because it was his responsibility. If their parents or employees tried to help, she would scold them.Now, their parents no longer dared to help Louis with things he could do himself. They let her take charge of him. Her parents had Louis when they were in their forties, and he was their only son. If they were the ones raising him, Isabella was sure her brother would have been spoiled beyond reason.“I know, Isa,” Louis replied, already starting to brush his teeth.After leaving her brother’s room, Isabella headed downstairs. As soon as she reached the first floor, she saw Phillip running in with his little schoolbag on his
Isabella patiently said, “No, you can’t. If you sleep for ten more minutes, time will be too tight, and we’ll hit the worst of rush hour when everyone’s heading to school or work. There’ll be too much traffic and you’ll be late. You mustn’t be late.” If her brother was constantly late, he would get used to it and start liking to sleep in. Isabella would not let him develop such a bad habit.“Isa, I won’t be late. Every day when I arrive at school, there are still plenty of classmates who haven’t arrived. I can just tell the driver to speed up.”“Absolutely not! It’s not safe to drive too fast. It doesn’t matter if the other students are late, but you can’t be late. Get up now, or I’m going to get angry.”Louis pouted.Amused, Isabella pinched his lips, saying, “Come on, get up. In two more days, it will be the weekend, and you’ll get another two days off.”“This holiday was too short.”Under his sister’s urging, Louis reluctantly sat up. “It feels like we just got let out for w