Belinda furrowed her brows and finally answered Celine’s call.“Mom…”As soon as the call connected, Celine cried out.“What happened, Cece? Who’s bothering you? Tell Mom, and when I get back, I’ll take care of it for you.”Despite her frown, Belinda’s words were filled with affection, as if nothing in the world could harm her adopted daughter with her protection.“Mom, when are you coming back? While you’ve been away, I’ve been tormented by Caroline. She bullies me and constantly infuriates me. She’s wicked. Every time she harms me, she puts on an innocent act.“Not to mention me, even Dad can’t eat or sleep well because of her. He’s lost weight because of her. I feel so sorry for him.“She’s also sowing discord between my brothers and their wives. She made them argue every day to the point where Emma asked Adrian for a divorce.”Belinda sighed. “Does Caroline have that much influence? She’s just a klutz. If she had that kind of ability to drive all of you crazy, I wouldn’t ha
After listening to Celine’s complaints, Belinda responded, “Cece, did you intentionally crash into Caroline’s car? Her car is new, and it’s a luxury car. I specially bought her that luxury car to appease her. You damaged it and refused to pay for the repairs. She froze your bank account, and that’s entirely warranted.“You always make mistakes and don’t reflect on your own errors. You constantly think that you’re right and everyone else is wrong.“Imagine if you were Caroline—your new car was damaged and the other party refused to pay for the repairs. Wouldn’t you be angry? Knowing your personality, if someone crashed into your car and refused to compensate, you might even feel like tearing down their house.”Belinda silently scolded Celine for not knowing her place. Caroline was her biological daughter and the heir to the Fisher family. She had the authority to freeze anyone’s bank account in the family and even reduce their allowance.Of course, as Belinda was still the head of t
Even though he harbored a great deal of dissatisfaction, Hunter never dared to deceive his wife ever since that incident.Luckily, his children were rather understanding and would secretly give him some money to spend, so he could live relatively comfortably.His children’s filial piety was something that Belinda did not interfere with. Of course, if he dared to flirt behind her back, Belinda would not be lenient with him.Belinda had warned him before that if he had the guts to have affairs, she would ruin him.Hunter believed that his wife could put her words into action.For decades, no matter how many attractive women tried to get close to him, he dared not make a single move.“It’s not a matter of having money or not, it’s a matter of who’s right and who’s wrong,” Belinda said seriously.Celine ceased her complaints.After a while, she continued. “Mom, even if I was at fault, Caroline shouldn’t freeze my bank account. Who gave her the right? She hasn’t become the head of
“You’ve rented out all the properties under your name, and the shops are also on lease. The monthly rent amounts to tens of thousands, which is more than the annual income of many ordinary people. Cece, you’re already doing better than many.”Celine, feeling wronged, asked, “Mom, are you blaming me for spending money?”“That’s not what I mean. I’m just telling you that you’re ahead of thousands of others, better off than most.“Alright, don’t be upset. I will be back in a couple of days, and when I return, I’ll unfreeze your bank account. I’ll also give Caroline a piece of my mind for you. However, since you damaged Caroline’s car, it’s better to compensate her. Otherwise, it would be hard for me to help you. After all, she is my biological daughter.”Celine reluctantly replied, “I’ll pay for the repairs, and when you’re back, you can comfort my wounded soul.”Belinda chuckled. “Good, I will bring you some gifts when I return, just for you. Cece, my feelings for you run deep. You’
Belinda had personally attended Zachary’s wedding in Wiltspoon and extended her stay for nearly two weeks. The purpose was clear to Caroline and everyone else.During this time, Caroline did not dare to send anyone to Wiltspoon to gather information, fearing that Belinda might catch them in the act. Nevertheless, she could guess that her mother would not have a smooth time over there.Wiltspoon was the territory of the Yorks, Lewises, Buchams, and the Stones. These four major families had formed a united front, making it difficult for her mother to achieve anything significant there.Upon hearing that Caroline was still working late at the company, Belinda’s tone softened a bit as she asked, “Celine said that you exposed your brothers’ extramarital affairs to their wives. Also, did you freeze Celine’s bank account?”Caroline admitted honestly, “Yes, I did both things. Did I do something wrong?“My brothers are all married with families. Shouldn’t married men be loyal to their fami
“As for her personal bank card, I have no means to freeze it. Couldn’t she spend her own money though? Recently, she’s been swiping the credit card you gave her quite recklessly, so I decided to take some action.”“Her personal savings aren’t that much.”Caroline laughed, “Not that much? With a net worth of ten million, do you think everyone is a millionaire? There are people who will never earn that much in their lifetime, and is she still not satisfied? Did she ask you to compensate her when you get back?“She intentionally hit my car. I’ve asked people at the car dealership, and they said it will cost tens of thousands to repair. If I don’t ask her to pay up, then who should I ask? She said it shouldn’t matter as we’re sisters. Is she really my sister? Does she have Fisher's blood coursing through her veins? If she has, then I won’t ask for compensation. But does she really?”Belinda fell into silence.“All those properties and commercial lots belong to her. When they’re rented
After setting down her phone, Belinda smiled with satisfaction and said, “She’s ruthless.”She was relieved, her biological daughter was a qualified successor.With Caroline’s ruthlessness and determination, Belinda had complete confidence in entrusting the Fisher family to her hands.Audrey might be thinking about bringing Liberty into the picture, but can she even compete with Caroline?Liberty was a single mother running a breakfast shop and a restaurant. She already had her hands full with managing her businesses in Wiltspoon and probably did not have the time nor energy to contest Caroline for the position of Fisher’s matriarch in Jensburg.With these thoughts, Belinda’s worries eased slightly.Of course, she still needed to figure out a way to tie up loose ends. If only the descendants of her elder sister were all eliminated, then the head of the Fisher family could be inherited by her bloodline.Although it was challenging, Belinda believed that over time, she would find
Caroline nodded and said, “I’d like to have some ice cream. Check if you can get me a cup of it on your way here. Any brand will do as long as it’s in a cup.”That way, it would not be messy to eat.She had always preferred to eat ice cream from a cup.Under normal circumstances, Mr. Fletcher would advise her against consuming something full of sugar, but given her bad mood tonight, a little sweet pick-me-up would not hurt and he gently obeyed her request.Caroline ended the call only after she got his response. She placed her phone on the desk and stood up to walk over to the window.The Fisher Enterprise office building was not as tall as Queen Enterprise, but it still had a few extra floors compared to the surrounding buildings. Caroline’s office was just one level below the top floor. Standing by the window in her office, she had a commanding view of the nearby structures.Jensburg was a bustling city, especially at night when the streets were crowded and illuminated by v
Dylan said, “Go ahead.”He was a bit hungry too and wanted to eat.Imogen called for Wendy and instructed her to make a fresh pot of tea and serve some of the snacks she usually ate.Once Wendy finished preparing the tea, Imogen poured a cup for Dylan and said, “You can start your story now.”“Ms. Doyle, I’m not making up a story, I’m—Ms. Doyle, you are Fox, aren’t you?” Dylan asked again.“Mr. York, I’ve told you, I don’t know who Fox is. I only know a fox is an animal, like in the zoo. If you ask me again if I’m Fox, I’ll think you’re calling me a vixen.”“‘Fox’ is just a nickname, meaning she’s very cunning and deceptive. I call her Chameleon Fox for her ability to shape-shift into many different identities. She changes so much that people mistake her for many different people, but in reality, she’s only one person.”Imogen looked quite interested and said, “Oh, so you think I’m Chameleon Fox, who likes to deceive people? Do you have any evidence for this?”“No, I don’t.”“
Couples always talked about eternal love, but how many could truly last forever?Dylan stammered, unable to say anything. Could he say that he suspected she was Fox? It was just a guess, with no evidence.Under Imogen’s gaze, Dylan steeled himself and spoke honestly, “I came to apologize to you.”Imogen raised an eyebrow. “Apologize? You already apologized to me the last time we spoke. There’s no need to apologize again. I’m not angry at you. When it comes to matters of the heart, it’s all about reciprocation. You can’t force it.“Feelings can’t be pressured into existence, so I won’t pressure you to accept me.“Plus, it’s been so long, and I have no feelings for you anymore. For that, I should thank you for clearing things up for me early on. At that time, I had just started to like you and could give up so quickly because of that.”Dylan, embarrassed, said, “Ms. Doyle, it’s not about that. Recently, I… secretly followed you.”“You followed me? Why?” Imogen pretended to be clue
“Drink it while it’s hot. Only when it’s steaming will it have the best effect to ward off the cold.”Dylan nodded, wiping his nose with a tissue. He threw the tissue into the trash bin, but when he saw that the bin was full of tissues, he felt even more embarrassed.He picked the steaming hot soup up carefully and took a big sip.It was so spicy!The spice almost made him spit it out. Remembering that Imogen was right next to him, he forced himself to swallow it. After just one sip, Dylan put the bowl down.“Ms. Doyle, the soup is too hot. I’ll drink it later,” he said.It was too spicy. He did not want to take a second sip.“I’ll take the medicine first,” he added.Compared to drinking the soup, Dylan would rather take the medicine. The medicine might be bitter, but he could handle it.Imogen immediately called him out. “You’re afraid of the spice and you don’t want to drink the soup, do you?”Dylan sneezed again and then poured himself some water to take the medicine.Hav
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.