Ten minutes later, Julian and Quinn walked behind her brothers. They were heading to Power Fitness. Summervale was livelier when dark fell. Although it was not as bustling as Wiltspoon, the city lights illuminated the streets. Mark said, “You can go up against me first, Julian. My dad trained us three, so we have similar moves. If you can beat me, you’ll have a greater chance of challenging my brother. He started training several years before I did. He’s stronger and faster.“He has also been teaching more advanced students while I’m still overseeing kids. It’s because I’m still young and not as famous as Will.”In Summervale, Quinn’s brothers were well-known in the martial arts circle. Julian said, “If so, it’s unfair to Will. It’s okay. I’ll have a match with him right away. I can accept any outcome. I train to strengthen my body and defend myself, not for fame.”Quinn grinned. “Why do you need fame when you’re a businessman? You’re already popular in Wiltspoon’s business in
“Besides, no one in their right mind will try to offend Old Mrs. York. She’s the one with the most connections. You’ll know that no one in my social circle is simple once you get acquainted with Serenity and the rest.”Families of higher status usually knew each other well with some even allies. “Will you still be my friend if you’ll be in danger because of me, Quinn? Will you break off our friendship?”Will turned his head and said, “What do you take Quinn for? My sister has already thought of you as her best friend. She’s sincere and will go to any lengths to help her friends. She’ll never break off your friendship.“However, that’s only if you don’t do anything illegal that’ll endanger Quinn. Otherwise, not only will we cut all ties with you, we’ll also beat you up.”Then, he told Quinn, “Julian was teasing you. Why did you believe him? If his situation is as dangerous as it sounds, he won’t contact us anymore if he has a sliver of conscience. Since he dared to come to our hou
“Don’t take me for a fool. I know what’s love,” Quinn complained. Will looked at Julian, then Quinn, who clearly had no idea about love. He chose not to expose the tension between them. Hang on. He had just revealed that Julian was preparing his sister for something. Yet, Quinn did not seem to get the hint that Julian was worried for her. “You must hold back during the match later, Will. Don’t go all out,” Quinn reminded him as her way to change the subject.Will said, “We’re not having a death match. Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on him.”Julian thanked Will. Soon, they arrived at Power Fitness. A few coaches were still around, watching their students train at night. When they saw Quinn and the rest walking in, they stopped. “Everyone take a rest and clear some space for me. I’m going up against Mr. Bucham here and have you all witness a match between professionals,” Will spoke with a smile, and everyone complied. A coach eyed Julian and asked, “Which gym is he from, Wil
“If Julian loses, that pool of money would be for all the bettors' supper. If he wins, all of your money will be mine.”Quinn did not want Julian to be embarrassed as everyone here would surely place their bets on Will. No one knew how skilled Julian was. However, based on his refined appearance and how Will addressed him as Mr. Bucham, some of them guessed that Julian was probably a CEO.For someone like that to be trained in martial arts, they would at most learn the foundation. How could he possibly defeat the future owner of the gym?The coaches took their cash and bet on Will’s victory. While the students were not little kids, they were still teenagers and did not have much money. However, they still joined in on the bet in small amounts.“I’ll follow Quinn and bet on Mr. Bucham.”One of the students gave Quinn his money after some thought. He said, “I’ll follow your lead, Quinn. We’ll be rich if Mr. Bucham wins.”Since everyone placed their bets on Will, the money he co
“Nevertheless, Mr. Bucham is our guest. You should give him an advantage.”Mark was as confident as Will that they could win. Although Quinn’s bet was not much, it was better than nothing. Julian smiled. “There’s no need for that. This is a friendly match between Will and I. We don’t have to exert our full strength. Will doesn’t have to give me an advantage.“How much did you two bet, Quinn?”Quinn opened her palm that held nine hundred dollars. She grinned. “Just this much. It’s all the cash Kai and I have. You must give everything you’ve got and beat my brother, Julian. Let Kai and I win.“Everyone always bets on my brother winning whenever someone challenges him. It’s no fun without an element of surprise. Why don’t you surprise us for once? If you beat Will, I’ll cook for you every day while you’re in Summervale. You’ll be a few pounds heavier when you return.”Julian laughed. “I don’t know if this promise is a good one. The extra weight won’t look good on me.”“It won’t be
The crowd felt that Julian was not confident. Even Kai nudged Quinn and asked, “Did you place your bet because you trust Mr. Bucham? I’ve been training here for six years but have yet to see someone who can defeat Coach Will. I want to witness something new.”Quinn replied, “I’m not certain. I just thought he was my friend, and it’d be awkward if no one bet on him. That’s why I chose him. I only have this much money on me anyway. I just have to treat everyone to supper if I were to lose, nothing new to me.”Kai was speechless. Quinn glanced at him and laughed. “It’s too late for regrets. They’re in the ring already.”Kai’s face fell. He said, “It’s okay. My mom gave me the money to get a week’s supper.”He could simply skip supper after training every night.Quinn consoled him. “Don’t be too upset. Maybe Julian will win. I’ve seen him in action, and I think he’s incredible. He may even be on par with my dad and stronger than my brother. They’re starting now. Keep an open mind
Everyone turned to look at Kai. He chuckled and said, “Quinn doesn’t have a boyfriend anyway. If Mr. Bucham defeats Coach Will, I’ll bring them together without anyone asking me.”To the children, Quinn and Julian were a match made in heaven; both were very good-looking individuals.It was Kai’s first time seeing such a handsome man. Julian looked better than those idols that the girls in his class admired. He also had a noble charisma. Essentially, Kai thought Julian was great. His impression of Julian would improve if he could beat Coach Will and let him split ten thousand dollars between himself and Quinn. Mark said, “This kid. You should work harder, Julian. Kai said he’d help to get you and Quinn together for free if he could win the bet.”“Don’t add on to Kai’s nonsense, Mark.”Quinn was about to die from laughter. She kicked Kai lightly and scolded, “You made me laugh so hard.”Kai giggled and even Will smiled. He asked Julian, “Should I lose on purpose?”“You’ll
Mark and all the other coaches knew that Julian narrowly won with that trick move of his. A narrow victory was still a win. Will did not lose to Julian on purpose. Julian had defeated Will with his own abilities. Julian pulled Will up and bowed slightly. “It was a great match.”Will smiled. “I didn’t go easy on you. You found my weakness and caught me off guard. I admit my defeat, Julian.”Julian returned with humble remarks. The venue was silent, save for their post-match exchange. It snapped everyone back to their senses. “Ahhh!”Kai jumped in excitement. He patted Quinn’s shoulder and shouted, “We won, Quinn! Mr. Bucham defeated Coach Will. We won! The ten thousand dollars are ours. It’ll be enough to pay for my supper for half a year.”All the other students turned to look at him simultaneously. Their gazes were filled with envy as they listened to his cheers. Quinn was stunned too. She briefly saw Julian’s moves that one time and discovered he was trained in martia
Upon hearing Serenity’s words, Zachary knew she was not very satisfied with the name he had come up with. He said, “You’re right. There’s still time. We can think of a few better names.”After a pause, he added, “I think my parents and Nana will think of a name for the baby too. After all, it’s their first grandchild and great-grandchild, respectively.”The first child would always receive the most love. Since there was only one child, everyone would shower their love on the baby. Serenity smiled. “I’ll leave the naming of the baby to you. You can be the one worrying about it. I’ll stay out of it because I’m bad at coming up with names.”“Okay. Leave it to me.”After speaking, Zachary pecked her cheek. He said gently, “I just want you to be happy and not tire yourself out.”“I won’t ever have the chance to be tired with you around.“Do you want to have some rest, babe? You should rest. I’ll head downstairs to have a look at Sonny and Laurence.”Zachary said, “I’m not sleepy.
“There’s no rush. There’s still a month till the due date. We can take our time to think of a name.“We should think of a few names for a baby girl too. What if a miracle happens?”Zachary said, “Chloe has gotten more adorable over time. Connor also looks cute when he isn’t crying. Their eyes are huge and bright. I feel my heart melting whenever I look at them.“I’m so jealous of Ben for getting a son and a daughter in one go. His babies are so cute. I can finally understand why Nana’s eyes gleam whenever she sees Chloe. She’s always fighting to hold her.”Serenity leaned her head against Zachary’s shoulder. “Let’s not think that we’re having a daughter. I joined a new mothers’ support group when I went for a checkup last time and learned of some ways to determine the baby’s gender. Although they aren’t the most accurate, we can still use them as a reference. I’m 99 percent sure that we’re having a baby boy.“You should just stick to thinking of a boy’s name. You can still come
Soon, the baby did a kick again. Zachary grinned. “Lil’ Bun understands us, Seren. The baby gave a little kick as a reply.”Serenity said, “The baby must think you’re playing with it because your hands keep touching the bump.”“I think the baby understands what we say. I read in books that babies can hear in the womb. Otherwise, why do people bother talking, playing music, or reading to their unborn babies?”“Do you miss Dad, Lil’ Bun? I’ll be by your and Mom’s side from now on. I’ll watch you grow and wait till you’re ready to meet me.“You must be a good kid. Don’t kick your mom too hard. She’ll be in pain. If you like kicking, you can kick me after you’re born. I have thicker skin and a higher tolerance for pain.”Serenity beamed as she watched Zachary interact with the baby in her womb. She was happy. Having Zachary and the baby made her feel like she owned the entire world. It was surprising that a man as tough as Zachary had such a soft side to him. He had changed for
Jane suggested. Antonia added, “You guys can even leave for Wiltspoon tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. You must be tired after your business trip, Mr. York. You should rest at our manor. Besides, it’s the weekend tomorrow. You can meet Ben.”Zachary smiled. “I thought about that as well, but I didn’t want to intrude.”Antonia said, “Not at all. We would love to host you. Sonny probably doesn’t want to go home yet.”She waved at Sonny, who then walked to her. She pulled him into her arms and lifted him, asking, “Do you want to play for another day or two?”“I’m fine with anything. I’ll go back when Aunt Seren does. I’ll follow her.”His mother was not back yet. Sonny did not mind either arrangement. Zachary told him, “I bet you’re having so much fun that you don’t want to go home, but your mom will return soon. Duncan has already gone to Jensburg to bring her home.”Sonny replied with a grunt. He knew about that. He was unhappy that Duncan did not bring him along to
Zachary laughed. The kids were fighting to do something so trivial. Conflicts arose often between the two boys. In the past, he, Josh, and Duncan also got into fights. However, they always reconciled quickly. No one ever took their quarrels to heart. After the bodyguards took all the gifts, Zachary led them to the courtyard. At that moment, Serenity stepped out of the house. She and Zachary stopped at the same time and stared at each other.A day apart felt like three years to them. Since they had been apart for some time, it felt as if a lot of time had passed. During those days, Serenity had been extremely worried about her husband and sister. Luckily, everything was over. “Seren.”Zachary smiled and walked toward his wife. Serenity snapped back to her senses and went to him in quick steps. The couple hugged each other tight. “You’re finally back, Zachary.”“I said I’d come to take you and Sonny home. Of course, I’d be back.”Zachary pulled away from Ser
“Honey, you have me, and my parents treat you like their own. They care for you more than they do for me and I’m their son.”Camryn shook off the pain in her heart and smiled lightly, “Yes, God has been kind to me by giving me such an excellent husband and open-minded in-laws, and sisters-in-law who I get along with like real sisters.”This had somewhat compensated for her lack of familial affection. She was especially grateful to Grandma May. If the old lady had not chosen her, Callum would not have even known who she was, let alone pursue her. The Camryn of today would not exist, and she could not imagine how many more years she would have spent living in darkness if she had not married Callum. Even if Aunt Evelyn had heard of the legendary doctor, she had no way to contact him.Right then, a customer entered the store. The couple aptly stopped their conversation there and moved on from the heavy topic.Meanwhile, in Annenburg, Serenity knew her husband would be flying here tod
Camryn smiled, “You spoil me too much. You’ll turn me into an absolute sloth who only waits around for you to take care of me, and it might tire you out.”“That won’t happen. I enjoy taking care of you,” Callum assured as he reached to help her with the snacks, but she would not let him feed her anymore. Callum had no choice but to hand her the snacks.“Although Trenton is young, he has mettle. When we put his parents away, it was hard for him to accept, but in the end, he did. As long as he has the right values, even the hardest things can be accepted over time and he won’t resent anyone else for it either.”Camryn pushed the snack box closer to her husband, indicating that he should have some too. “If Trenton didn’t have the right values, I wouldn’t care for him so much. Given the hurt and pain I suffered during the twenty-odd years under his parents, if I hated them, they’d have nothing to say in defense.“Because Trenton has treated me well since he was little, respects me as
Just now, Carrie came here and made a scene, and he had given her fifty thousand dollars. Although he had not spent much time with her, they were siblings. He could at the very least still recognize her. However, when Camryn asked him that, Trenton's heart started to race, not daring to confidently say that the lady really was Carrie.As for the young lady beside her? He had watched the video a few times but had not paid much attention to her. All he could see was a beautiful, young woman dressed in luxurious attire. In the video, he heard Camryn refer to her as Mrs. Longbottom, so her husband’s family name had to be Longbottom.Mrs. Longbottom had a good attitude toward Camryn and even supported her. He was not familiar with Mrs. Longbottom at all, though. Why did Camryn ask him that? Should he know her? Trenton watched the video two more times but could not find anything unusual about her. It was just that he was not acquainted with Mrs. Longbottom. If he had not seen the video,
The young couple looked at Trenton, then exchanged smiles.“How much did you give Carrie?” Camryn asked her brother gently. Camryn could harden her heart to completely ignore Carrie and not give her a single cent, but Trenton could not be as ruthless as she was, mainly because while Carrie had not been particularly kind to Trenton, she also had not bullied him outright. She had treated Camryn very poorly though and had never shown her any respect at all, so their sisterly bond had deteriorated to the extreme. It was already generous of Camryn not to completely destroy Carrie after taking charge, which was probably out of consideration for the fact that they shared a mother.“I-I gave her fifty thousand. She said it was almost Christmas, and she wanted to buy gifts and new clothes, so I-I gave her fifty thousand.” Trenton looked down as he spoke, not daring to look at Camryn, afraid she would scold him.Camryn gave her brother a long look but did not scold him. Instead, she took o