Will grinned and said, โIf I lose, I lose, no excuses. Donโt be sore losers alright? In the past, you guys have always won the bets, so have a taste of defeat for once. Gambling always involves winning and losing. If you canโt handle losing, then maybe you should quit.โMark did not utter a word.Quinn went to the side, sat down, and started counting the money. When she was done, she handed half of the money to the boy, saying, โKai, this is your share.โKai took the money but quickly returned half of it. He said, โQuinn, I only contributed a hundred bucks. I canโt take half. This is more than enough to cover my late-night snacks for half a year.โโItโs for you. Just keep it. Save it for yourself and donโt let your stepmother find out.โKai had a tough childhood. His parents divorced when he was very young and he ended up with his father, who was a quiet and reserved man. The divorce made his father even more distant, and Kai was largely left to be raised by his grandparents.Lat
โIโll help myself then.โQuinn put the money in her pocket. She then took out her phone and ordered stir-fried noodles from a Chinese takeout shop to treat everyone at Power Fitness.โWeโll have it later.โJulian smiled. โI usually donโt eat late-night supper.โโIn that case, we can skip it. Sometimes I skip it too. But maybe because we do a lot of physical activities, skipping late-night snacks makes me feel hungry, and I canโt sleep when Iโm hungry. Most of the time though, I have them at home. My mom makes them for us.โAfter ordering the food, Quinn got up and said to Julian, โLetโs go. We shouldnโt disturb them while theyโre in class.โJulian had just won a competition against Will. It left the students in shock, doubting if it was a dream.โAlright.โJulian followed Quinn as she told her brothers, โWill, Mark, Iโm taking Julian out for a walk. You guys donโt need to wait for us when you guys go home later.โWill replied, โGot it. Take Julian for a stroll, and you can hel
Julian laughed. โQuinn, if you look at me like that, I might get ahead of myself. Haha.โโYou have every reason to be proud.โRing, ring, ringโฆQuinnโs phone started to ring.Seeing that it was a call from her mother, she said to Julian, โWhen my mom calls me at this time, itโs definitely to tell me that tomorrowโs blind date is canceled.โAs expected, once she answered, her mother scolded, โWhat kind of โhigh-qualityโ man did Felicia introduce? No backbone and believes anything anyone says. I havenโt even minded that heโs pudgy, like a grease bag, but he dares to call my daughter a violent maniac.โHeโs the maniac! His whole family is filled with maniacs. Does he think my daughter can only marry him? Does he think thereโs no other man in this world besides that blockhead? Iโm so angry! Quinn, you better bring me some good newsโfind yourself a young, handsome, and capable boyfriend, and prove them wrong!โโMom, please calm down. I knew it would turn out this way a long time ago.
Julian smiled. โThatโs true. We shouldnโt compromise when it comes to marriage. Iโve noticed that your mom is worried about your future and your brothersโ life affairs, so I thought Iโd help.โNow, Julian was certain that he needed to approach Quinnโs heart carefully, much like walking on a tightrope.He had to gradually integrate himself into her life, making her accustomed to his presence and his absence unbearable. When that time came, it would mean Quinn realized it was love.He had locked onto her, and he had to take it slow; hurrying would not help here.โQuinn, actually, I have a medical condition.โQuinn paused for a moment and then asked with concern, โWhat condition? I canโt tell. You look healthier than anyone.โโI have hypoactive sexual desire disorder.โโHypoactive sexual desire disorder? Iโve never heard of such an illness.โJulian explained briefly to Quinn.Quinn responded, โSo basicallyโฆ you canโt get married. No wonder you are so outstanding yet never had a g
Callum coaxed her nervously, โHoney, you go back to sleep. Iโll go downstairs later to prepare breakfast for you, and then Iโll wake you up. Once youโve had a good meal, you can catch up on your sleep.โCamryn stared at him and said, โTrenton is back today, and weโre going to visit our parents at the prison.โโItโs mainly for Trentonโs sake. You can choose whether to go or not. Stay at home, get more sleep. I promise I wonโt bother you tonight and let you rest for a day.โWith a shy smile, Callum added, โIโm already thirty, and Iโve only just married my wife. I got a bit too excited last night and went a bit crazy.โIt was mainly because he finished prematurely, which left him feeling down for a while, thinking there was something wrong with him.She reassured him that they could see a doctor together but that only made him feel even more depressed.Thinking about himself who was tall, handsome, and accomplished, but having problems in that department, he felt deeply troubled. He
โYouโre an adult, a responsible grown-up, and you need the courage to face everything and shoulder the responsibilities that are yours.โI know that you and Camryn are in complete agreement. However, she has never wanted to take advantage of you. Donโt worry; whatโs rightfully yours will always be yours. If itโs not meant for you, donโt even think about it, donโt be like Carrie.โTrenton nodded. โCallum, I understand. Camryn and I just want to safeguard everything in the Newman family. Carrie has already started looking for a lawyer, preparing to sue Camryn.โThat was the reason he took leave and returned.He wanted to stand by Camryn's side. Even if Carrie won the lawsuit, she would not get much of the family assets.He questioned Carrieโs action of taking Camryn to court while their parents were still alive.Though, by transferring all the family assets to himself with his parentsโ consent, would Carrie be able to claim a share via a lawsuit? Apart from Abelโs share, the rest of
Tethered in the backyard, Camrynโs guard dogs were let loose during the night. It was still early, and the servant in charge of them had not tied them up yet. When they heard Carrieโs screams, the four canines rushed out of the backyard and bolted straight for the villaโs entrance.Carrie was tempted to tear down the main gate herself. Seeing the four guard dogs charging toward her, she was scared out of her wits. She kept retreating without a sound, no longer daring to scream, her face was filled with fear.It seemed like she was severely traumatized by these guard dogs, having been bitten by them.Justifiably so, she had sustained a bite, and now she had PTSD. Although the butler compensated for her medical expenses for rabies vaccines and serum, the bitten areas still hurt. Also, she was haunted by nightmares of the dog chase.Carrie resented Camryn greatly.After all, she had never set guard dogs on Camryn during their past confrontations.Furthermore, each time she tried to
โI didnโt come here willingly. This is our home, Trenton. Our home. That blind woman seized our family assets while I wasn't here. She drove me out as soon as I got out and our parents went to jail. She wonโt let me come back.โAlmost all the workers in the house have been replaced by her. Those who havenโt been replaced are the ones who dared not defy her.โCarrie complained more, โDo you think I wanted to come here and make a fuss early in the morning? That mole rat wouldnโt answer my calls or return my messages. Iโve been infuriated since last night, and as soon as the sunโs up, I came here to settle the score.โHas she not woken up yet?โ she asked softly as she walked in after Trenton opened the gate, but stopped after a few steps, afraid to rush in.Trenton replied, โCamrynโs not up yet. Callum is up and making breakfast inside. Carrie, please donโt keep mentioning the fact that sheโs blind. She is still our elder sister.โโYou consider her your sister, but she wants to take
Austin was extremely patient with the boys. Although they occasionally caused trouble, most of them were minor issues. They would never do something they were not allowed to do.After breakfast, Austin brought them their bags. With a boy in each hand, he left the house. It was to prevent the boys from saying he was playing favorites. Dominic was used to that scene. Initially, Austin was simply Ms. Isabellaโs private chef. However, he gradually took on more responsibilities.He would take the two young masters to school. If he had time in the evening, he would also fetch them from school. Austin also made sure Louis and Phillip did their homework, supervised their hobby classes, and played with them. Sometimes, he would even teach them martial arts and train with them. Dominic felt Austin was an all-rounder. It seemed like there was nothing Austin could not do. No wonder Ms. Isabella thought highly of Austin. However, Austin was a young master of a wealthy family. He w
Louis and Phillip were downstairs having the breakfast Austin had prepared for them. The food was different every morning, and everything was delicious.Having gotten used to Austinโs cooking, Louis and Phillip could no longer stand the food provided in the school. They thought the food there was terrible. Louis was enrolled in an elementary school not far from home. As he was a first grader, he did not need to stay in the dormitories and could have his lunch and dinner at home. Phillip, who was a year younger than him, was still in preschool. He would have breakfast and dinner at home. Actually, the preschool did provide breakfast, but Phillip refused to eat in school and insisted on having breakfast at home. In order to eat the breakfast Austin made, he would get up early in the morning without the adults waking him. After putting on his clothes and washing up, he would head to Louisโs place with his bag. โAustin.โLouis suddenly asked, โDid my sister come back last n
Isabella had always thought Tati was teasing her. Therefore, she did not take her words seriously. She thought it was completely normal for Austin to treat her well as she was his boss. From Austinโs perspective, she was his source of income. Now that Isabella pondered about it deeper, she realized perhaps Austin did come to Satbury for her. It was not just to be her chef. He always said Grandma May only gave the York lads a year to pursue their fiancรฉes. However, Austin had never left since he started working for Isabella. Even if he did, it was to accompany her on business trips. He was busy feeding and taking care of her every day and had never gone to pursue his so-called fiancรฉe. He did not even try to gather information on her. Was he not anxious?A year would go by pretty quickly. Although it felt like it had not been long since Austin started working for Isabella, three months had passed. Time really flew. Three months had gone by in the blink of an eye. Neve
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, โMs. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.โIโm polite to other women when I need to be. If theyโre unimportant, Iโll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I wonโt cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.โGet some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. Iโll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.โAfter 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 fiancรฉe, 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. โMs. Isabella.โIsabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, โThis may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?โIsabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?โSomeone like Austin,โ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, โI like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isnโt as financially well-off as mine, I donโt mind so long as heโs honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.โOf course, itโll be great if we have the same social status. That way, weโll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, weโll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.โโAlthough you can accept someone who isnโt from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, โItโs okay. I know I was forcing it.โThere 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 fiancรฉe was. He was already so protective of his fiancรฉe 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. โYou werenโt forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. Itโs only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.โAustin said gently, โItโs not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancรฉes for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.โTo be honest, we didnโt even know Nana had been choosing fiancรฉes for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
โYou can drink it now. Itโll turn cold if left aside for longer.โIsabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. โIโm drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what Iโm doing and saying.โIโve had enough ginger ale.โShe did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. โWhich family is your fiancรฉe from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?โIsabella 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 fiancรฉe that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austinโs fiancรฉe, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austinโs fiancรฉe had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabellaโs 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. โYouโre the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.โAustin added gently, โYou give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but youโre always a nice person in my eyes.โIsabella 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. โEven my parents are scared and avoid me when Iโm in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, โDonโt worry, Ms. Edith. Iโll take good care of Ms. Isabella.โEdith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousinโs 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 Austinโs 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, โMs. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?โIsabella rubbed her temples and said, โYes, please. I donโt want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.โAustin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austinโs