Julian laughed. “Quinn, if you look at me like that, I might get ahead of myself. Haha.”“You have every reason to be proud.”Ring, ring, ring…Quinn’s phone started to ring.Seeing that it was a call from her mother, she said to Julian, “When my mom calls me at this time, it’s definitely to tell me that tomorrow’s blind date is canceled.”As expected, once she answered, her mother scolded, “What kind of ‘high-quality’ man did Felicia introduce? No backbone and believes anything anyone says. I haven’t even minded that he’s pudgy, like a grease bag, but he dares to call my daughter a violent maniac.“He’s the maniac! His whole family is filled with maniacs. Does he think my daughter can only marry him? Does he think there’s no other man in this world besides that blockhead? I’m so angry! Quinn, you better bring me some good news—find yourself a young, handsome, and capable boyfriend, and prove them wrong!”“Mom, please calm down. I knew it would turn out this way a long time ago.
Julian smiled. “That’s true. We shouldn’t compromise when it comes to marriage. I’ve noticed that your mom is worried about your future and your brothers’ life affairs, so I thought I’d help.”Now, Julian was certain that he needed to approach Quinn’s 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.“Quinn, actually, I have a medical condition.”Quinn paused for a moment and then asked with concern, “What condition? I can’t tell. You look healthier than anyone.”“I have hypoactive sexual desire disorder.”“Hypoactive sexual desire disorder? I’ve never heard of such an illness.”Julian explained briefly to Quinn.Quinn responded, “So basically… you can’t get married. No wonder you are so outstanding yet never had a g
Callum coaxed her nervously, “Honey, you go back to sleep. I’ll go downstairs later to prepare breakfast for you, and then I’ll wake you up. Once you’ve had a good meal, you can catch up on your sleep.”Camryn stared at him and said, “Trenton is back today, and we’re going to visit our parents at the prison.”“It’s mainly for Trenton’s sake. You can choose whether to go or not. Stay at home, get more sleep. I promise I won’t bother you tonight and let you rest for a day.”With a shy smile, Callum added, “I’m already thirty, and I’ve only just married my wife. I got a bit too excited last night and went a bit crazy.”It 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
“You’re an adult, a responsible grown-up, and you need the courage to face everything and shoulder the responsibilities that are yours.“I know that you and Camryn are in complete agreement. However, she has never wanted to take advantage of you. Don’t worry; what’s rightfully yours will always be yours. If it’s not meant for you, don’t even think about it, don’t be like Carrie.”Trenton nodded. “Callum, 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.”That 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 Carrie’s action of taking Camryn to court while their parents were still alive.Though, by transferring all the family assets to himself with his parents’ consent, would Carrie be able to claim a share via a lawsuit? Apart from Abel’s share, the rest of
Tethered in the backyard, Camryn’s 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 Carrie’s screams, the four canines rushed out of the backyard and bolted straight for the villa’s 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
“I didn’t 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 won’t let me come back.“Almost all the workers in the house have been replaced by her. Those who haven’t been replaced are the ones who dared not defy her.”Carrie complained more, “Do you think I wanted to come here and make a fuss early in the morning? That mole rat wouldn’t answer my calls or return my messages. I’ve been infuriated since last night, and as soon as the sun’s up, I came here to settle the score.“Has she not woken up yet?” she asked softly as she walked in after Trenton opened the gate, but stopped after a few steps, afraid to rush in.Trenton replied, “Camryn’s not up yet. Callum is up and making breakfast inside. Carrie, please don’t keep mentioning the fact that she’s blind. She is still our elder sister.”“You consider her your sister, but she wants to take
“Get as much as you can,” Carrie requested.“I don’t have much money on me right now, I’m a brokie.”Trenton replied, “You could find a job, Carrie. As long as you’re willing to work, any job will do. It won’t starve you. Only the lazy ones starve to death.”Carrie said with an angry expression, “Why should I find a job? I'm Ms. Carrie of the prestigious Newman family. My parents never wanted me to work. They said I was born to be an heiress and enjoy a life of luxury.“If it weren’t for Camryn freezing my cards, would I be in this situation, needing a lecture from you?”Trenton's expression turned grim and said, “Carrie, I’m not lecturing you; I’m just telling you that things are different now. We need to rely on our efforts to earn a living. If you’re capable, even if Cam freezes your cards, you won’t be afraid.“It’s because you lack capabilities that you’re obstructed in so many ways.”“Okay, okay, just give me some money. I know you lean toward that mole rat. She and you ha
The situation at home was now fully under Camryn’s control. Every transaction he made, he was certain that Camryn would be aware.If Trenton suddenly transferred a large sum of money, Camryn would surely question him. While she might not reprimand him for sending it to Carrie, Camryn would surely be disappointed in him.Besides, if he gave too much money to Carrie, she might spend it recklessly, refusing to grow up and find a job. Carrie would instead rely on him like a leech.Trenton had taken a leave of absence to visit their parents in prison. He hoped to convince them to transfer all their assets to him so he could control their family finances and prevent Carrie from squandering the Newman’s wealth.With this in mind, he decided to give Carrie only a little over a thousand dollars in cash.He quickly changed his clothes, tucked the money into his pocket, and exited his room. After just a few steps, he saw Camryn standing not far away, quietly watching him.Facing Camryn, T
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. Isabella’s 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 Austin’s 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 Louis’s place with his bag. “Austin.”Louis suddenly asked, “Did 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 Austin’s 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 fiancées. 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 fiancée. 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, “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