“Come on, thank me. You’d better buy more gifts for me to thank me profusely for saving your son’s life.”Serenity’s words made the corners of the Hunt elders’ mouths twitch.Abigail was so mad her eyes and veins seemed as if they were about to burst out of her head, her expression grotesque.However, she still did not dare to raise her hand against Serenity.A hint of a smile flashed in Zachary’s eyes as he watched how Serenity managed to rebut the elders into silence without even lifting a finger. This woman was interesting!“Serenity.”Serenity’s eldest aunt Katelyn could not help but say, “We didn’t say you were at fault. Noah was in the wrong. It’s just that you guys are cousins—very closely related, at that. We’re all one family. If there’s a conflict, we’ll deal with it behind closed doors. As long as you told us about it, we’d have scolded him. There’s no need to put him in jail.“We wanted to bail him out, but our request was denied. Did you say something to that backer
Serenity was a very reasonable person and was very respectful of her elders. Of course, she would only respect them depending on whether those elders truly acted like elders.“Serenity, were those people earlier your relatives? Are they causing trouble for you again? Are they still asking you to pay up for your grandmother’s medical bills? Those people are really shameless! They drive their own cars and live in villas. They have a million—maybe even millions—in savings, but they don’t want to pay for their own mother’s medical bills and instead are trying to force their orphaned nieces to pay.”“I’ve seen shameless people, but I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as they are. My horizons have been broadened.”“That’s right! Serenity’s parents died in an accident and the life insurance payout was divided between them too. Fifteen years ago, six hundred thousand dollars was worth a lot! The reason why they live such good lives now is built off of Serenity’s parents’ life insurance mone
Serenity smiled in embarrassment as she said, “The next time I encounter a situation I can’t handle alone, I'll consider giving you a chance.”If Serenity could deal with it herself, she would not ask for his help as she did not want to owe him.“What sort of situation would you need help with?” Zachary asked.Serenity laughed. “Tons and tons of stuff. It’s just that I can’t think of anything right now. So Mr. York, you can go about your day.”Zachary looked at her in silence for a long while, then said mildly, “I’m going back to the office then. What time are you closing up tonight? I’ll come over and wait for you so we can go home together. I’m worried those trashy people will try and block your car again.”“They won’t. It’s the kind of thing only Noah would do, being young and aggressive. They’ve already suffered a loss once, so they won’t dare try a second time. They might look very aggressive, but they’re cowards to the bone.“You go ahead with your work. There’s no need to
Fatty liver could develop into cirrhosis, and Liberty did not want that to happen.Having left the walls of the community, Liberty walked as she pushed her son’s stroller toward the store to buy formula.In the past, it was always her sister who helped her buy the formula and brought it home.It was a little bit far to go there on foot, but she just thought of it as shopping and taking a walk.“Daddy.”Sonny suddenly called for his father.Liberty looked around frantically but did not see Hank Brown.“Sonny, did you see Daddy?” she asked her son.Sonny pointed at a car parked by the roadside as he called for his father.What he meant was that the car was his father’s car.Liberty looked at the car her son was pointing at. It was the same make and model as her husband’s but the number plate was not Hank Brown’s.She smiled. “Sonny, that’s not Daddy’s car. It’s just the same make and model. The number’s different, so it’s not your daddy’s car.”The kid rarely interacted with
Liberty had just put the phone to her ear when she heard Hank Brown scolding her through the phone, “What do you normally teach Sonny? You’ve taught Sonny to have no respect, no friendship, and no spirit of sharing with his cousin! I said I’d buy him some toys and he said he didn’t want to give them to Lucas.”Liberty’s anger sparked too after that tongue-lashing by her husband. She said coldly, “What do I teach Sonny? Is that Sonny’s fault? Lucas always tries to snatch Sonny’s toys and even hits him! Do you think Sonny’s some sort of dough ball for others to knead and pinch?”“It’s clearly Lucas’ fault. As a father, you don’t protect your own son—fine! But you’re even blaming him for not being understanding? Should we just let Sonny give up all of his toys to Lucas, and just let Lucas hit him again?!“Lucas has been thoroughly spoiled by your sister and your parents. He’s always bullying Sonny. Are you guys all blind? Can't you see that? Hank Brown, Sonny is your son. Your own son!
Jessica Yates was not repulsed by it and seemed like she could not be happier.Hank thought Jessica was truly in love with him and was not after his money. He thought she truly wanted to grow old with him and was not playing around—that was why she kept her last line of defense and would not have sex with him. She was serious about it, so Hank got even more serious about it. He also promised Jessica that once he saved even more money, he would give her a new car.Jessica was so grateful that she fiercely kissed him a good number of times, dazing him into forgetting which way was up and which way was down.Liberty still wanted to say something but Hank had already hung up and promptly transferred the thousand two hundred dollars to Liberty for her to buy formula with.Although she did not manage to get the full amount of two thousand dollars and four hundred bucks and had only gotten half of that, Liberty immediately accepted the money he had transferred.“What’s wrong? Was it yo
Jessica said, “It takes both husband and wife to have a child. You’re not wrong to only pay for your half.” Of course, Hank felt that he was above any fault. He took a sip of wine and replied, “The Wiltspoon Hotel lives up to its name as the finest hotel. The red wine here is more exceptional than what we usually have.” Jessica responded with a smile, “Well, considering the event, I wouldn’t expect any less. It’s a pity that only small-time CEOs and elites of our field are here. Major CEOs like Mr. Stone and Mr. York aren’t attending.” She would love to check out an influential man like Mr. York again. Jessica stumbled upon the man of the hour the last time. Alas, she could not get a look at Mr. York’s face. She wondered if Mr. York was as distinguished, aloof, and handsome as described in the rumors. “We’ll always have the chance to meet people like Mr. York and Mr. Stone in the future.” Hank consoled Jessica. It was a situation he found regrettable, more so than Jessic
There would be a change of senior executives every time the head of the company was replaced. The new boss would want his own people around him. Following Mr. Stevens’ explanation, Hank took an instant liking to Shawn. Hank asked Mr. Stevens with a smile, “Are you close with Mr. Lowe? Can you introduce us? Lowe Enterprise has a subsidiary company dealing with electronics. There are opportunities for us to work together, but we’d need someone to hook us up.” Waltham Electronics did business with the company Mr. Stevens was working in. That was how Mr. Stevens came to know Shawn. Mr. Stevens smiled and replied, “Shawn seems to be getting weary from the flattery. He’ll soon find a spot to sit down. I’ll hook you up and introduce you to him when he comes over.” Hank beamed. Grateful to Mr. Stevens, he raised his glass and said, “To you, Mr. Stevens.” Mr. Stevens clinked glasses with Hank and took a couple of sips of wine before glancing at Jessica suggestively. He said to Han
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo
“He doesn’t even want kids and said having Sonny was enough.”Duncan did not care about blood relations. Liberty believed him. He only cared about her. If Liberty had not had to manage the Fisher family, she probably would have taken more time to consider whether she wanted a second child. However, Duncan's love for her ran deep. She decided to try for another child so that he could have a child of his own. Liberty did not want to be selfish. She could not prioritize only herself and Sonny. She had to be considerate of Duncan as well. “By the way, there’s something that I need your help with.”Serenity said, “Oh you, don’t sound like a stranger. We’re sisters. I’m ready to help with whatever you need.”“I have to go to Jensburg next year. I think I’ll leave Sonny here in Wiltspoon for his studies. I’ll ask for Sonny’s opinion again once my situation in Jensburg is stable. If he wants to move to Jensburg to live with me, I'll bring him over.“If he says no, I’ll need y
“Morning, Liberty. The housekeeper said you weren’t out yet, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”Serenity stood and smiled when she saw Liberty enter. “I woke up when you arrived.”Liberty whispered, “Sonny is still asleep. Let’s go downstairs. You can accompany me on a walk outside too.”“What time are you and Duncan meeting?”Serenity was worried that Liberty would be late. Liberty said, “We still have to wait until the City Hall opens. Duncan and I agreed to meet at nine. It’s still early.”The three adults exited the child’s bedroom and went downstairs. Zachary remained in the house while Liberty and Serenity went on a stroll in the garden. Liberty’s villa initially belonged to Zachary. Although he sold it to Liberty, it was also considered a gift. She was the one who insisted on paying and refused to accept it as a gift. Therefore, Zachary accepted some money from her so that she would take it. The villas Zachary owned were never small. They usually came with garden
“As expected of a child’s skin. It’s so smooth,” said Serenity. “Catch me if you can, Isaac…”Sonny spoke in his sleep and even giggled. He dreamt of him and Isaac playing tag. When Isaac started running after him, he quickly turned to escape while laughing. He did not realize that he was dreaming. “I have two dads, Isaac…”Sonny spoke again.Serenity laughed and told Zachary, “Sonny must’ve had a blast yesterday. Even his sleep talking is related to playing.”She pinched Sonny’s face lightly. “You do have two dads, Sonny. They love you a lot, so you have double the love.”Serenity spoke gently, regardless of whether he could hear her. She bent over and left a soft kiss on his cheek. “That’s why you must be happy. I wish you a carefree life ahead.”She hoped he would grow up healthily and be worry-free. Sonny was in a deep sleep and did not reply to her. Liberty watched them from the door with an affectionate gaze. She felt content. Zachary and Serenity had a st
The night went by peacefully. The next morning, Liberty could hear her gates opening when she stirred in her bed. Soon, she heard her housekeeper talking. “You’re early, Mrs. York.”“Mm. My sister is getting married today. I couldn’t go back to sleep after I woke up, so I decided to come over.”While Serenity could not help Liberty and Zachary out with anything, she was excited to the point she could not sleep. It took Zachary a lot of effort to persuade her to sleep. However, she woke up at dawn after having a dream about her parents. She could not go back to sleep afterward and insisted on going to her sister’s place. Zachary thought he could sleep in since he was on break, but his wife just could not fall asleep. There was no helping it. The doting husband accompanied his wife to her sister’s house early in the morning. The housekeeper smiled. “Ms. Hunt isn’t awake yet.”“It’s okay. I won’t wake my sister.”Serenity finally felt at ease when she was at Liberty’s ho
After a pause, she said, “Let’s meet at nine in the morning. Seren and Zachary will come over to my place. They’ll be looking after Sonny for me. I’ll head out after they arrive. You can wait for me at the City Hall’s entrance.”“No. I want to go to the City Hall with you.”Duncan did not want to wait for her at the City Hall. He wanted to go together.“Bring Sonny along.“We’ll be a family of three from tomorrow onward. We should bring him along.”He would officially become Sonny’s father tomorrow. It did not matter that he was a stepfather. It was Duncan’s first time adoring a child that much, and he did not expect that he would later become that child’s father.After giving it some thought, Liberty said, “Okay. Let’s take Sonny with us.“By the way, Sonny won’t change his surname after we get married. That was Hank’s condition when we got divorced. Since I promised him, I’ll keep to my word.”Sonny would still be the grandson of the Browns. He would not become a Lewis.
Although Sonny was backed by a few wealthy families and would be well-supported even if he was incompetent, they still hoped he would turn out to be an outstanding individual. That way, he could be independent and achieve his goals without much help. Duncan had not thought about Sonny’s education plan. However, he knew Liberty had high hopes for Sonny. Even Serenity had never neglected Sonny’s nurturing. Despite only being in preschool, Sonny had started various hobby classes. It was to build a solid foundation and develop his interest in certain hobbies while still young. The only time he could fully enjoy playing was during winter and summer vacations. Liberty and Serenity had similar philosophies when it came to children’s education. They believed children had to study hard and play hard. Liberty nodded and said, “Sonny can have all the fun he wants when he’s young. Once the situation in Jensburg is stable, he’ll have to study and live there.“I wonder if he’ll be willing