Serenity appeared in his line of sight.“Duncan,” Serenity called out gently.Zachary, who was beside Serenity, took the tray from Duncan and walked inside. Teasingly, he said, “Almost forty and still acting like a child. You even need a child to comfort you. Duncan, don’t you feel embarrassed? I’m embarrassed for you.”Duncan grunted, “If you think I embarrass you, then don’t come. I didn’t ask you to come and be embarrassed for me.”Zachary turned and glared at him. “You’re not happy with a few words from me. If you weren’t my buddy and possibly my future brother-in-law, do you think I’d bother with you? As if I have nothing better to do.”He placed the tray of food on the coffee table and said to Duncan, “Why are you sitting there? Come over and eat!”Duncan remained silent.Sonny, sitting on his lap, lifted his little face. His bright, black eyes looked at Duncan, and in a sweet voice, he said, “Dunc, I told Charmaine that I would make sure you eat. If you don’t eat, Charmai
Being small with limited strength, Sonny wanted to help but he could only push the wheelchair and not support Duncan to walk.The little guy stayed quiet seeing that neither his aunt nor his uncle made a move. When he saw Duncan sitting down, he suddenly clapped his hands while praising him, “Dunc is amazing, Dunc can walk by himself. Dunc is amazing!”The preschool teachers often taught him to praise those who do well and criticize those who do not.Duncan did well, and he deserved some praise.The three adults were amused by Sonny’s actions.“Duncan, the food is still warm. Quickly eat. After you finish, we can chat,” Zachary said.“Yes, yes, Dunc, hurry up and eat. I promised Charmaine that I would coax you to open the door and eat. If you don’t eat, I’ll break my promise,” Sonny said as he walked to Duncan and sat beside him.Duncan felt warmth in his heart. He suddenly hugged Sonny, kissing the little guy on the cheek, saying, “Not in vain for me to treat you well all these
“I won’t interfere with your life if we have just met for the first time, whether about casually speaking or doing things. But now, you’re my wife. We want to live a long, healthy life together. I must look out for you and try my best to keep you healthy.”Serenity thought to herself, ‘It seems like he thinks I’ll live forever and never get sick just because he looks after me.‘Then again, we are what we eat after all.’Anyway, she still had to watch her meals.She thought about this but remained silent, accepting her husband's advice quietly.After finishing his meal, Duncan put down his cutlery.Sonny considerately handed him a tissue.Duncan patted the child's head. He genuinely liked and cared for this kid.“Sonny, did your mom mention Dunc before she left on her business trip?"Sonny nodded. “Mom told me to keep an eye on you more and not let you do anything dangerous. She never thought you couldn’t walk or that you’d be a burden to her.”These words were spoken by Liberty
“Duncan, my sister is very worried about you and can’t be at ease. Before she left, she repeatedly urged Zachary and I to come see you. I understand how you feel, but if you keep dwelling on things, it’ll affect your mood and confidence. How will you get back on your feet?“You want to help my sister, I know. But if you don’t get better soon, how can you accompany her through life’s ups and downs? Don’t you want to stand by her side?“Liberty has been waiting for you!”Looking at the couple, Duncan spoke after a long silence, “Zachary, Serenity, you don’t have to persuade me anymore. I know what I should do. It’s just that I’ve been feeling low for a while but for my own sake, for a future with your sister—I will persist. Someday, I will stand up again.“I promised to be your sister’s support, to shield her from storms and walk hand in hand with her through life’s challenges.“I’m sorry for making you worry.”Duncan expressed himself self-deprecatingly, “Since the accident, I’ve
Corey said, “Sonny, would you like to go out and play with me for a while? Dunc needs to discuss something with Zack and Seren.”Sonny nodded understandingly.Corey wiped her tears and said, “Zack, Seren, I apologize for any trouble.”Serenity was not sure how to respond.Zachary replied, “Mrs. Lewis, we’ll talk to Duncan. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure he goes to work as usual the day after tomorrow.”Tomorrow is Sunday, a day off.Corey responded, “Zack, I’ve troubled you again.”“Not at all. Duncan and I are good friends, his matters are mine as well.”Corey expressed her thanks once again.Fortunately, her son had good friends like Zachary and Josh. With the caring assistance of such good mates during difficult times, he was slowly regaining his confidence.“Sonny, let’s go. I’ll take you out to play. What would you like to do? I’ll accompany you.”Corey held Sonny’s little hand and asked him as they walked.“Grandma Lewis, do you have kites at home? I want to fly a kite,
After Corey left with Sonny, Duncan asked Serenity, “Did your sister really ask you to come see me when she left? How is she? Have I become too sensitive, and emotional, and affected her?“Serenity, do you think I’m being unreasonable? I’m almost thirty-seven years old and acting like a child.”The more Duncan spoke, the more self-blaming he became.He felt genuinely unreasonable this time.“Duncan, Liberty really worries about you. It’s just that she had a tight schedule, so she couldn’t make it here. She repeatedly asked me and Zachary to come and comfort you. Sonny is very honest. Don’t you believe what he said?“Duncan, I’m not afraid of you getting angry or feeling vulnerable. But this time, you are genuinely being unreasonable. Look at the way you’ve shut yourself in this room for a day without eating or drinking. You’ve not only caused my sister to worry before she left but also Mrs. Lewis. I’m sure you don’t feel good about it either.“It’s not just about you being unwell
“Alright, I’ll go downstairs by myself. No need to help me.”Duncan’s mood had gone from a snowstorm to a clear sky.Quite a drastic change, ha-ha.He grabbed the sofa armrest and stood up on his own, taking a step before sitting back down in his wheelchair.Zachary said, “I won’t help you, you’re on your own.”Despite saying that, he steered the wheelchair in the right direction before letting Duncan take control.The three of them left the room together, heading toward the elevator.“You take the elevator down, Serenity and I will take the stairs.”Duncan nodded, “As you wish. I still need to use it for now.”Once he could walk like a normal person, the elevator at home would get a break.As Duncan entered the elevator, Zachary pulled Serenity toward the stairs and said, “Duncan cares too much about Liberty, that’s why he couldn’t help but get lost in his thoughts.”“I hope he gets better soon. Actually, Liberty has accepted him from the bottom of her heart. It’s not her pr
At Jensburg Airport, Kevin was waiting for Liberty’s arrival.He dared not defy Zachary’s orders, though he would have still fetched Liberty from the airport even if Zachary had not entrusted him with the task. She was Serenity’s sister and Sonny’s mother after all, and that made her family.Kevin occasionally checked his watch.The sky was getting dark, and Liberty only arrived when night fell. She turned off airplane mode on her phone once she landed and sent a voice note to Serenity, “Seren, I just landed in Jensburg. I’ll be getting off the plane soon. I’ll call you back once I’m at Fortress Hotel.”Liberty would be staying at Fortress Hotel during her trip, the same one she stayed with Audrey for her last trip to Jensburg.Audrey had told her to keep a lookout for houses to purchase. It would be much more convenient to live in her own place instead of the hotel all the time. Audrey asked her to choose a nice house and even offered to pay for it. The house Liberty currentl
Austin quickly left the CEO’s office. Just as he stepped out, he ran into Tati, who was looking for Isabella.“Ms. Tati,” Austin greeted politely.Tati nodded and waited for Austin to leave before she knocked on the office door and entered.“Austin came early today to cook for you,” Tati said, holding a folder in her hand and opening it as she walked toward Isabelle.She sat down at the desk, handed over the folder, and said, “Isa, this is urgent. Please take a look.”Isabella took the document, glancing through it as she replied, “He comes around this time every day, neither early nor late.”“That Longbottom fellow came by again?” Tati asked.It was only after Mr. Longbottom had directly asked to see Isabella that Tati found out the old lecher had come again.“Yes, but I didn’t meet him. He brought some gifts, claiming they were holiday presents for us. I had them sent back. He’s too ambitious, and he has bad intentions. We’re absolutely on guard against him. Why would we give
Isabella turned her head to look at Austin.Austin stopped the massage and asked in a gentle voice, “Are you feeling any discomfort? I can work on it. I don't give people massages often, so I don’t have much experience. I'll keep giving you more massages as practice so I'll be able to serve you better.”“It's not that,” Isabella smiled. “It's actually very comfortable. It’s just that I really want to meet your grandmother every time you mention her.”In Isabella's mind, Austin's grandmother had already become something of a legendary figure.Austin thought to himself, ‘Nana’s already met you. You probably met her before, you just didn't know it was her.’His nana had surely spent a lot of time observing Isabella, getting to know her, and confirming that her character and abilities were suitable for him before choosing Isabella for him.“When you’re less busy, if you’re willing, you can come visit us in Wiltspoon. Lots of flowers bloom in spring, and there’s beautiful scenery ever
When Isabella first took over the family business, many of her grandparents' and parents' friends and relatives openly tried to sabotage her. They played dirty tricks, schemed, and tried various ways to undermine her.They wanted to take advantage of her, and they also did not want her to take control of the family’s legacy. They tried to prevent her from establishing herself in the company, even going as far as to collaborate with outsiders to trap her.She had suffered countless setbacks, faced numerous conspiracies, and even experienced several so-called accidents, nearly losing her life. It was only after all this that she truly understood the treachery of human nature. From that point on, she learned to arm herself with cold indifference.Though she was taking over her own family’s business, it felt like she had to fight through a bloody battle to secure her place, as if she were a king striving to ascend the throne. It was exhausting and disheartening.However, she endured an
Austin said, “He’s definitely here to discuss a potential partnership with your company.“He's just the acting head of the Longbottoms. He doesn’t truly control the family. If the real head returns, everything he’s worked for will go to someone else.“The downfall of Belinda Fisher probably gave him a wake-up call and he doesn’t want to end up like that.“He’s definitely seeking to cooperate with you regarding his personal business. He’s just using the Longbottoms’ name, since their influence in Windermere is enormous.”In terms of wealth, the O'Connors and the Longbottoms were on equal footing, but the O'Connors had fewer members and did not have the same level of influence in Windermere as the Longbottoms.Isabella said, “He’s very ambitious. A partnership would only just be the beginning. Once it’s established, he’ll start thinking about how to cheat us and steal our business.“Plus, he’s very lecherous. Nobody can put a number to how many women he’s toyed with. Some even lost
Tony was aware that whenever his wife had to play the villain, it was always to protect him. He said, “You're right, I misspoke. Your mother isn’t that kind of person.”“Manny, I’ll be leaving soon. You stay here, and I’ll leave half of my men with you. If anything comes up that you can't handle, contact me. I’ll be waiting to hear good news from you.” Tony decided to fly to Wiltspoon in the afternoon. He would only stay for two or three days before returning to Havenmill to handle business.However, as he thought about how he was working like a horse for Longbottom Corporation when many of the benefits did not even belong to him personally, Tony felt a bit disgruntled.“Got it.” Manny did not reject his father’s arrangement.As the Longbottom father and son were discussing how to deal with the O’Connors, Austin entered Isabella’s office.Isabella was busy, so Austin did not disturb her. He quietly sat at the tea table and made some tea.“It seems you’ve learned the art of tea-
Manny had never been to Wiltspoon, but he knew from his father that several prominent families in Wiltspoon had close ties with the Johnsons from Annenburg. It was possible that the child adopted by the Johnsons’ young missus was Laurence. Unfortunately, he could not meet that child, so he could not be a hundred percent certain. The child was currently out of sight and well-protected, hidden so effectively that even the Longbottoms’ information network could not find anything. The other prominent families in Wiltspoon were also helping to keep the child hidden, so Manny deeply disliked the people from these families. Even though they were thousands of miles away, they were still an obstacle to him and his father in their pursuit of becoming the true head of the family.“That's right. If we can conquer the O’Connors, we’ll have a backup plan,” his father said. “You must put your all into it, son. If you need help, just let me know, though this is also an opportunity for you to ge
Tony Longbottom was the only person who would put on such a parade. The big shots in Satbury usually had entourages of their own, but none would put on a spectacle as big as Tony would.As they departed in their car, Tony’s gracious demeanor utterly shattered.His face twisted into an ugly, cruel expression as he said, “I’ve never been treated like this before, even when the legitimate branch of the family still lived, and those two ignorant little girls actually refused to see me multiple times.”Manny was very angry too and he said, “Pops, since they refuse to go about this the easy way, we’ll have to show them the hard way. We can approach it from other angles, and once they’re completely out of business and they have nowhere else to turn to, they’ll be at our mercy.“Won’t they have to do as we please then? I want to marry them, they’ll have to marry me, and if I don’t, I’ll just make them my mistresses. Don’t the O’Connors have plenty of daughters? I’ll fuck every one of them
“Isabella O’Connor is so outstanding, so why are you asking me to go for Tati O’Connor instead?” Manny said under his breath in puzzlement.He had seen photos of the two ladies and Isabella’s appearance was more striking. She had a cold and aloof aura that easily triggered his desire to conquer her, and after just a few glances, he was captivated.If it were up to him, Manny would choose Isabella.Tony looked at his son, smiled, and said, “You can’t control her. Of course, if you manage to make her fall for you, we can talk about switching. But for now, focus on Tati O’Connor.”Tati was also beautiful. However, she did not have Isabella’s cold demeanor. She seemed much gentler, like she smiled often.“Marrying Tati O’Connor would be a big advantage for both you and our family.”Manny thought for a moment and then nodded in understanding. “Got it, Dad.”Manny’s good looks, wealth, honeyed tongue, and generosity toward girls made him good at winning them over. Pursuing a rich youn
After testing the O’Connor sisters and realizing they were not like other women, Mr. Longbottom thought of having his son marry Tati.He knew that his son would not be able to handle or control Isabella, so he set his sights on Tati. Tati probably did not realize she was considered an easy target. Most people underestimated her because she had always kept a low profile.At that moment, a young man got out from the other side of the Rolls-Royce. He resembled Mr. Longbottom. Indeed, he was Mr. Longbotton’s eldest son, Manny.“Dad.”Manny went to his father’s side and glanced at the building before him. He asked, “Aren’t we driving inside?”In Havenmill, Manny could do whatever he wished because his father was the interim head of the Longbottom family. While he had no respect for ordinary people at all, he was clever enough not to offend people he should not.He never parked his car outside the places he wanted to go and simply drove his car through the gates. However, Manny