“Is Aunt Tiara’s assistant still alive, Mom?”Caroline changed the topic. She knew Belinda would not agree to amending the family rules. “Patrick went missing after Tiara’s accident. I don’t know whether he’s dead or alive.”Belinda had sent countless people to look for him after she became the matriarch. Alas, it seemed as if he had evaporated into thin air. She was still searching for him. Patrick probably knew something about the incident. He could have some evidence too. He was a ticking time bomb if she did not find him and destroy the evidence. Who knew when he would suddenly resurface and testify that she had killed her sisters?Even if Belinda had a crush on him when she was young, she had to think long-term for her descendants. She would kill him once he was found. There had been no news about Patrick or her nieces for decades. She thought she could hand her position over to Caroline smoothly if her nieces died or never appeared. However, the heavens left Beli
Belinda said, “I truly don’t feel like eating. You should go. I’ll head home shortly. I promise I won’t fall. This is a small matter. I’ll get better after being in a bad mood for a day or two. I’ll be myself again tomorrow.“I won’t be devastated over an old man. I want to hear your thoughts. How do you plan to tackle Liberty now that she’s here?”“I’ll just remain calm and make thorough preparations just in case.”Belinda smiled. “That’s good. As expected of my daughter.“I met my niece, Audrey, when I was in Wiltspoon. There was some tension between us. She thinks I’m a murderer no matter what I say, so she’s hostile toward me.“She suggested I give Liberty a chance and train her so you and Liberty can compete fairly. If Liberty loses, Audrey will accept you as the matriarch. If Liberty wins, we’ll have to give up on all our power.”Audrey was not forthright about it but her intention could be read between the lines. Belinda added, “Why should we give up on what’s ours, Caro
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite on the top floor of Fortress Hotel, Liberty and Hayden sat on the sofa in the living room while Kevin poured water for them and served them a fruit platter.“Liberty, how about staying with me? I live alone, the house is big, and there are many rooms. If you move in, we can also keep each other company.”Hayden invited Liberty to stay at her private villa.While smiling, Liberty turned her head to look at her. “Hayden, if I move into your place, the tabloids here will report that you and Kevin have a relationship breakdown. They might even say that Kevin is delusional and that you prefer women.”Hayden choked for a moment.She was still dressed as a man now. If Liberty stayed with her, it could easily lead to misunderstandings and cause unnecessary trouble.Liberty had just arrived in Jensburg and it would not do her well to be gathering hate when her footing in Jensburg was still weak.Hayden had too many admirers. Though they could not comp
Hayden glanced at Kevin.Kevin rubbed his nose and smiled. “You cooked well. It’s delicious.”“Then, I’ll shamelessly mooch some of it. I won’t disturb you two anymore. I'll rest up downstairs.”Liberty tactfully made space for the young couple to have their alone time.She had just returned to her room and sat on the sofa without the chance to reply to Duncan’s messages when she heard a knock on the door.“Who is it?” Liberty asked while getting to the door.It was someone from the hotel.Upon seeing the door open, the hotel staff smiled and said, “Ms. Liberty? Here’s a letter for you.”With that, Liberty was handed a letter.She took the envelope and thanked the staff member.Back in the room, she curiously opened the envelope, finding only a small note inside.The content of the note was simple, stating a certain address in Jensburg.Below the address was a sentence: [Ms. Hunt, go alone. I will ensure your safety. Don’t let anyone find out.]The letter was signed by “Fl
Soon, Liberty drove out of the underground parking lot.Following the address Mr. Fletcher provided, she navigated her way there.Duncan called.Liberty slowed down before answering the call.“Duncan, I’m out to buy something. I’m driving now. I’ll call you back when I return.”Duncan acknowledged with a sound and reminded her, “Drive safely.”“I will.”Liberty did not drive like her sister; she was not fond of speeding.Thankfully, they lived in a city where traffic was heavy. Serenity could not speed, so she drove diligently. She would drive like an F1 driver if they were in the suburbs with light traffic. Unfortunately, Zachary had not witnessed Serenity’s driving style, or else he would not have let Serenity behind the wheel.Duncan did not want to disturb Liberty while she was driving. He quickly ended the call.If he knew that Liberty was driving alone in her disguise to meet Caroline, he might worry and rush over on the next flight.Liberty knew he cared about her, so
“Miss, take care of yourself. If anything happens, call me immediately,” Darren advised.Caroline smiled and replied, “I can’t rely on you for everything. Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”Even if she encountered an assassination attempt, she had some self-defense skills. Without them, she would not have survived the abuse of her foster mother’s family.After ending the call with Darren, Caroline drove directly to the rendezvous.When she arrived, Liberty was already there. She had not gotten out of her car. Seeing another car approaching, Liberty lowered her car window, watching as Caroline parked the car beside hers.Caroline was the first to take off her sunglasses and then peel off the human mask on her face, revealing her true appearance. Smiling, she greeted Liberty as she got out of her car.Seeing this, Liberty also got out, asking, “How did you know it was me? Weren’t you afraid it might be someone else?”“At this hour, in such a remote place, with no houses around, ev
“What’s your plan? My mom knows you’re here, and she won’t just sit back. Be careful. If there’s anything I know, I’ll tell you. But if I don’t, then I can’t help you.”Liberty suppressed her smile, scrutinizing Caroline seriously for a while before saying, “Caroline, we’ve met, and I believe you’re someone with a sense of justice. Your values aren’t skewed. However, that’s your mother, your biological mom. You share a mother-daughter bond, and you won’t be on opposing sides.”Caroline’s smile gradually faded. She sighed, “True, we’re mother and daughter by blood. It’s a great pressure for me to stand against her. It takes immense courage. You being cautious of me is normal.“But, Liberty, I genuinely care about you and worry for you. My mom is a ruthless person, truly. It’s not just talk.“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask again. But if you encounter difficulties that you can’t solve, you can reach out to me. I’ll do my best to help you.“Actually, my mom and I don’
Several decades had passed, and perhaps the law could no longer sentence her mother to death but at least, Caroline could return the position of the matriarch to the descendants of her aunt.She could also leave the Fisher Manor and go back to manage her own company.She preferred living her own life, far away from controversies, grievances, and enmities.Listening to Belinda bring up the past, Caroline believed that her mother did truly heinous deeds back then. It was not just about coveting the power of the head of the family; it might also be because of hatred born from love. Belinda, now seventy years old, had been married to Hunter for decades and they had four children together. However, deep in her heart, there was always that extraordinary man—Tiara’s assistant.“No matter how much is said, I will prove with actions that my mother and I are not the same kind of people.”Liberty looked at her for a long time, smiled, and said, “You look very upright and cool, very beautifu
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