However, Trenton himself would be in charge between him and Carrie. Carrie quickly accepted the money. She caught up to Trenton and pulled him back. “Give me more money, Trenton. Transfer me a hundred thousand, no, fifty thousand dollars is fine too. Five thousand really isn’t enough. Or else, you can steal the title deeds with my name on it and the spare keys from Camryn.”She recalled that Mom had bought her a few houses. When she was studying, she did not stay in the dormitory and lived in a private property her mom bought instead.After Carrie stopped studying, Paige let out that and some other properties but never told her how much the monthly rent was. The only thing Carrie knew was those houses were for her. As long as she could get the title deeds and keys, she could sell them and earn a lot of money. Those houses were located in school catchment areas. One of them could easily earn her millions. “Why could Camryn take my title deeds? Those are my assets, and she to
Camryn looked at Trenton’s swollen cheek and asked, “Did she hit you?”Touching the side of his face that was slapped by Carrie, Trenton replied, “Yes, she slapped me. But I stopped her when she tried to do it again. She went to see our parents and found out that I had them transfer the family assets to me, so she came to settle the score.“Camryn, don’t bother with Carrie. She’s spoiled by our parents, doesn’t know her limits, and needs to face reality. Only through life’s experiences can she mature a bit.”Camryn tenderly touched the swell and said with concern, “She’s just a lunatic, spoiled by Mom. If she can’t protect her child for a lifetime and ends up raising a useless person, then she’s only harming the child.”Carrie was a victim of her parents’ indulgence; spoiling a child was akin to harming the child.“Go inside and apply an ice pack.”“Okay.”The siblings headed in together.Meanwhile, Carrie went back to her rented house, grumbling and complaining.When she open
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “My surname is Longbottom. Now, you've gotten to know me, Ms. Carrie.”His gaze was quite audacious. After Carrie approached, he shamelessly scrutinized her, finally displaying a satisfied look at Carrie’s figure and appearance.“Ms. Carrie, please have a seat. Let’s have a chat.”“Mr. Longbottom, this is my home. Don’t act like you’re the master here. You have illegally entered. Do you know that I can call the police on you at any time?”He laughed. Not bad looking for a man in his forties or fifties, presenting the image of a suave middle-aged man.However, his gaze was overly audacious, and Carrie did not like the way his eyes roved over her, as if scrutinizing prey.“Yes, yes, it’s our mistake. Apologies to you.”With that, Mr. Longbottom clapped his hands.A bodyguard stepped forward and handed a new handbag to him.Mr. Longbottom took the bag and then passed it to Carrie, saying with a sly smile, “Ms. Carrie, this is my apology to you
Carrie asked in confusion, “Why would I want to change my appearance? I’m satisfied with my natural looks and don’t want to change anything about it.”Mr. Longbottom smiled. “Ms. Carrie has excellent features. If you don’t want to go under the knife, then wear a human skin mask. Just wear it whenever you go out. I’ve prepared one that looks so real, even someone with the Eye of Ra wouldn’t be able to tell.“Also, I’ll give you a new identity. Until our alliance is complete, you cannot revert to your original identity as Ms. Carrie of the Newman family. I can assure you that once my affairs are settled, I will grant you all the properties you desire from the Newman family.“Your blind sister, I want to crush her like an ant. She’s not a threat, but I need you to cooperate with me. Once my goals are achieved, I can help you seize everything you want.”Mr. Longbottom’s words were extremely arrogant as if he possessed tremendous abilities. He spoke boldly about crushing Callum as if sq
Carrie’s face instantly turned ugly.“Mr. Longbottom, are you asking me to be your mistress?”She was only twenty years old, young and beautiful. With her background, marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a young missus was entirely feasible.This older man, even if well-preserved, should be around her father’s age, and yet he wanted her as his mistress!It was like an old man preying on a young girl.Mr. Longbottom chuckled. “Ms. Carrie, you lack special skills and are unwilling to bow down to reality, to work for a monthly income of a few thousand dollars. Tell me, how will you live? Relying on your brother’s monthly allowance of five thousand dollars for your living expenses?”Carrie was shocked.How did this man know about her conversation with Trenton?Did he have someone watching her, tracking her every encounter, every person she met, and the words she spoke?That would be terrifying.Even Zachary would not be able to achieve such a level of surveillance.“Besid
Mr. Longbottom laughed heartily. Then, he looked at her and said, “Ms. Carrie, this may not be up to you. It’s best if you agree. Even if you don’t agree, you’ll have to, because I’ve approached you. I can’t let you expose me. Otherwise, I’ll have to silence you.“I will also make you die a painful death. You’ve seen my men, there are more than ten of them.”Carrie’s face turned deathly pale.“Ms. Carrie, do you choose to be with me, or do you choose death? I’ll give you a few minutes to consider.”Carrie glanced at the dozen or so men in black.Then she looked at Mr. Longbottom. Who exactly was this man?He spoke of killing without hesitation.Could he be a serial killer?Carrie suddenly sank to her knees.“Mr. Longbottom, please spare my life. I don’t want to die. I’m only twenty years old, and I don’t want to die.”Her life had just begun.Mr. Longbottom stood up, walked over to her, and lifted her.Carrie understood his intentions. Her face grew even paler, but she made
Carrie asked in confusion, “Since you are targeting Mrs. Young-Johnson’s adopted son, why don’t you directly find someone to help you in Annenburg? The distance between Wiltspoon and Annenburg is quite far. Even if she and Serenity are close, they don’t meet often.”Mr. Longbottom sighed. “That’s the unavoidable part.”“There was absolutely no trace of Laurence in Annenburg. We only knew that Laurence was the adopted son of Ben and his wife. However, no one outside knew what the child looked like.“Moreover, Laurence rarely stayed in Annenburg. We did not know where the kid usually hides. “The Johnsons are protected by the Houstons and are in-laws with the Lafayette family from Meadspring. Plus, Tim’s wife is a disciple of a renowned doctor. I dared not provoke them. Previously, we investigated Laurence’s identity, but Ben found out that someone was looking into Laurence's background. “After that, we lost all relevant information about Laurence.”“It was only recently that they
Mr. Longbottom emphasized, “I’m not interested in petty revenge. But if you want to vent, my people can help you with that. As long as you follow and assist me, I won't mistreat you.“Moreover, those who have wronged you, by that time, I can help you deal with them.”Once he obtained the totem and became the true wielder of power, it would be his time to call the shots. On that day, he would not even spare the York family a glance.Except perhaps for the Bucham family.“What exactly is your background?”“I won’t tell you for now. You’ll know later. Anyway, if you stick with me, I guarantee you a life of luxury.”With that, he caressed Carrie’s face.“Alright, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll leave two people here to protect you. If anything happens, they’ll contact me. I have to go back. There’s too much to handle.”After lightly patting Carrie’s thigh, Mr. Longbottom stood up, instructed two bodyguards to stay, and left Carrie’s rented place with the rest of his entourage.
Upon hearing Serenity’s words, Zachary knew she was not very satisfied with the name he had come up with. He said, “You’re right. There’s still time. We can think of a few better names.”After a pause, he added, “I think my parents and Nana will think of a name for the baby too. After all, it’s their first grandchild and great-grandchild, respectively.”The first child would always receive the most love. Since there was only one child, everyone would shower their love on the baby. Serenity smiled. “I’ll leave the naming of the baby to you. You can be the one worrying about it. I’ll stay out of it because I’m bad at coming up with names.”“Okay. Leave it to me.”After speaking, Zachary pecked her cheek. He said gently, “I just want you to be happy and not tire yourself out.”“I won’t ever have the chance to be tired with you around.“Do you want to have some rest, babe? You should rest. I’ll head downstairs to have a look at Sonny and Laurence.”Zachary said, “I’m not sleepy.
“There’s no rush. There’s still a month till the due date. We can take our time to think of a name.“We should think of a few names for a baby girl too. What if a miracle happens?”Zachary said, “Chloe has gotten more adorable over time. Connor also looks cute when he isn’t crying. Their eyes are huge and bright. I feel my heart melting whenever I look at them.“I’m so jealous of Ben for getting a son and a daughter in one go. His babies are so cute. I can finally understand why Nana’s eyes gleam whenever she sees Chloe. She’s always fighting to hold her.”Serenity leaned her head against Zachary’s shoulder. “Let’s not think that we’re having a daughter. I joined a new mothers’ support group when I went for a checkup last time and learned of some ways to determine the baby’s gender. Although they aren’t the most accurate, we can still use them as a reference. I’m 99 percent sure that we’re having a baby boy.“You should just stick to thinking of a boy’s name. You can still come
Soon, the baby did a kick again. Zachary grinned. “Lil’ Bun understands us, Seren. The baby gave a little kick as a reply.”Serenity said, “The baby must think you’re playing with it because your hands keep touching the bump.”“I think the baby understands what we say. I read in books that babies can hear in the womb. Otherwise, why do people bother talking, playing music, or reading to their unborn babies?”“Do you miss Dad, Lil’ Bun? I’ll be by your and Mom’s side from now on. I’ll watch you grow and wait till you’re ready to meet me.“You must be a good kid. Don’t kick your mom too hard. She’ll be in pain. If you like kicking, you can kick me after you’re born. I have thicker skin and a higher tolerance for pain.”Serenity beamed as she watched Zachary interact with the baby in her womb. She was happy. Having Zachary and the baby made her feel like she owned the entire world. It was surprising that a man as tough as Zachary had such a soft side to him. He had changed for
Jane suggested. Antonia added, “You guys can even leave for Wiltspoon tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. You must be tired after your business trip, Mr. York. You should rest at our manor. Besides, it’s the weekend tomorrow. You can meet Ben.”Zachary smiled. “I thought about that as well, but I didn’t want to intrude.”Antonia said, “Not at all. We would love to host you. Sonny probably doesn’t want to go home yet.”She waved at Sonny, who then walked to her. She pulled him into her arms and lifted him, asking, “Do you want to play for another day or two?”“I’m fine with anything. I’ll go back when Aunt Seren does. I’ll follow her.”His mother was not back yet. Sonny did not mind either arrangement. Zachary told him, “I bet you’re having so much fun that you don’t want to go home, but your mom will return soon. Duncan has already gone to Jensburg to bring her home.”Sonny replied with a grunt. He knew about that. He was unhappy that Duncan did not bring him along to
Zachary laughed. The kids were fighting to do something so trivial. Conflicts arose often between the two boys. In the past, he, Josh, and Duncan also got into fights. However, they always reconciled quickly. No one ever took their quarrels to heart. After the bodyguards took all the gifts, Zachary led them to the courtyard. At that moment, Serenity stepped out of the house. She and Zachary stopped at the same time and stared at each other.A day apart felt like three years to them. Since they had been apart for some time, it felt as if a lot of time had passed. During those days, Serenity had been extremely worried about her husband and sister. Luckily, everything was over. “Seren.”Zachary smiled and walked toward his wife. Serenity snapped back to her senses and went to him in quick steps. The couple hugged each other tight. “You’re finally back, Zachary.”“I said I’d come to take you and Sonny home. Of course, I’d be back.”Zachary pulled away from Ser
“Honey, you have me, and my parents treat you like their own. They care for you more than they do for me and I’m their son.”Camryn shook off the pain in her heart and smiled lightly, “Yes, God has been kind to me by giving me such an excellent husband and open-minded in-laws, and sisters-in-law who I get along with like real sisters.”This had somewhat compensated for her lack of familial affection. She was especially grateful to Grandma May. If the old lady had not chosen her, Callum would not have even known who she was, let alone pursue her. The Camryn of today would not exist, and she could not imagine how many more years she would have spent living in darkness if she had not married Callum. Even if Aunt Evelyn had heard of the legendary doctor, she had no way to contact him.Right then, a customer entered the store. The couple aptly stopped their conversation there and moved on from the heavy topic.Meanwhile, in Annenburg, Serenity knew her husband would be flying here tod
Camryn smiled, “You spoil me too much. You’ll turn me into an absolute sloth who only waits around for you to take care of me, and it might tire you out.”“That won’t happen. I enjoy taking care of you,” Callum assured as he reached to help her with the snacks, but she would not let him feed her anymore. Callum had no choice but to hand her the snacks.“Although Trenton is young, he has mettle. When we put his parents away, it was hard for him to accept, but in the end, he did. As long as he has the right values, even the hardest things can be accepted over time and he won’t resent anyone else for it either.”Camryn pushed the snack box closer to her husband, indicating that he should have some too. “If Trenton didn’t have the right values, I wouldn’t care for him so much. Given the hurt and pain I suffered during the twenty-odd years under his parents, if I hated them, they’d have nothing to say in defense.“Because Trenton has treated me well since he was little, respects me as
Just now, Carrie came here and made a scene, and he had given her fifty thousand dollars. Although he had not spent much time with her, they were siblings. He could at the very least still recognize her. However, when Camryn asked him that, Trenton's heart started to race, not daring to confidently say that the lady really was Carrie.As for the young lady beside her? He had watched the video a few times but had not paid much attention to her. All he could see was a beautiful, young woman dressed in luxurious attire. In the video, he heard Camryn refer to her as Mrs. Longbottom, so her husband’s family name had to be Longbottom.Mrs. Longbottom had a good attitude toward Camryn and even supported her. He was not familiar with Mrs. Longbottom at all, though. Why did Camryn ask him that? Should he know her? Trenton watched the video two more times but could not find anything unusual about her. It was just that he was not acquainted with Mrs. Longbottom. If he had not seen the video,
The young couple looked at Trenton, then exchanged smiles.“How much did you give Carrie?” Camryn asked her brother gently. Camryn could harden her heart to completely ignore Carrie and not give her a single cent, but Trenton could not be as ruthless as she was, mainly because while Carrie had not been particularly kind to Trenton, she also had not bullied him outright. She had treated Camryn very poorly though and had never shown her any respect at all, so their sisterly bond had deteriorated to the extreme. It was already generous of Camryn not to completely destroy Carrie after taking charge, which was probably out of consideration for the fact that they shared a mother.“I-I gave her fifty thousand. She said it was almost Christmas, and she wanted to buy gifts and new clothes, so I-I gave her fifty thousand.” Trenton looked down as he spoke, not daring to look at Camryn, afraid she would scold him.Camryn gave her brother a long look but did not scold him. Instead, she took o