“Laurence will be leaving in two days. He’ll only be back again next year. Let’s just let him enjoy himself while he’s here.”Zachary and Josh nodded. They promised to keep the secret. Laurence was still young. He knew nothing about the responsibility of avenging his family. He did not understand why his teachers were particularly strict with him too. No one expected him to kill, but they had to make sure that he did not get killed. Laurence needed the ability to protect himself. As for his revenge, the law would take care of that. Once Laurence grew up and gathered enough evidence, all of his enemies would be brought to justice. After the Lafayettes’ case, they learned how to use the law to seek justice. They get their revenge while keeping their hands clean, otherwise it could affect the rest of their lives. The Lafayettes had been doing well since. Those who had hurt them had received their punishment. Perhaps death would have been a better choice for them, as l
Liberty planned to walk around for market research. However, she was not surprised at Belinda’s men blocking her way.She knew Belinda would send someone to her, but she did not expect it to happen that fast. “What do you need?”Belinda’s bodyguard said respectfully, “Madam Fisher is hosting a banquet at her manor tonight, and she extends her invitation to you, Ms. Hunt. She hopes you don’t decline since you’re relatives anyway.“Madam Fisher has also prepared a room for you to stay in. She feels bad for letting you stay in a hotel.”Even if the said hotel belonged to York Corporation. Liberty said, “Please tell Madam Fisher that I’ll be there for dinner tonight, but I’ll kindly refuse the offer to stay in her house. I’m fine with living in a hotel. I don’t want to impose.”Fisher Manor was Belinda’s territory and she had absolute power at that place. It would be easy for her to commit a crime against Liberty. If Liberty moved into Fisher Manor, she could lose her life.
Kevin said, “I’m meeting Hayden at her office later. I’ll ask her if she has time tonight. We won’t have to worry about Madam Fisher attacking you if we’re there with you. We’re letting her know that even if you came here alone, you have people backing you.“She’ll have to think twice before murdering you in Jensburg. She has to be wary of Hayden’s influence in Jensburg, if not ours.”“Is it a good idea to get Hayden involved? The Queens and Fishers have been coexisting peacefully. We can’t drag her into this because of our grudge against the Fishers.”Getting Kevin involved was inevitable as Serenity was Kevin’s sister-in-law. Even if Kevin did nothing, Belinda would still consider him as Liberty’s ally. Kevin said, “Don’t say that. Hayden’s my future wife. She’ll be the York family’s young missus and Serenity’s sister-in-law. People will know that she’s on our side without her doing anything.”Liberty laughed at him. “You’re declaring her as your wife even though you haven’t wo
Kevin waited outside a conference room at Queen Enterprise with a money bouquet.Hayden was still in a meeting. The woman was truly busier than he was. She managed a huge company and had endless meetings, paperwork, and business negotiations.Although it was time to get off work and the sky had turned dark, Hayden’s meeting went on. The evening wind was strong. Kevin specially picked a larger coat to wear when he was heading out, so Hayden could stick close to him and share his warmth. She probably did not need it though. After about ten minutes, the conference room door opened. The senior executives who attended the meeting filed out of the room. When they saw Kevin with the huge bouquet, they stopped their discussions and greeted him politely. “Mr. Kevin.”“Mr. York.”They addressed him differently, but he returned each greeting with a smile. Since Zachary was not around, those who said “Mr. York” were addressing Kevin. When the crowd was far enough, they whis
Hugh smiled but returned after taking a few steps. He approached Kevin and asked cautiously, “You won’t tattle to my parents about me, right?”“I won’t as long as you promise to do the same.”They had some control over one another. Kevin was afraid of Hayden getting mad, while Hugh feared his parents urging him to marry. Even if Donald and Sophia did not urge Hugh to marry, they would give him a good scolding. Kevin had become their new favorite person. He was more adored than Hugh, the couple’s real son. Hugh often complained to Hayden that he probably was not their parents’ biological son. Donald and Sophia liked Kevin too much. He and Kevin might have been switched at birth. Hayden’s reply was an ashtray flying toward him. Hugh felt he was at the bottom of the food chain within the family. Sigh. It was because he was never in a serious relationship. If he were to bring a girl home, his place in his parents’ hearts would rise. However, upon thinking about how much
“Hugh is too laid-back. You should give him more work to do.”“I’m aware of his capabilities. I already assigned him everything he could handle and withheld those that were beyond him. He shouldn’t bite off more than he could chew.”Hugh was great, but he was slightly lacking compared to his sister. Besides, Hayden had been managing Queen Enterprise for several years. She had accumulated more experience than Hugh. Suddenly, Hayden smiled. She said, “Hugh will be angry if he finds out that you’re asking me to increase his workload.”“I’m not scared of him. I’m sad to see you working so hard every day. On the other hand, Hugh has so much time to accompany different women and go shopping or to parties every day. He’s living his life.”Hayden said, “I’m used to this kind of life. I can’t get used to being idle even for a day. Maybe I’m born to work.”“Where’s Liberty?” Hayden asked. “She’s waiting at Fortress Hotel. Should we meet her there or head to Fisher Manor separately?”
At Fisher Manor, Belinda was hosting a banquet and had invited Liberty over. The manor’s employees had been busy since afternoon. Many family members had come over to help out as well. As it was supposed to be a family banquet, only the Fishers would be attending it. Everyone who had some sort of status in the family was allowed to attend whereas those with lower ranks or were distant relatives were not allowed to attend.Many of the Fishers were unsatisfied. Since it was a family banquet, everyone in the family should have been invited. Even if they were distant relatives, they still bore the Fisher surname and were part of the family. Why could they not attend a family banquet?Their dissatisfaction with Belinda grew. Nevertheless, they dared not voice out their unhappiness for fear of Belinda’s revenge upon her discovery. She treated the lower-ranked family members worse than she would a stranger. Therefore, many of them missed Tiara, who used to view everyone as equal
Tiara had the loyalty of her assistant and the sincere love of her husband, unlike Belinda and Hunter, who prioritized their personal needs more. Their love was not genuine. As expected, men who looked too pretty could not be trusted. “Hunter is unwell? I see. He should rest.”The man knew Belinda was lying, but he let the matter slide and asked no more questions about Hunter. Other people quickly switched the topic and continued their conversation with Belinda. At that moment, the butler rushed in and went to Belinda. She said respectfully, “Ms. Hunt is here, Madam Fisher.”The crowd went quiet. Belinda turned and talked to Celine and her sons, “Go and welcome Liberty. Even if you’re her senior, she’s a guest who traveled here from afar. We should be wonderful hosts.”Going by the family tree, her sons were Liberty’s uncles. “We know, Mom,” Adrian replied. He led his siblings to the gates. Before they arrived at the gates, they saw Caroline’s car entering with sever
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