Justin urged everyone to enter the house quickly.The four siblings were concerned that Caroline might speak ill of them in front of their mother, so they did not want to chat outside for too long and hurriedly entered the house.After Caroline brought Liberty inside, everyone in the room looked at Liberty, finding her very familiar.Belinda sat in the main seat without moving. The seats beside her were occupied by people of status within the family.“Liberty, you’re here.”Belinda politely said, then instructed the butler, “Bring a chair for Ms. Hunt and let her sit.”Liberty scanned the room. When the butler brought a small stool over, she sarcastically said to Belinda, “If you’re not genuine in hosting a guest, there’s no need to put on a show. I came from afar, and you deliberately sent someone to wait at Fortress Hotel for a long time, to extend the invitation. Yet, there isn’t even a proper seat. Your hospitality is truly eye-opening.”After saying this, Liberty turned and
“Liberty.”Caroline walked over, standing in front of Liberty, and solemnly apologized, “Liberty, my mom is getting old and sometimes acts a bit confused. What she says and does can be a bit excessive. I apologize on behalf of my mom.”Liberty responded, “This matter has nothing to do with you, Ms. Fisher. If Madam Fisher doesn’t consider me a guest, then there’s no need for me to stay any longer. I’ll take my leave.”With that, she led her bodyguards, bypassed Caroline, and headed outside.Belinda was infuriated by Caroline and irritated by Liberty’s assertiveness. When she went to visit the Stones in Wiltspoon, Audrey had requested her to allow Liberty to compete with Caroline and to treat Liberty as the legitimate heir of the Fisher family, providing her with the status and treatment befitting the position. Belinda was not willing, knowing that Liberty’s arrival was part of a scheme to secure her position as the successor. So, Belinda intentionally hosted a family banquet and
“Tonight, Liberty is not only an honored guest of our family but also an opportunity for everyone to know who she is and what her status is in the family. When you get home, speak well of her to your family members. In the future, when you encounter Liberty, treat her with respect.”All eyes were on Belinda.She was displeased with Caroline taking matters into her own hands, but she also understood the dynamics of the family. In this family, sooner or later, decisions were made by the heir.Uplifting Liberty to the successor’s position was also a significant test for Caroline.Celine might not have the capability to compete with Caroline, but Liberty did.Belinda considered that if Caroline was willing to raise Liberty’s status and compete fairly, she would comply. If Caroline won, she would legitimately hold the position of matriarch, and there would be no more whispers and backbiting.However, if Caroline lost... the position would return to the elder sister’s lineage.Belinda
“Then, if you need help in the future, make sure to tell Audrey. Even though she doesn’t have complete control in Jensburg, she has a wide network and can help you in many ways. You came this time for business, right?”Liberty said, “Of course, I’m here for business. What else would I be here for? What did Madam Fisher think I was here for?”Liberty questioned Belinda.Belinda laughed. “I thought you came to acknowledge your roots and revert to bearing the Fisher surname.”“As long as Fisher's blood runs through me, I’m a descendant of the Fishers. I don’t need to acknowledge or revert to any roots as ultimately the fact that I am a descendant of the former head of the Fisher family won’t be erased.”Belinda fell silent.It seemed that Liberty always spoke with a sharp tongue, just like Audrey.Audrey’s personality and abilities were like Tiara’s. Liberty was a replica of her sister, which meant that in terms of bloodline, Liberty was indeed the most promising to compete with he
Upon hearing this, Belinda first frowned, then set down her cutleries, stood up, and said to her children, “Mr. Queen is here. Follow me to greet him.”It was not surprising for Belinda that Kevin had arrived.Liberty was associated with the Yorks and Stones.Although Kevin the third young master of the Yorks was intimidating, the influence of the York family in Jensburg was not as strong as the Queen family, which made Belinda more concerned about the Queen family.Hayden’s uninvited arrival was likely at the behest of Kevin to support Liberty, hinting at the Fishers that Liberty was not without influential support, and that was the Queen family.Upon hearing that Hayden had arrived, Celine felt quite nervous. She hurriedly glanced at the clothes she was wearing tonight. Knowing that her mother only invited Liberty over, she did not deliberately change into an evening gown, just wearing casual clothes. Should she go upstairs now to change into a formal dress?Maybe it was too
Celine did not want to go, but if she did not take food upstairs to Hunter while her mother asked in Hayden’s presence, Hayden would think she was an unfilial daughter.People in Jensburg knew that the Fisher family favored Celine over Caroline, saying the fake heiress was favored over the real successor.If Celine was not filial, she would lose her reputation. Celine hoped to rely on the Fisher family and marry into a prestigious family as a young missus.Therefore, as per Belinda’s order, she prepared food and drinks for Hunter and took them upstairs.When Emma saw Celine going upstairs, she exchanged a glance with her sisters-in-law and carried on as if nothing was wrong, continuing to eat and drink.Liberty noticed the exchange between Emma and Ava and felt they were hiding something, though since it was Celine, she supposed it did not concern her.Liberty conversed casually with Caroline and occasionally exchanged words with Hayden.Hayden was reserved in front of others, wi
“Your mom is getting older, busy with work, and her thoughts are all wrapped up in the company and fostering Caroline. She hasn’t paid attention to me. Although I’m also getting older, my health is fine, and I still have some needs. She doesn’t fulfill her duties as a wife and doesn’t even let me have a quickie.”Hunter, perhaps due to the alcohol or frustration with his wife, vented all his dissatisfaction to his daughter.Seeing her father’s painful and angry state, Celine involuntarily sat down to drink and kept him company. She still sympathized with her father.Downstairs, the banquet was lively, but her father had to hide upstairs, unwilling to face people; just because he made the mistakes many men do.The guests downstairs were also uncomfortable, mainly due to the addition of three esteemed guests.They could not grasp why Belinda organized this banquet. The atmosphere lacked liveliness.“Liberty, what kind of business are you planning to invest in?” Belinda asked, see
The other guests realized that Kevin and Hayden were Liberty’s supporters. They had not heard of Liberty's outstanding capabilities, but the wealthy families behind her were enough. Her sister was the York family’s missus, who had more than enough to invest in Liberty. As long as Liberty had courage and business acumen, she did not have to worry about money. Some competent individuals within the Fisher family, who were subjected to oppression by Belinda, began formulating ideas in their heads.Liberty smiled and said, “I’m interested in any profitable projects. Do you have time tomorrow, Mr. Queen? I can visit you.”Hayden said, “You can come over anytime.”Kevin said, “Hayden, I’ll get jealous if you’re so nice to Liberty. You’ve always said you’re busy and ignored me whenever I went over. On the contrary, you’re available anytime for Liberty.”That earned him a side-eye from Hayden. “Liberty and I have good chemistry.”Caroline smiled. “I think Liberty and I get along too.
Austin was extremely patient with the boys. Although they occasionally caused trouble, most of them were minor issues. They would never do something they were not allowed to do.After breakfast, Austin brought them their bags. With a boy in each hand, he left the house. It was to prevent the boys from saying he was playing favorites. Dominic was used to that scene. Initially, Austin was simply Ms. Isabella’s private chef. However, he gradually took on more responsibilities.He would take the two young masters to school. If he had time in the evening, he would also fetch them from school. Austin also made sure Louis and Phillip did their homework, supervised their hobby classes, and played with them. Sometimes, he would even teach them martial arts and train with them. Dominic felt Austin was an all-rounder. It seemed like there was nothing Austin could not do. No wonder Ms. Isabella thought highly of Austin. However, Austin was a young master of a wealthy family. He w
Louis and Phillip were downstairs having the breakfast Austin had prepared for them. The food was different every morning, and everything was delicious.Having gotten used to Austin’s cooking, Louis and Phillip could no longer stand the food provided in the school. They thought the food there was terrible. Louis was enrolled in an elementary school not far from home. As he was a first grader, he did not need to stay in the dormitories and could have his lunch and dinner at home. Phillip, who was a year younger than him, was still in preschool. He would have breakfast and dinner at home. Actually, the preschool did provide breakfast, but Phillip refused to eat in school and insisted on having breakfast at home. In order to eat the breakfast Austin made, he would get up early in the morning without the adults waking him. After putting on his clothes and washing up, he would head to Louis’s place with his bag. “Austin.”Louis suddenly asked, “Did my sister come back last n
Isabella had always thought Tati was teasing her. Therefore, she did not take her words seriously. She thought it was completely normal for Austin to treat her well as she was his boss. From Austin’s perspective, she was his source of income. Now that Isabella pondered about it deeper, she realized perhaps Austin did come to Satbury for her. It was not just to be her chef. He always said Grandma May only gave the York lads a year to pursue their fiancées. However, Austin had never left since he started working for Isabella. Even if he did, it was to accompany her on business trips. He was busy feeding and taking care of her every day and had never gone to pursue his so-called fiancée. He did not even try to gather information on her. Was he not anxious?A year would go by pretty quickly. Although it felt like it had not been long since Austin started working for Isabella, three months had passed. Time really flew. Three months had gone by in the blink of an eye. Neve
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella was insistent on getting answers. Austin had never told her when she had asked him about it before. He kept saying he would focus on working and that he was not in a rush to get married. After all, he was only in his twenties; Zachary only got married at thirty years old. If he was unsuccessful in wooing his fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s eyes. He could detect some feelings in her gaze, but it was not obvious enough. What she felt for him was still mostly admiration. It was not the right time for him to confess yet. He would continue to wait. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella had treated him well ever since he became her private chef. It only got better after she discovered he was a young master of the Yorks. Austin believed her when she said she viewed him as a friend because her actions reflected it as well. However, he was not content with being just friends. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to trust him and love him forever. He would also reciprocate her feelings and trust. Isabella smiled. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s words was not lost on Isabella, but she did not comment on it.She allowed Austin to accompany her into the house. The lights were still on inside, but the first floor was empty. Everyone else had already gone to bed.Since Isabella had not returned yet, the housekeeper had left the lights on for her.The house was warm, so once inside, Isabella took off Austin’s coat and handed it back to him.Austin accepted the coat and followed her to the sofa. After she had sat down, he asked gently, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s