Duncan turned to look at her and said, “What do you take me for? I’ve even slept on a bench in a park before. Those were my rebellious days.”Liberty knew Duncan was rebellious during his teenage days. He would do all sorts of things with his friends. His turning point came when his grandmother died of sickness. After that, he turned over a new leaf and worked hard to establish Lewis & Co.More than ten years had passed since then. Duncan rarely mentioned his past to Liberty because it reminded him of his grandmother. He was the apple of his grandmother’s eye. He was also the youngest among his brothers, the one whom most people adored most.Sonny used to be afraid of the scar on Duncan’s face. Duncan thought of removing the scar through treatments but decided against it in the end. He mentioned that the scar would serve as a reminder that his disobedience had caused his grandmother to fall ill and pass away. He felt guilty. “I’m not picky about accommodations. Besides, a room
Duncan held Liberty’s hand with a burning gaze. He fell deeper in love with her as he noted her healthy glow and confidence. “Liberty.”Duncan said with a husky voice. His head got closer to hers, and he asked, “I… I want to kiss you. May I?”Liberty was quiet, but her face turned red. She was not a young girl anymore. She had gone through a marriage, divorce, and childbirth. However, she could not stop herself from blushing upon hearing his question. She looked shy, which made her even more irresistible to Duncan. Despite having loved her for quite some time, he had only ever held her hand. They did not do anything beyond that.“Are you okay, Liberty?”Duncan turned her head and forced her to face him. Their gazes met, and she could feel his hot breath as he approached her. Her shyness encouraged Duncan. Since he did not get her answer, he brushed her lips with his lightly. When he saw her closing her eyes, he hugged her tightly and deepened the kiss. The kissing gradu
Duncan did not say anything about being a useless person, so as not to make Liberty worry and start with a bunch of encouraging words.Liberty cleaned the electric kettle provided by the hotel and boiled water for him. She then cleaned the cup, picked up a small packet of rose green tea, brewed a cup of tea for him, and then brought it over. The teacup was placed on the bedside table, and she said to him, “The water is very hot now, wait a moment before drinking.”Ring, ring, ring…Liberty’s phone rang.She took out her phone to check the caller ID and said to Duncan, “It’s Seren.”Liberty quickly answered the call, worried that something might have happened to her sister.“Seren, what’s wrong?”“Mom.”The phone conveyed Sonny’s tender voice.“Sonny, oh, Sonny finally remembers to call Mom.”Liberty smiled teasingly at her son.Sonny pouted, sounding quite aggrieved, and called “Mom” again.Hearing the hint of grievance in her son’s tone, Liberty asked with concern, “What’s
“This Friday, as soon as you finish school, Dunc will bring you here, and then we’ll go back on Sunday afternoon, okay?”Duncan promised the little one.This way, he would have a legitimate reason to fly over to accompany Liberty on Fridays.“Really? Dunc won’t lie to me?”“I’ve told you, Dunc doesn’t lie to children. Dunc is very honest. Don’t you think Dunc is very honest?”After thinking for a moment, Sonny felt that Duncan was usually very honest and said, “I believe Dunc. Will my mom agree to us coming over? Will we disturb my mom’s work?”Aunt Ser said Mom had been very busy lately.Sonny knew that his mother was working so hard for him. She said she wanted to earn a lot of money so he could have a good life.Sonny felt that his life was already good enough.He did not want his mother to work so hard. However, Liberty insisted on going to work and making money. He felt he was a sensible child and should support his mother.“No, we’ll come over on the weekend, and your
Sonny was utterly disappointed.He could not let his friend get punished just so he wanted to keep him around, right?Upon hearing Laurence’s words, Serenity curiously asked, “Can you understand medical books? Can you copy them?”Laurence was about the same age as Sonny. At this age, Sonny could only write basic numbers and words.The sisters believed that during the early childhood stage, the main focus should be on ensuring that the child eats well, drinks well, and enjoys a carefree childhood. They did not want to impose too much learning pressure on the child.Hence, Sonny’s time in preschool was relaxed and happy.Even so, there was a period when he did not want to go to preschool, waking up every day with a flat mouth saying he did not want to go.The novelty had worn off.“I can’t understand it. My mentor will teach me to memorize medical books, and I can memorize them, but I don’t know what they mean. I can’t copy them, but I have to, otherwise, when he makes delicious
Corey was thinking that if her son was willing to be Sonny’s stepfather, at least Duncan’s small family would have a child. Maybe because of Sonny, Liberty might even have another one in the future.Sonny always wanted a little sister.Everyone assumed that the baby in Serenity’s belly was a boy.Sonny, wanting a little sister, would pester his mother to give birth to one. This way, Duncan could have his biological child, even if it was a girl. Corey would be pleased as long as it was Duncan’s flesh and blood.Of course, Corey did not dare to reveal any of these thoughts.The car accident that Duncan had experienced had softened his parents’ rigid views.“I’ll head back now. Whenever you’re free, come over. Sonny should come over often.”Serenity insisted on taking the two children home. Corey gave her some nutritional supplements and asked her to take them to replenish her body.“Mrs. Lewis, look at my waist, it’s getting thicker. If I keep taking these, I’ll end up with a bar
Serenity did not go home directly. She first took Laurence to Remy’s place, where Ben and his wife had been staying while in Wiltspoon. Upon arriving, Serenity handed Laurence back to Jane and Ben. Only then did Serenity’s tension relax.“Aunt Ser, can I play a little longer?”Realizing that he was about to be separated from his friend, Sonny was reluctant to part ways and wanted to play a bit more with Laurence, even if it was just for half an hour.He said, “Laurence will be away for a very long time after this. Can I play a bit more with him?”Serenity looked at Jane, and Jane said, “We still need to pack up things. We’ll be back home in about half an hour.“Let them play for another half an hour. Laurence is also reluctant to leave Sonny. However, we can’t let them play like this indefinitely. They might get carried away, making it difficult for them to settle down.”“That’s true. If they get carried away, they won’t want to go to preschool. If it weren’t for Laurence as a c
Serenity suddenly thought of the psychic who predicted her marriage with Zachary and said that the couple would be happy and have children of both genders. If she were to have a daughter, would she be able to raise her to adulthood?If her fate mirrored that of the York family’s past generations, she would rather not give birth to a daughter. Serenity could not bear the thought of seeing her child gradually lose breath before her eyes. It would be an unbearable heartache. If there were concerns about the energy flow at Wildridge Manor, the psychic insisted that it was not about the manor’s layout or location. Rather, the psychic acknowledged that the family was divined to prosper for generations.“Seren, what’s wrong? Your face suddenly changed.”Noticing Serenity’s change in expression, Elisa asked with concern.“Is it because of what I said about the York family losing their daughters? Don’t worry, you’re definitely having a son this time. Sonny mentioned it several times, sayi
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