When she first met Julian, her heart beat faster and she would drift into daydreams upon seeing him. As time went by and they became closer, interactions with him were no different from those with her fellow coaches. When alone with Julian, everything felt natural; her heart did not race, and there were no more wandering thoughts.She thought the relationship with Julian was more of a camaraderie between brothers.She never expected Julian to express his love for her.Quinn felt her face heating up.She touched her face and even gave it a light pat, muttering to herself, “Quinn, are you feeling shy? Is it because a man said he likes you, and now you’re all fluttery? Stay calm, stay calm.”Julian would not worry about future domestic violence issues as her previous blind dates did. After all, he was a formidable martial artist himself, capable of defeating Will.She was no match for Will.If Julian could beat him, it meant his skills exceeded hers. What was there to worry about?
Quinn brought the hot chocolate back to the sofa in her room and sat down.“Quinn, do you have something on your mind?” Zoey sat beside her and asked with concern.“No, not at all.”Quinn dared not meet her mother’s eyes, fearing that her guilt would be exposed.She took a shallow sip and the excessive richness had her exclaiming, “Mom, did you put all the chocolate we have at home in this? It’s so thick, I can’t drink it. I don’t want it.”“Your cycle is irregular and you’ll be prone to cramps, so drinking this might help.” Quinn admitted, “Well, actually, Mom, I lied to you. I’m perfectly fine.”Zoey stared at her. “Lied to me? Child, how can you lie about your health? I was planning to buy you some hormone-balancing tea and even probiotics. I thought you could regulate your cycle with those.“You’re still young and unmarried. If your cycle isn’t regular, you should see a doctor to regulate it. Don’t be shy or avoid medical help.”Quinn replied, “Mom, do you think I’m the k
“Julian is undoubtedly a businessman, but he’s not a simple businessman. He surely has things hidden from us, things he hasn’t told us.”“Everyone has their secrets; it’s impossible to tell everything to others,” Quinn spoke on behalf of Julian.However, Zoey said, “Think about when you first met him. Didn’t he pretend not to know martial arts? You helped him once, and he kept calling you his lifesaver, insisting on repaying the favor, and then treating you so well.“Maybe it’s because I’ve watched too many TV shows, but I always feel like Julian has been orchestrating things from the beginning. Making you his lifesaver so he can approach you openly, treat you well, and you wouldn’t suspect anything.“Who knows, the biker gang you encountered the night you saved him from might have been arranged by him. Nowadays, public security is good, and it’s rare to see biker gangs, let alone a large group of them. Could the police in Wiltspoon let them out at night?”Quinn replied, “Mom… You
Quinn blushed.She whispered, “Just now, Julian brought us fried chicken. For the record, they’re for the kids, not me. Julian always spoils them, buying whatever they want to eat.“I just happened to be there. Then, while I was eating, Julian suddenly told me he liked me. He said it wasn’t the kind of affection between friends but the one between a man and a woman. He said it was love, and that he loves me, and wants to marry me.“Oh, he also gave me a bouquet of flowers. First, he asked me what I thought when I received that bouquet. At that moment, all I could think of was floral pancakes.”Being stared at by her mother, Quinn spoke softer as her innocence overflowed. “He gave me a bouquet of roses. With so many roses, all I could think of was rose pancakes. He asked me what I thought.“So I just answered truthfully.”Zoey, unimpressed, poked her daughter’s head again. “Why are you so clueless? Always thinking about food. If it weren’t for your love of fried chicken, would Jul
Zoey wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter. “You get along very well with Julian, and you can talk freely. He’s sincere about you. Just calmly think about it for a few days, and then you can give him a response.”Quinn nodded, but with a worried expression, she said, “Mom, do you think Julian might just be after something novel? His family is so wealthy, a scion of a prestigious family. He must have seen countless beauties, probably close to a hundred. I might be pretty, but I don’t think it’s my appearance that captivated him.“Could he just be playing around? Maybe he’s sincere now, but after marriage, he might change his mind, cheat, or have mistresses. I can’t accept that. By then, even if I beat him up, I won’t win. Being far away in Wiltspoon, it’s too difficult for you to rush over and support me. What should I do?”After contemplating for a moment, Zoey said, “This, it’s really hard to say. However, marriages depend on how you manage them. If both of you are
“If I’m dating Julian, we can still move out after marriage and maintain some distance from the in-laws, right?”After a moment of silence, Zoey said, “Even if you don’t live together, it will be easy for Mrs. Bucham to find faults with you and try to ruin your marital relationship if she doesn’t accept you. She’s his mother, and he can’t just cut ties with her for you, right?”Quinn remained silent.After a while, Quinn sighed and said, “Mom, are you suggesting that I shouldn’t accept Julian? I had just made up my mind, and now I’m confused again. I don’t know what to do. I feel it might be better to live alone and not deal with these complicated interpersonal relationships.“My temperament is not suitable for dealing with people who are scheming. They say it’s difficult to get along with mothers-in-law in wealthy families. Not many can be as reasonable as Serenity, Jasmine, and their mothers-in-law. I heard from Serenity that when she first got together with Zachary, his mother c
Julian forced a nervous smile and said, “I went to the gym, and Quinn mentioned she had something to do and went out. I thought she went home.“Anyway, is there anything I can help with?”Zoey sat on the couch, and as she turned on the TV she said, “We’re having Italian tonight, and all the ingredients are ready. You don’t need to do anything else. Julian, come over and chat with me.”“Oh, sure.”Julian was happy to chat with Zoey. He believed that the better he behaved, the more his future mother-in-law would like him.Julian poured a cup of water for Zoey and then sat down across from her with a warm smile on his handsome face. He asked, “What would you like to talk about?”“Just casual chatting. Talk about daily life, talk about children. As a housewife, these are the only things I can talk about.”Zoey put down the TV remote, looked at Julian, and suddenly asked, “Julian, you’re in your thirties and still haven’t dated or married. Is it because your parents have high expecta
Julian stood up and said to Zoey, “I’ll go upstairs and talk to Quinn. Regarding the question about my health, I’ll also tell Quinn without reservation.”“Sure, you two have a good chat. I’ll call you both downstairs for dinner when they come back.”Julian headed upstairs.Zoey looked at his back and muttered softly, “I can’t tell that he’s sick. What kind of illness does he have? Is it because he’s sick that he’s still unmarried at this age?”Was it that all unmarried older men must have some problems?Well, if...God knew when her daughter would find a boyfriend.They really liked Julian.Zoey already regarded him as a son-in-law.When Quinn heard Julian mention that he had an illness and was going upstairs, she returned to her room, pretending not to know that Julian was chatting with her mother downstairs.Soon, Julian arrived at the door of Quinn’s room and knocked.“The door isn’t locked, come in,” Quinn responded.Julian turned the handle and opened the door. He entered without
Since Serenity was also an owner of the villa, she assigned rooms to Hayden and Camryn before returning to the master bedroom. She kept feeling that something was missing as Zachary was not around.Carrying the baby bump around was tiring.Although Serenity was used to having Zachary by her side, she fell asleep quickly as she was exhausted. The night passed peacefully. New Year’s Eve had arrived. It was a busy day. After a family dinner in the evening, people who were close acquaintances of the Yorks went to Wildridge Manor to watch the fireworks. The atmosphere was lively. However, fun times would always go by quickly. Soon, it was the second day of the new year. It was the day when the York family’s daughters-in-law would visit their families. The fact that their families resided in Wiltspoon made the trip convenient. Zachary, Serenity, Liberty, and Duncan went to the Stones’ residence. Since Audrey was Serenity and Liberty’s aunt, they would visit the Stone
While Grandma May and her granddaughters-in-law had settled down, Zachary and his two brothers were still waiting for their wives. As the sky was getting darker, Zachary could not help but give Serenity a call. “Why are you and Nana not back yet, Seren?”“We won’t be going back tonight, babe. Nana said we’ll return after breakfast tomorrow. We’re staying in your villa in the high-end neighborhood now.”Zachary replied, “I already had a bad feeling when Nana brought you guys out.”As expected, Nana had “kidnapped” their wives.Serenity laughed. “Go to bed early. We’re singing now. Hayden is a pretty good singer.”“You should rest earlier. Don’t stay up too late. You’re still pregnant.”Zachary reminded her.“Mm. I will. I’ll hang up now. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”“Okay. Sonny came over this evening and asked where you were. I said you went shopping, and he said why you didn’t wait till he came and if you didn’t miss him.”Serenity smiled. “He called me afterward and told
Grandma May brought her daughters-in-law to Zachary's villa. The butler did not go home to celebrate the new year. Instead, he had brought his family over upon obtaining Zachary’s permission. Sam was a disciplined person. Although he had brought his family over, he would still watch over the house properly and not let his family enter the main house.He was Zachary’s butler and had his own quarters. He did not live in the main house. Sam was surprised to see Grandma May and her granddaughters-in-law coming over late at night.“Have you all come by yourself, missus?”Sam opened the gates for them and asked Serenity, who had lowered her window. He was worried that Mr. York might have made Mrs. York angry and that she had come over to escape him. It would be New Year’s Eve tomorrow. Logically speaking, Serenity should have been at Wildridge Manor. However, upon seeing Grandma May, Camryn, and the rest, Sam finally figured it out. Grandma May must have been feeling mischievo
“Dylan didn’t really disobey you, Nana. It’s simply because his partner is Imogen.“If it weren’t for Zachary telling me, I wouldn’t have thought Imogen would have that many identities. She hid all of them well. Dylan couldn’t find a thing even after investigating it for a long time.”Serenity smiled and added, “As expected of Silver’s best student. She’s definitely different.”Grandma May was being extremely nice to Dylan.She had chosen Silver’s student for him. The legendary masters and their students were the true big bosses. Any one of them could rival Julian. “Dylan was trapped by his dream. He couldn’t escape it.”Grandma May sighed. “I don’t know what happened. He never met Sugar before. I can’t believe he dreamt of her before I gave him a picture of her. He even had the same dream several times.“Maybe they were just fated to be together.”Camryn smiled. “It must be fate. Maybe they were husband and wife in their past lives.”“You’re amazing, Nana. How did you know
Once Dylan arrived home, he went looking for his nana first. Grandma May was not in the manor. She was in one of the houses at the foot of the hill. Dylan did not search the houses one by one. He simply gave her a call. Grandma May picked up the call after some time. “You’re back, Dylan? I thought you weren’t planning to come back.”She chuckled. “How are things going? Have you found your little fox? Your elder brothers have already succeeded in getting their women. The three of you are the only ones left.“Peter is quicker than you. He said he could bring his fiancée back in a few months. Austin is probably doing better than you too. They aren’t you.”“When are you coming back, Nana? I have something to tell you.”Dylan requested Grandma May politely as he did not want other people to be present.Grandma May could roughly guess what Dylan wanted to do. She said, “I’m not in the manor. I’m out shopping with Serenity and won’t be back so soon. If you have something to say,
“The wind is strong, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Please return home. We’ll be heading back as well.”After Liberty took everything her ex-in-laws had prepared for Sonny, she said goodbye to them, and under their gazes, she walked toward Duncan and Sonny, who were waiting for her.Sonny had already gotten off Duncan’s shoulders.Duncan had also returned to his wheelchair and held Sonny in his arms. They waited for Liberty to return. When Duncan saw the bags in Liberty’s hand, he told Sonny, “Help Mom hold some of the stuff, Sonny.”“Okay.”Sonny slid down and went to grab his luggage. He could pull the luggage along since it had wheels.Liberty let him.On the other hand, Duncan took some bags from Liberty’s hands and placed them on his thighs. He said, “Why are there so many things? I remember there wasn’t this much when we sent Sonny over.”“Dad bought me new clothes and toys. I really can’t take all the toys, so some of them were left in Dad’s house. I can play with them the next t
Hank pulled Sonny’s luggage over. Luke and Olivia had many bags in their hands too. They were presents they had prepared for Sonny and Liberty. Although the stuff they prepared was not as expensive as the supplements Sonny had brought back, it still contained their sincerity. “Liberty,” Hank called and handed the luggage over. “Sonny’s belongings are all inside. He can’t take that many toys, so there’s some left at my place. He said he can play them the next time he comes.“We bought him a few sets of clothes. They can’t fit into the luggage, so we put them in bags.”After speaking, Hank took the bags from his parents’ hands.Aside from the clothes and toys they had bought for Sonny, the rest were presents for Liberty. “My parents prepared some snacks for you. You can have them while celebrating the new year. It’s nothing expensive, just a token of our sincerity.“Although we aren’t husband and wife anymore, we’re still Sonny’s parents. We can still be friends or relative
Liberty and Duncan had only gotten their marriage license for a few days. They were newlyweds. Even with Liberty by his side, Duncan still wanted to have video calls with Sonny several times a day. He missed Sonny more than she did. He would worry about whether Sonny was eating and sleeping well at the Browns’ place.He also worried whether Chelsea’s son would bully Sonny.While Sonny had learned martial arts, he was not exactly skilled yet. Besides, he was taught well and would not fight under normal circumstances. Therefore, Duncan was worried that Sonny would be at a disadvantage. Liberty thought Duncan was acting more like Sonny’s biological father than Hank. “Sonny’s here,” said Duncan. He got up and walked toward Sonny, leaving his wheelchair behind. He could walk short distances. Liberty was anxious that he might fall. She quickly left her neighbors behind and followed him. She reminded him, “Walk slowly. Be careful.”They did not have their bodyguards with them
“Dunc is nice, Dad. He treats me well. He’s not a bad guy.”Sonny tried his best to clear Hank’s misunderstanding toward Dunc.Hank felt bitter, but he kept a smile on his face. He replied, “Mm. Duncan isn’t a bad person. He treats you and your mom well. I feel at ease knowing you and your mom are living with him.”No matter how jealous he was, he had to admit that Duncan had dedicated his heart and energy to Liberty and Sonny. Duncan was better than him, Sonny’s biological dad. Liberty had made a great choice marrying Duncan.Although Duncan was still in a wheelchair, he would eventually recover. Once he recovered, he could take on any challenge and be the pillar Liberty and Sonny needed. “Sonny, Sonny,” Olivia called out from the living area. Hank told Sonny, “Your grandmom is calling you. Go out and have a look.”Sonny hummed in agreement and left the room. “Grandmom.”Hank smiled when he heard Sonny saying that. He liked being with his son and parents. He truly