“Aunt Audrey.”Serenity greeted Audrey with a smile.Audrey nodded and asked, “Did you pick Sonny up today?”“Duncan’s busy this afternoon, and since I’m not working full time right now anyway, I’m free to pick Sonny up.”As she said this, Serenity reached out to carry the little guy, “Sonny, you should come down and walk by yourself. Don’t make Grandaunt Audrey carry you.”Audrey hurriedly said, “It’s fine, I can carry him in. Sonny is a little bigger now, but he’s still a little kid and isn’t that heavy. Just carrying him for a bit won’t tire me out.”However, Sonny still obediently slid out of Audrey’s arms and onto the floor before looking up to say, “I don’t want to make Grandaunt Audrey tired.”Mom and Aunt Ser had told him before that Grandaunt Audrey was getting on in years and was considered an elderly person, so he should be more considerate of her and not make her carry him all the time.Audrey ruffled Sonny’s hair and laughed. “Sonny has such a sweet little mouth.”
Despite what she said, Audrey brought them upstairs. Alice and her son were asleep. Upon seeing that, Serenity pulled Sonny back and stopped Audrey from entering. She whispered, “Let Alice sleep, Aunt Audrey. Let’s not disturb her.”Audrey nodded and closed the door lightly. Sonny was slightly disappointed. He had wished to play with the little brother. Back on the first floor, he sat on the sofa and had some snacks. Then, he played in the living area by himself. There were some toys left in the Stone family’s house from Sonny’s previous visits. Elisa had bought them for him. The number of toys had increased since then, and most were new. They were probably for the baby. Sonny decided to try the new toys out first. “I want to ask you about somebody, Aunt Audrey.”Audrey looked at her niece with curiosity. “Who is it? Do you even need my help?”Serenity could have obtained any information she wanted just by asking Zachary. Serenity smiled. “It’s a woman. Zachary doe
After some thinking, Audrey replied, “I’ve lived in Wiltspoon for decades and joined the circle of elites when I married your uncle. Although I recognize most of the women, I’ve never heard of someone called Mrs. Longbottom.”Serenity said, “She said her husband isn’t a local but simply a permanent resident in Wiltspoon. Most of their family businesses are overseas. She also mentioned that her husband’s family keeps a low profile, so they probably rarely attend banquets.”Audrey replied, “No matter how low profile they are, businessmen are bound to interact with each other. Although they’re just permanent residents, they must’ve socialized with others at some point. I really don’t recall hearing the name Longbottom.“Maybe they aren’t qualified enough to be in our circle yet.“Why are you asking about this person? Is there something off with her?”Serenity explained how she got to know Mrs. Longbottom. She added, “I have a sense of familiarity whenever I see her. I think her figur
“Wait. There’s one, but he’s a child. It’s Jane’s adopted son, Laurence. He’s a Longbottom, but he’s still young… Which reminds me, when Ben and Jane brought Laurence over last time, Josh told Zachary that he noticed a tycoon had shown up in Wiltspoon. However, that person left quickly, so they could not find out his name or where he came from.”Just then, Serenity thought of Laurence’s background and unleashed her imagination. “Do you think that person came to Wiltspoon to look for someone to be his pawn, Aunt Audrey? Perhaps he was trying to set up a trap.“That doesn’t sound right either. If he wanted to do something, he should’ve gone to Annenburg instead of Wiltspoon.”If that man’s aim was Laurence, Wiltspoon was not the best location. Moreover, he would have done something long ago if his sole target was Laurence. Laurence’s enemies feared almost no one, not even the Johnsons. They were only slightly wary of the legendary doctor and company, who had ties with Dr. Carden.
Audrey smiled. “That she is.”While they were talking, they suddenly heard Elisa’s and Remy’s voices. “Elisa’s back,” said Serenity. When Sonny heard that, he immediately hugged his toy and dashed out. Worried that he would fall, Serenity quickly got up to follow him. Audrey remained in her seat. She turned and watched Serenity from the sofa with a grin. However, the corners of her mouth gradually went down as she thought of her deceased sister.It would have been great if Lisa was alive. Audrey wished her parents were still around as well. Their family would have been so lively. She and Lisa would never have separated, and Lisa would not have died. She wondered if her mother’s assistant, Patrick, was still alive. He was a key figure. They had utilized all resources to look for him, but there was no news. After all, most people had little memories of that elderly assistant. Audrey had a vague impression but did not know if the portrait she drew based on her memori
Remy asked Sonny. “Dunc isn’t free. Aunt Ser picked me up to see the baby. The baby is sleeping. I couldn’t see him.”Sonny was eloquent and clear in his speech. Remy thought Sonny was similar to Laurence. When Jane found Laurence, he had only been over a year old. His speech was incoherent at that time. However, once he could speak fluently, he became good with words and sounded very mature sometimes. Despite being three years old, he was like a small version of an adult. He was taller and smarter than kids his age too. Laurence also had a surprisingly good memory. Remy had met Sonny when Sonny was very young. He realized that the babbling child had turned into a clever one. He hoped he and Elisa’s children could be as clever as Sonny and Laurence. “The baby is still young, so he sleeps more. He can play with you when he gets older.”Sonny agreed. “Aunt Ser said that too. Are you never busy, Uncle Remy? I always see you when I come to Grandaunt Audrey’s house.”To Son
Remy laughed.“Of course, of course, tons of people like Sonny.“Then, you have to reserve a space for me in the long line of people who like you.”Sonny nodded graciously and responded, “I’ll reserve a space for you, for sure.”This made everyone laugh.Just as Serenity entered, Zachary called her.The couple was just checking in on each other. Zachary knew that his beloved wife was visiting the Stones.Usually, Zachary would come over too when Serenity paid visits, but tonight, he was busy and told Serenity he could not make it for dinner.Serenity said thoughtfully, “I’ll have dinner here. Once we’re done, I’ll probably sit and chat for a while before heading back. You go talk business and don’t drink so much. Make sure to keep warm—the weather forecast says the temperature will drop further.”Rain was going to fall, and so did the temperature.When it rained during the winter, it was indeed cold.“I won’t drink. It’s not like I’ll be outdoors either. It won’t affect me n
An “old kid” was a perfect descriptor for Grandma May.She was an old mischievous spirit.The car stopped at the door to the house.Serenity was going to help Sonny put on his schoolbag, but Sonny wanted to do it on his own.He said, “The teacher said I should do what I can on my own by myself.“You and Mom taught me that too.”Serenity smiled, “Yes, yes. I forgot that I did teach you that before. Alright, you should do what you can on your own by yourself.”Sonny had too many people who pampered him.The sisters were afraid that Sonny would be spoiled and kept a tight rein on his discipline.They taught him the right outlook on life to prevent him from being spoiled. Sonny carried his little school bag and once the car door opened, he got out first before turning to offer a hand to Serenity.Serenity reached out to hold his hand, making him believe he had helped her out of the car.“You’re so amazing, Sonny!”“Uncle Zak says me and him are boys, so we have to protect and
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
Callum was silent for a moment before he said, “I wanted you to get familiar with the route to my office, which is why I asked you to deliver the flowers yourself.”“Did you ever think about how difficult it was for me as a blind person? It was so hard for me to walk all the way to deliver those flowers,” Camryn retorted.Callum pulled her into an embrace and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Camryn. It was my fault for not thinking it through, which put you through a lot.”Camryn pushed him away, “We have customers constantly coming in. Don’t just hug me out of nowhere. You’re as thick-skinned as a rhinoceros, but I’m not. At that time, I was angry and silently cursed you a hundred thousand times, but your insistence actually did help me learn the way to your office and now, I can find my way there even with my eyes closed.”At that moment, Trenton returned. After Carrie left, he felt a bit down and stayed outside for a while to compose himself before coming back in. He did not wan
Just then, a customer came in wanting to buy a bouquet. Camryn first brought over some sample pictures for the customer to choose from. “No need to choose, just help me arrange a bouquet of roses. I’m going to confess my feelings,” said the young boy, a hint of shyness on his face as he spoke.Camryn smiled gently. “Alright, please wait a moment while I prepare it for you.”Callum assisted by inviting the young boy to sit down and poured him a glass of water.The boy glanced between Camryn and Callum and quietly asked, “Are you and the boss married or dating?”“We’re married. She’s my wife.”The boy expressed his envy. “You both seem very happy.”“Yeah, we are very happy. I love my wife very much, and she loves me too.”Thinking about the girl he was pursuing, the boy’s face lit up with anticipation. “I also have someone I like, and I’m going to confess to her, though I just don’t know if she feels the same. I’m a bit nervous.”Callum, drawing from his own experience, advised
“She hasn’t paid. Stop her.” Camryn was not going to let her get away with it. With a command, her two bodyguards stopped Carrie.Carrie said furiously, “Camryn, I only took a few flowers from you! You have so many flowers here. What's the big deal if I take a few? You still want me to pay? I’m your sister! Don’t you know that blood is thicker than water?!”“Blood might be thicker than water, but business is business. Anyone who buys flowers from me has to pay, including you. Besides, you’ve never treated me like an older sister. You always bring up how we’re sisters when you want to take advantage of me, but that won’t work here. My roses are freshly transported, and since you’re my sister, I’ll let you have them for twenty bucks each. You took about five stems, so just give me a hundred. I won’t rip you off.”Carrie’s expression changed in an instant. “Camryn, why don’t you just rob a bank? You’re charging twenty bucks each? You’re just a thief! Here! I don’t want them! I’d rather