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
Tania did not close the door. She said, “I was in a bit of a funk, but I’m fine now.”“Did something happen?” Serenity asked in concern.Tania first asked, “Do you want some water?”“I’m fine, thank you.”Tania then walked over to her and pulled Serenity to sit down with her on the sofa as she said, “It’s nothing big. I just exchanged a few words with Liam about Austin and got so angry I just walked off in the heat of the moment.”Serenity paused for a moment and said, “Does that mean he doesn’t know that you’re here?”Tania was a little embarrassed as she said, “I haven’t told him yet. I told Sam not to tell him yet either because I wanted space to calm down.”“He must be super worried. What’s up with Austin though?” Serenity asked, worried too.Immediately, she continued, “You’d better text Dad first and tell him you’re with us so that he doesn’t go looking for you everywhere.”Tania pursed her lips before saying, “I’ve been here for a few hours now and he hasn’t come to loo
Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no
After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even
Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w
Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus
Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m
The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa
The Queen family was well-educated and had few members. Sophia had heard of other families fighting over power, but Caroline’s experience shocked her the most. Maybe it was because the Queens was close to her. Sophia quite liked Caroline as well. “How could they… You’re their biological sister!”Caroline smiled bitterly. “Are you having a fever, Carol? Your face is red.”Sophia touched Caroline’s forehead. She said, “You’re burning up. Have you informed the doctor, Mr. Fletcher?”Darren replied, “The fever started at dawn. Ms. Caroline caught a cold. Her fever subsided after taking medication once, but it returned.“It’s time for her to take her medicine.”Sophia spotted the lunch boxes. She told Darren, “Go have your lunch, Mr. Fletcher. I can look after Carol.”“It’s okay, Mrs. Queen. I can eat on my own,” said Caroline embarrassedly. It was her first time feeling cared for by someone her mother’s age. Although Sophia was not part of her family, the lady treated her
Caroline looked toward Darren. She said, “In my younger days, I often caught colds and coughs when the weather was too cold. The coughing will last throughout the changing of seasons. Therefore, I’ve been looking after my health since I grew up.“My immune system strengthened a lot. I haven’t been coughing for years.“I’m not worried.”Caroline stared at Darren lovingly. “I have nothing to be worried about with you here.”Darren pinched her face lightly with affection. “I’m still sulking. I didn’t want you to risk yourself, yet I couldn’t stop you. I’ll only feel better once you recover.”He was Caroline’s assistant and had to heed her orders. Even if they were dating, he still had to follow her arrangements.“Okay. Don’t be angry. I won’t take risks like this again in the future. You’ll age quickly if you get angry frequently. If that happens, your hair might turn gray before I even grow old.“We promised to grow old together.”Under Caroline’s gentle coaxing, Darren’s expre
Darren became an orphan when he was only a few years old. After losing everything, he was collected and trained by the training center to be an all-rounder assistant. He could not remember how he lost his parents as he was too young back then. Since he had no memories, there was no pain.Nevertheless, he had seen others interacting with their parents. He knew parents should love their children. There were not many parents who would not shower their children with love. Ms. Caroline was too unlucky to have met one. “I don’t care. I don’t care about my dad at all.”Caroline asked, “Has my dad asked you to give him money? He doesn’t need money. He just wants to know about his sons’ conditions.“Having lived for so many years, he was probably aware of the consequences of his sons’ plan and had advised them not to do it. They didn’t listen to him, so he’s just hoping to get lucky and waiting for some news.”Hunter must have known that her brothers were going to murder her. Sinc