Serenity and Austin did not head inside right away. Austin stared at her and asked, “Can we have a few words, Serenity?”Serenity replied with a smile, “Of course. You can tell me anything.”“Mom and Dad fought because of me. I want to be a private chef. I’m confident I can juggle my business at the same time, but my mom objected. She thinks that I already have a career and that even if I like to cook, I can do it at home. There’s no need for me to be a private chef.“A chef is a professional job, but Mom doesn’t like it. She didn’t want me to become someone else’s chef because of my identity as a young master of the Yorks.”Austin sounded frustrated. Tania’s objection had also led to her and Liam fighting. Austin was different from Zachary. Zachary was raised by their grandparents, sharing the closest bond with them. Although Austin also received education from his grandparents, he spent more time with his parents. Hence, he cared about his parents’ approval a lot. Austi
Austin blushed. Upon seeing his reaction, Serenity understood everything. She asked curiously, “What’s her name? Where is she from?”Austin looked toward the house. After ensuring that his parents would not walk out, he answered, “She’s from Satbury, located within Windermere. Her last name is O’Connor.”“Windermere is so far.”Serenity was stunned that Grandma May would choose a granddaughter-in-law from such a far place. Windermere… “Is Satbury far from Havenmill?”“They’re neighboring cities located not too far from each other.”Austin was puzzled. “Why did you mention Havenmill? Do you have friends from there?”Serenity replied, “No. My best friend is Jasmine. I don’t have any friends in Havenmill. I just recalled someone saying that there’s a family in Havenmill that has a long history.”Austin said, “I’m not sure about that. I can look for information on that family from Havenmill after I arrive in Satbury.”“Have you met Ms. O’Connor before?” Serenity asked. Au
“Thanks, Serenity. I feel more confident after you said that. You’re right. Zachary’s food is excellent, but I cook more often and enjoy it more than he does. I guess I still stand a chance against other people.”Not only that, Austin had invested in the food and beverage industry. He often traveled to many places to try out local delicacies and learned various cuisines. Sometimes, he would repeat a dish several times to polish it to perfection. He was also skilled in making home-style dishes and all sorts of intricate desserts. The bottom line was he would dabble in anything related to food. That was probably enough to win over Ms. O’Connor’s palate.“That’s the spirit. A son of the Yorks must be confident. Believe in yourself and Nana. She must’ve chosen Ms. O’Connor for you because she knew you’d succeed in wooing her.“Think about it. She’s a foodie but picky. On the other hand, you love cooking and are able to cook a variety of dishes. It’s as if you two are made for ea
“Can I tell Zachary about this?”After some contemplation, Austin said, “I don’t mind. I’ll probably need his help in the future anyway. He won’t know how to help me if he doesn’t know anything.”Serenity chuckled. “Zachary can help you with work, but he’s useless in the relationship department. You can come to me instead. I’m better than Zachary at that.”Zachary was clueless about women. According to him, he had taken all his effort to understand Serenity and had none left for other women. Every woman’s personality was different. Therefore, asking Zachary about women was useless.Even if someone had a similar personality to Serenity, they were still different people.As his brother, Austin knew Zachary well. Since Serenity offered to help him, he would simply take her up on it.Having Serenity’s help was equivalent to having Zachary’s.It was common knowledge that Zachary was a doting husband.In the past, no one in Wiltspoon’s business world dared to displease Zachary.
“He’s right, Tania. Why didn’t you take me with you? We’re husband and wife. We shouldn’t be apart from each other. Have you ever thought how I’d feel when you left me at home?“You could’ve told me that you missed Zachary and Serenity. I would’ve come here with you.”Looking at Sonny sitting on Tania’s lap, he added, “I missed Sonny too.”Sonny looked toward Tania and Liam, then Austin and Serenity. He did not know how he got involved in the conversation.He just wanted Tania to watch cartoons with him.Grandpa Liam came after and he held Grandma Tania’s hand to say many things. Grandma Tania’s face turned red. In the end, she told little Sonny to watch the TV himself and went upstairs with Grandpa Liam.A few minutes after Grandma Tania and Grandpa Liam returned downstairs, Aunt Ser and Uncle Austin came inside. “I missed Grandma Tania too,” said Sonny. Everyone laughed. Sonny was confused but laughed along as well. Serenity told him, “You should go upstairs for a showe
After Serenity and Sonny went upstairs, Austin apologized to his mother again. Tania said, “I’m not angry anymore. Your dad and Serenity were right, Austin. You’re an adult. You know what you should do and be responsible for it. I don’t have to boss you around anymore.“You’re not Zachary. Since you don’t have to manage the family, you can do whatever you want. I’m fine as long as you don’t break any laws.”It would be great if he could bring with him her future daughter-in-law when he returned. However, Tania did not voice her thoughts. Since Austin never mentioned anything about wooing a girl, she pretended not to know. He would naturally let her know when his relationship was stable. No matter which girl it would be, Tania would accept her so long as Austin liked her. She had even accepted Serenity. Well, her future second daughter-in-law was someone who could afford to hire a private chef. It meant that she was well-off. What could Tania possibly dislike about her?
Sonny still wanted to play. “Seren, I’ll read him a story.”Tania was worried Serenity would tire herself. Before Serenity could say a word, she took a storybook from the bedside shelf and was about to start reading. Serenity did not reject her mother-in-law’s offer. She scooted over and said, “I’ll check on the luggage Sonny packed himself.”That was in case Sonny left anything out. While Tania read Sonny a story, Serenity checked the items in his luggage. Sonny had packed a set of thick pajamas. Through the adults’ conversations, he knew that Jensburg was cold. It would even snow heavily sometimes. Therefore, he took the thickest pajamas he had. Next, he packed two days’ worth of clothes and brought a thick jacket, a hat, a scarf, gloves, and some daily necessities. Aside from that, he also stuffed two of his favorite toys and snacks into the luggage. After checking Sonny’s luggage, Serenity opened his closet and added two more sweaters. It was filled to the brim.
True enough, Zachary arrived home at midnight. He drank a little alcohol but was not drunk. Austin, who had been waiting for Zachary’s return, walked out when he heard the sound of a car outside. Zachary’s car had stopped in front of the door. A bodyguard got out of the car. When he spotted Austin, he greeted him and quickly opened the door for Zachary. He wanted to help Zachary get out of the car but was refused. “I’m not drunk,” said Zachary. “Zachary.”Austin stepped forward and extended a hand to help him. However, he was pushed away as well. “Why are you here, Austin?”Zachary was surprised to see his brother. “I just had one glass. I’m not drunk, and I don’t need any help.”“I was waiting for you because I have something to tell you.”Austin still supported Zachary. When he smelled the alcohol, he said, “You must’ve drunk a strong one. You reek of alcohol.”“The talk was going well, so I had some.”Zachary sniffed himself as he walked into the house. He aske
“I just need your confirmation, Nana. Just one word. Is Imogen the Chameleon Fox?”“You should ask her. I’m not Imogen.”“Nana.”Dylan almost kneeled. “I regret my decision, Nana, okay? Can you tell me?”Grandma May poked his forehead. She said, “There’s nothing you can do to reverse time.“I might’ve been too bossy, Dylan. I chose you and your brothers’ wives without getting permission and forced you all to pursue them. I was in the wrong, not you.”Although she did it for the sake of her grandsons, it was considered overstepping. “Don’t say that, Nana. My brothers and I are willing to accept the choices you made for us. We’re blessed to have you to choose our future partners. Our parents are delighted as well.”His parents and uncles were glad and relaxed that they did not have to worry about the boys’ marriages. Grandma May had a good eye for people. The girls she chose were definitely outstanding. “Since you’re willing to accept my choice, why didn’t you do as I said
“I wasn’t this old when I chose Callum’s and Kevin’s wives. I still had energy, so I spent lots of time investigating the girls’ backgrounds. When it came to you, Peter, and Austin, I didn’t spend as much effort on background checks because I didn’t have the energy.“If Imogen is Silver’s student, it’ll only be more difficult to investigate her. It’s ‘the’ Silver we’re talking about. He’s in charge of the intelligence in the Imperial Force. He has the largest information network. Investigating his student is basically having a death wish.“Although he has retired, he has many successors. All of them have even surpassed him.“I’m bold, but I’m not gutsy enough to offend just anyone. How could I possibly offend the Imperial Force when I know just how formidable they are?“Now, we’re on good terms with the Imperial Force thanks to Zachary and Serenity’s close relationship with the Johnsons. Mr. Patrick is also the assistant of Serenity’s maternal grandmother. Those two connections gra
Dylan supported Grandma May as they walked back. He consoled her, “You have to look at it from another perspective, Nana. It’s only one day in the entire year that you’re unhappy, while you’re generally happy in the rest. Although you don’t have daughters or granddaughters, your sons and grandsons have married other families’ lovely daughters. “Don’t you feel great that other families’ daughters are accompanying you and treating you well?”Grandma May burst out laughing. “Now that you mention it, I do feel great. Your maternal grandmother must be the one who’s upset.”“Of course. Many people are envious of you, Nana.“For having such filial grandsons. The nine of us have never embarrassed you.”Grandma May smiled and said, “I feel like your lips are coated with honey, Dylan. Look at those sweet words coming out of them.”“I’m usually like this.”“Your words aren’t this sweet usually. Come. What do you want to tell me?”Grandma May knew everything, yet she pretended to be cluel
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