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
Needless to ask, Zachary figured his little brother had been sitting and snacking while watching television, waiting for him to come home.Austin quickly poured a glass of water for Zachary.He placed the glass in front of Zachary and then stood to the side with a smile on his handsome face, as if on standby to act upon his brother’s next command at any second.Zachary looked up at him before saying in his low voice, “Sit down.”“Okay—thanks, Zack.”Austin hurriedly sat down.“You’re being so polite. And yet you say you haven’t caused any trouble? Tell me what you’ve done for our parents to argue.”“Zack, I really didn’t do anything. I just—I just want to go to Satbury in Windermere.”“What for? It’s so close to Christmas and you’re going so far away. Are you not planning to spend Christmas at home? If Nana finds out about this, she’ll be the first in line to skin you alive.”The old woman liked each and every child and grandchild to come home for Christmas.It was even merri
After a pause, Austin chuckled. “Well, Nana’s given me a mission. I have to act on it sooner or later.“I can’t be like Kevin who did nothing for six whole months and still isn’t married yet as a result.”Austin thought that it was not bad being one of the younger kids. They could at least learn from their older brothers’ mistakes and avoid making them themselves.“Nana usually picks the right person to suit your temperament.”Zachary then asked, “When are you leaving?”“Next Monday. I’ll use these two days to make the necessary arrangements for matters on hand. Please help me take care of those I don’t manage to cover in time.”“So soon?”Zachary frowned.Austin was a little embarrassed as he said, “The O’Connors are one of the most prestigious families in Satbury. They usually offer their employees a very attractive salary and excellent benefits, but the main thing is that Ms. O’Connor is a foodie. Many people would like to apply for the challenge.“It was rumored that if a
Zachary’s mother came over before his father followed suit.Then, Austin, thinking that he had caused trouble, followed after them.Zachary figured it out without asking.Austin was silent for a moment before he said, “Mom disagreed at first. She said I already have my own business and I’m running it well. And this year, I started to help out with the family business. She said that no matter how much I liked cooking, I could just tinker around at home or the hotel and that there was no need for me to become a private chef.“Dad was supportive though. He said that as long as I liked it, I could do whatever I wanted. Mom tried to argue her side with Dad but couldn’t get through to him, and in her anger, she went back to her room and locked herself in it, not allowing Dad to go in.“Dad knocked for a long time, but still wasn’t allowed entry, so, thinking that he should let Mom calm down first, he left. We didn’t expect Mom to take advantage of Dad’s departure to sneak out and come h
“Zack, it’s late and you’ve been working the whole day too. You should head to bed. I’ll head home too.”Austin prepared to leave after talking it out with Zachary.Zachary said, “It’s already so late. Why don’t you just stay the night? It’s not like I don’t have a room for you.”Austin politely declined. “It’s not far for me and you might have a room here, but I don’t have clothes to change into.“Plus, it’s hard for me to fall asleep anywhere other than on my own bed.”He needed time to adapt to new places whenever he moved.People who were used to their beds would toss and turn constantly when they were in an unfamiliar place.Zachary recalled that Austin’s private villa was not far away. Since Austin mentioned having sleeping difficulty on foreign beds and no fresh clothes, Zachary did not insist on him staying. Instead, he only reminded Austin to not drive too fast and to text him once he got home.“Good night, Zack.”Zachary did not get up to walk him out.Once Austin l
“The alcohol smell isn’t that strong and even thunder can’t wake me when I’m asleep. You don’t have to resort to spending the night in the study,” Serenity said as she took Zachary’s hand that was on her stomach.“I’ve showered and drank two glasses of water as well as chewed two pieces of gum to get rid of some of the alcohol smell.”After a pause, he added, “And Austin said that I was reeking of alcohol.”Serenity grumbled a little about her brother-in-law.If Austin could hear her, he would swear that he was telling the truth.The moment Zachary opened his mouth, he could smell the alcohol. It indeed was strong and besides, Zachary himself had said that he was worried the smell would affect Serenity.“He was waiting for you. Did he manage to catch you?” Serenity asked.Zachary hummed in confirmation. “He said he wants to go to Satbury. The O’Connors are looking for a private chef and he wants to apply for it. “Nana has chosen Isabella O’Connor, their eldest daughter, for Au
“Good night,” Serenity said before closing the door. Zachary stood by the door outside. Although he was the one who suggested himself sleeping in the study, being pushed out by Serenity and watching her close the door made him feel like he was being chased out. After scratching his nose, he had no choice but to head toward the study. The night went by peacefully. When Zachary woke up the next day, Serenity was already awake and had prepared a glass of water with honey added for him. “Good morning, babe.”Serenity had already fed Sonny breakfast. She was leading Sonny out of the dining area while holding his bag when she spotted Zachary, who had come downstairs. After greeting him, she said, “I prepared some honey water for you. Remember to drink it.”Although Zachary was not drunk last night, he mentioned downing strong alcohol. Serenity had been worried that he would get a headache when he woke up, so she prepared honey water for him. ‘Zachary is really fortunate
Serenity’s usual car was already parked outside. A bodyguard opened the door and helped Sonny to get into the car. He fastened his seatbelt as well. Once Serenity was inside the car, she changed her high heels for flats. “Have you fastened your seatbelt, Sonny?”Serenity turned her head and asked. “The mister did it for me. You can start driving, Aunt Ser.”Serenity smiled and soon started the car. Twenty minutes later, two cars stopped at the preschool’s parking lot. Serenity got out of the car. Sonny had already unfastened his seat belt and carried his bag. When she opened his door, he got down and said, “Aunt Ser, remember to tell Dunc to bring my luggage along when he picks me up this evening.”“Aren’t you coming back home first?” Serenity teased him. “Why don’t you have dinner before leaving?”After some thought, Sonny said, “Dunc won’t let me go hungry. I don’t have to worry about anything when I’m with him.”Duncan had already become a father figure to Sonny