Duncan said, “For you, I’ll keep going. I’m only handling important business now.“My brothers help me too. They won’t let me get exhausted.”Duncan added, “If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve given up on myself and on recovering. I wouldn’t have been able to stand up for the rest of my life.”“Silly.”“I’m not silly. I just love you and Sonny a lot. Many people keep asking how I got attracted to you when you were a divorced woman who didn’t even look that pretty back then.”Duncan smiled. “Honestly, I don’t know either. I just fell in love with you. I don’t need to find out why.“Maybe your striving to be a better self and transformation brought me to you.“I like Sonny too. I didn’t really like kids because they’re noisy, but I adored Sonny since the first time I saw him.”Liberty grinned. “I know I got lucky because of my son.”Duncan cared about Liberty more because she was Sonny’s mom, and he liked Sonny. They gradually developed feelings for each other after int
“I’ll just buy one toy, Mom. Deal?”Sonny was trying to negotiate. “No. It’ll just add to the pile at home. You don’t even clean up after playing sometimes. I’m the one who has to put everything back.”Sonny quickly said, “I’ll clean up, Mom. I promise I’ll do it from now onward.”He did pack his toys most of the time. There were only a few times when he did not. “Didn’t you bring some toys with you?”Liberty would not agree to Sonny buying toys that easily. More importantly, he already had too many toys. Sonny pouted and said, “I want new ones. I can bring them back and give them to my little brother, Mom.”“Your little brother can’t play with those toys yet.”“Can I get alphabet tracing books, then?”Sonny settled for less. The toy store sold a large variety of books and stationery. Sonny had looked around the store before running back to his mother. Jim said he would buy anything Sonny liked. However, Sonny did not dare to accept Jim’s offer. He needed to ge
Liberty flicked Sonny’s forehead. “What are you talking about?”Sonny rubbed the spot she flicked and told Duncan, “It hurts, Dunc. Can you blow on it for me?”Duncan immediately blew the spot and soothed it with his hand. He said, “You shouldn’t flick Sonny’s forehead so often, Liberty. His intelligence might be affected.”“How can he possibly become stupid from a flick? If he does, maybe it’s because he isn’t a bright kid from the start.”“I’m smart. I’m not stupid.”Sonny made a face at his mother and quickly hid himself in Duncan’s embrace. Dunc would protect him. In the end, Duncan brought Sonny into the toy store. After entering the store, Sonny did not need Duncan to hold him anymore. He took a few books and returned to Liberty. He raised his head and asked, “I already chose my books, Mom. Can I buy toys now?”Despite Duncan saying he would buy the toys for him, Sonny still asked for Liberty’s permission. He would give up if she insisted on not letting him buy an
Now that Sonny had a new toy, he wanted to go back to the hotel to play with it.Liberty had not yet fully explored Jensburg at night and she said to her son, “Sonny, is it ok if we get Jim to bring you back to the hotel and play with you? Mommy and Dunc will walk around a bit longer.”Sonny agreed after a moment of thought.Thus, Jim brought Sonny back to the hotel.Liberty nudged Duncan to continue walking. In a way, it was a date.“Duncan, why don’t we go watch a movie? There’s a big theater nearby. I pretty much have to pass by it every day, but I’ve never had time to actually watch one.”That was exactly what Duncan wanted.He immediately asked his bodyguard to go ahead to buy tickets while he and Liberty slowly made their way over there.Around ten minutes later, the couple arrived at the entrance of the movie theater.His bodyguard had already bought the tickets and was waiting there. He had even bought a bunch of snacks so the couple could have small bites as they watc
Taking advantage of the inattention of the people surrounding them, Duncan pulled Liberty’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of her hand before dropping another kiss on her palm.Liberty quickly withdrew her hand, a hot flush on her face.It was dark in the movie theater and no one was looking at her, so no one saw her sudden blush.“Duncan, be serious,” she whispered in admonishment.Duncan was a rugged man who was also the bold type.When he flirted with her, he could easily make her blush.Before him, she was just like a young girl.Serenity said that her sister was experiencing her second youth.Duncan chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll be serious. It’s not like I actually did anything.“Liberty, in the future, when you want to relax, just let me know. It doesn’t matter if it’s to go shopping, watch a movie, or go traveling—no matter how busy I am, I’ll drop everything right away to go to you.“Work is important, but your happiness is more important.“It’s not like I ne
Occasionally, Duncan would feed her snacks.By the time the movie ended, Liberty was full to the brim thanks to Duncan. She said, “Great. I haven’t even eaten supper yet, but I’m all stuffed. Now I have to take another walk to digest what I’ve eaten.”Duncan stood up. Liberty and the bodyguards hurried to support him as he walked outside.Duncan laughed. “Please wheel me back to the hotel on foot then. That’ll be your workout.”Liberty laughed too. “That’s fine with me, but if we’re walking all the way back, I might not be able to recognize the roads. If we get lost, we might end up spending the whole night walking in circles in Jensburg. You can’t blame me then.” “I won’t.”The sky was even darker now.By the time they came out of the movie theater, the streets were no longer bustling, gradually becoming less crowded.Liberty pushed Duncan as she walked slowly. The bodyguards followed them, protecting them silently.As they walked, it began to snow.“Duncan, it’s snowing. L
“Liberty, it’s very late. You should turn in. I’ll go back to my room to sleep too. Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow morning.”Duncan’s voice was a little hoarse.Liberty took the initiative to kiss him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Duncan.”“Goodnight.”Liberty wheeled him out. Then he wheeled himself back to his room.The smile on his face simply could not be restrained.It was very sweet.The rest of the night passed silently.It was the early morning of a weekend. There was no need to go to work. Coupled with the sudden cold weather, even Zachary who was usually an early riser did not feel like getting up. He stayed in bed, acting as a heater for his beloved wife.The drop in temperature in Wiltspoon made it feel so very cold, but it was actually only around fifty degrees Fahrenheit. It was predicted to reach a high of sixty degrees in the daytime.For Wiltspoonians though, this was already considered extremely cold weather.Many hurried to buy thick winter clothing on
Uncle Zak was lying to him.Serenity replied to Sonny, “It’s snowing there, is it? Sonny’s got pretty good luck to be able to see real snow so soon after getting there.”“And you can even make snowmen! I’ve never made a snowman in my whole life.”“Was breakfast yummy? Make sure to put on more layers so you don’t catch a cold, okay?”“Your Uncle Kevin has gone on holiday and will only be back in around two weeks. If you went with him, what about your preschool?”If Kevin knew about this exchange, he would sigh in relief that he had fortunately left quickly enough not to get clung to by a little third wheel.After receiving a response from Serenity, Sonny video-called her.The aunt and nephew talked for half an hour over the phone.After they hung up, Zachary muttered, “I didn’t know until today that Sonny was so chatty that he could talk to you for half an hour straight.”Serenity laughed. “He might be a chatterbox in the future.“But he’ll also be a warm-hearted boy.”A warm
“Zachary!”“Your Uncle Dylan is so noisy. I really want to grab a pair of scissors and cut off his tongue. He's been so loud that it's interrupted our father-and-son conversation.”Serenity lightly patted her husband's hand and said, “Stop teasing Dylan. I can see that he’s so anxious he’s about to jump up. He’s already been here for two days, and he still can’t get Nana to tell him the truth.”Dylan nodded repeatedly. “Exactly, Zachary, stop teasing me. I'm dying of anxiety. This is a very important matter—it concerns my happiness!”“What did Nana say?” Zachary asked.“Nana told me to pursue Imogen again.”“Then listen to Nana. Why are you still asking? Do you think Nana would do anything to harm you? I’ve told you before, she might joke around with us, but when it comes to our marriages, she’s more serious than anyone else. She won’t fool around.”Dylan finally got the answer he wanted. Zachary had not explicitly said that Imogen was Fox, but he had mentioned that listening to
“I am helping you. Didn't I already tell you? Let Sam prepare some gifts for the Doyles and you can bring them when you visit the family in Huntington. It’s the year-end holidays. No matter what, they won't give you the cold shoulder. It's the perfect time for you to go.”“Alright, I'll do as you say.” Dylan agreed to go with his nana’s arrangements. He immediately dug out his phone and booked a ticket to fly out in a couple of days.“Why not book a ticket for tomorrow?” Grandma May asked him.“I want to spend one more day with you, Nana.”Grandma May laughed. “I don't need you to stay. As long as you and your brothers are no longer single, and you all have someone by your side, that will make me happy.”Dylan was speechless.He had chosen to go to the Doyles on the day he arrived in Huntington. One reason was to spend more time with his family, and the other reason was to wait for his brothers to return tomorrow evening. He planned to ask for their opinions and get them to ana
“Dylan, I hope you know it’s all your fault I have so much white hair.”Dylan smiled as he wrapped an arm around his nana’s shoulders,“Yes, yes, it’s our fault for making you worry so much. Nana, I promise we’ll be doubly filial to you from now on.”Grandma May said dismissively, “I’m so old, who knows how long I'll live? Every day is a blessing. Don’t make promises about the future. I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep them and will end up embarrassing yourselves. If you really want to be filial to me, you should pursue Imogen again. I really like her and I simply must have her as my granddaughter-in-law.”“Nana, if you tell me that Imogen is Fox, I promise I’ll move to Huntington in a few days to start a new business there and chase her again. I can’t just do nothing else but tail her every day, now can I?”When the York brothers were pursuing their other halves, none of them did solely that. They all balanced their pursuits with their careers.“Even if I said that Imogen is C
“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