“Honey, I want you to wear the jewelry I gave you tonight.”“Doesn’t matter whose gift I wear tonight, as long as I’m wearing the diamond ring you gave me.”Callum pecked Camryn on the lips. “Alright, I’ll let Mom have this round.”Camryn pinched Callum’s cheek in amusement.“Oh, right. That Mrs. Longbottom you and Serenity mentioned before will be attending the dinner tonight too,” Callum suddenly said.At the mention of the young woman who sounded and looked like Carrie figure-wise, Camryn lost her smile.She said calmly, “It’ll be a good time to observe her carefully then. She’ll slip up at some point if it’s a facade.”“I got someone to look into it when I was free. She really is Mrs. Longbottom. Her husband really is a Longbottom.”“Hmm.”Camryn only suspected that Mrs. Longbottom was Carrie and had no evidence to prove it.If Mrs. Longbottom and Carrie were one and the same, then there was a scheme in the works, which also meant that there had to be a schemer manipulati
Austin said to Grandma May, “Didn’t you say you wanted me to spend time with you, Nana?“But the moment we got back, before you’ve even taken a sip of water, you’re already planning to meet up with your old friends and play cards.”Serenity said, “Nana, it’s not easy for the old ladies to save up. You shouldn’t make them lose all their savings to you every time you come back.”Grandma May chortled. “I don’t take their money. Whoever loses gets one stroke drawn on their face to see who gets to become a Sharpie cat in the end.”Everyone was speechless at this.They could not understand the world of these old kids.All they could do was let them be.Soon, Josh and Jasmine arrived too, followed by Josh’s parents.This made the place even more lively.When Grandma May spotted Josh’s father, Wyatt Bucham, she asked, “Hey, Threebie. Has your oldest brother not come back from visiting his in-laws yet?”Wyatt was the third oldest among his cousins.Grandma May had always called him T
“Where are you going, Grandma May?” Josh asked when he saw that she was leaving.“I’ve been away for so long and only just returned, so I want to meet up with my old friends to catch up with all the gossip and play some cards.”She never put on the airs of a rich madam, so she got on particularly well with the employees’ mothers who lived at the foot of the hill.Those old ladies loved gossiping with Grandma May too.“You guys chat! I’m heading out. There’s no need to call me back once you guys start the barbecue party, just get someone to send me and my friends some of the food and I’ll eat with them. There’d better be some steak!”Serenity said, “Nana, you’re getting on in years. You should cut down on red meat.”“Oh, alright. I’ll listen to you. If you tell me not to eat it, I won’t then,” Nana conceded.“When I tell Nana not to eat red meat, she scolds me, but when Seren does it, Nana agrees right away,” Zachary grumbled.Grandma May was a typical example of someone who shu
Rosella only yelled that one sentence before quickly winding the window back up and telling the driver to continue driving.“That old kid really is like a kid,” Rosella muttered.Camryn giggled. “As long as Nana’s happy.”“Oh, she’s very happy every day. She always says that life is short, and this trip to earth is only worth it if we live life happily every day.”Rosella was deeply appreciative of her mother-in-law’s attitude towards life.Her decision to marry into the York family was due to a combination of factors—the strength of her and her husband’s feelings for each other, her in-laws’ characters, as well as the family’s culture that gave her zero reservations about joining the family.Time had proven that she had not married the wrong person.It had been a few decades since she married and she had not suffered a single grievance since. Her in-laws treated their daughters-in-law better than they even treated their sons.They did not even have to worry about their childre
“Thank you, Mrs. House.” Camryn said. Ginny told Rosella, “Your daughter-in-law has a lovely voice. Listening to her soothes me.”“You and your sisters-in-law must be happy to have daughters-in-law already. Meanwhile, I don’t even have a daughter- or son-in-law.”Ginny looked toward her daughter and two sons when she spoke. Her younger son was only in his early twenties, so he could be excused. However, her elder son and daughter were already of marriageable age, yet they had not gotten married yet.Ginny’s daughter, Tasha, was one of Elisa’s best friends. Ginny was an expert in socializing. She did not only get along with Audrey Stone, but she was also close to the York missuses and had never offended any party. Tasha used to be in a relationship while hiding her identity. In the end, her boyfriend left her for another woman for the money. Little did he know, Tasha, whom he had abandoned, was his golden ticket to becoming rich. After the breakup, Elisa often hung out wi
Camryn had learned how to build a wall around her; rumors could not hurt her at all. Her aunts and Carrie had tried various ways to ruin her reputation by going to the York family, yet all their attempts had failed. The only person she cared about, Callum, had chosen to trust her and stay by her side unconditionally. There was nothing that could hurt her anymore. “That’s right. Ignore what others say. Many people used to badmouth Elisa too. They kept criticizing her.“Didn’t you think Elisa was nice after getting to know her? That’s why it’s better not to care about other people’s opinions. They’re just jealous.”Camryn replied, “Yes. They’re just jealous. Elisa was hit the worst out of all of us.”Luckily, Elisa had always had a positive attitude. She continued doing things her way despite the rumors about her. It was obvious that those people were just envious of her courage to pursue Zachary. Zachary was the man of countless women’s dreams when he was single. However, n
Tasha told Camryn apologetically, “I’ll get someone to take you inside. I need to greet Mrs. Longbottom.”Camryn looked forward. Rosella and the rest had already entered the lavish manor with Ginny. She did not know anyone around her, so she said, “Do you mind if I follow you to meet Mrs. Longbottom, Tasha?“I don’t know many people here,” she added. Tasha smiled. “Okay. Let’s go and have a look at what Mrs. Longbottom looks like. I’ve never heard of her.”She did not know anyone with the last name Longbottom among Wiltspoon’s elites. Even the other ladies had not heard of that name. Tasha was curious. “I’ve met her once, but I’m not sure if she’s the same person as the Mrs. Longbottom who’s here tonight.”Tasha was guiding Camryn by holding her hand. She was surprised when she heard Camryn’s words, “You’ve seen her before?”“Yes. I saw Mrs. Longbottom in Serenity’s bookstore a few days ago. She seems to be in her twenties. She looked beautiful and rich. She was looking for
Birth rates started falling as fewer marriages took place. Even newly introduced government policies were unable to incentivize the younger generation to marry and have children. Camryn and Tasha soon arrived at the manor’s entrance while chatting. As most guests were arriving at that hour, the Houses’ outdoor parking lot could not fit that many cars. The employees were directing the guests to park outside the manor or by the roadside, which already had a long row of cars parked. “Ms. Tasha.”One of the maids called Tasha the moment she walked out. Tasha first greeted the guests who had just arrived and got someone to guide them into the manor. After looking around, she could not spot Mrs. Longbottom. She asked, “Where’s Mrs. Longbottom?”“She’s still in her car. It was just parked.”The maid pointed at a luxury car not too far away. In the car, Carrie had spotted Camryn and Tasha. She used to attend banquets often with her mother and had met Tasha several times. How
“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