“Remember to take the pill every time in the future.”Mr. Longbottom said, “Otherwise, I can arrange for you to get your tubes tied.“That way, you won’t have to take contraceptives all the time. The side effects may be harmful.”Carrie said, “I’ll continue taking the pills.”She would not opt for tubal ligation. No matter how young or ignorant she was, she knew that she would lose the chance to be a mother after the procedure. Why did Mr. Longbottom not suggest he go for a vasectomy instead?If he had treasured her and been strict about birth control, she would not have gotten pregnant despite taking contraceptives or needed an abortion. Mr. Longbottom said, “Do as you wish.”It was not his body that would be harmed anyway. He would never let Carrie give birth to his child. He and his legitimate wife’s children were already adults. Successors were not an issue to him. While Mr. Longbottom had lost his love for his wife, he treated his children well and nurtured them at
“It’s all your fault, blind bitch. I wouldn’t have ended up in this situation if not for you.”Whenever things did not go well for Carrie, she would blame everything on Camryn. Her hatred toward Camryn deepened, and Serenity was not spared from her scolding as well.Meanwhile, Camryn sneezed. Callum heard her sneeze as he was exiting the bathroom. He quickly walked over and asked, “Did you catch a cold? Why didn’t you put on more layers after bathing?“You didn’t even turn on the heater. The weather’s cold now. You should turn it on.”Callum was about to turn on the heater as he spoke. Camryn said, “It’s not that cold that we need the heater on. You even shut the windows tightly. It’s not that cold.“Besides, I’m in my thermal wear under a duvet now. I’m not cold. It must’ve been Carrie scolding me behind my back.”Camryn did not feel chilly even when she attended the House family’s banquet in a dress. However, the heater was turned on throughout, so it was warm there. “I
Callum said, “I swear I didn’t flirt with anyone, honey.”“I know. I didn’t say you did. I said you’re a fine, handsome man who attracted countless ladies.“Men will stare at pretty girls or even fall in love with them at first sight when they spot one. Girls are no exception. They’re attracted to good-looking guys too.“Tasha introduced a few of her friends to me during the banquet. I dare say it was my first time seeing that girl, but she was unfriendly and even uttered rude remarks afterward.“I was puzzled. I’ve never offended her. Later, I found out that she likes you, and that I’m her rival.”Callum’s expression darkened. He asked, “Who is she, honey?”That person should have been grateful that Camryn was willing to greet her. How could that woman be rude to Camryn?Camryn pinched his face and said, “Don’t put on a dark expression once you hear something terrible. You’ve always been gentlemanly, but your cold expression can rival even Zachary’s.“I don’t like seeing you
Back then, Evelyn kept advising Camryn not to let Callum slip by.Even Trenton admired Callum and told her that Callum was utterly smitten with her. Trenton and Evelyn had persuaded her to accept Callum’s love. They also told her not to discount herself when Callum did not mind her blindness at all. Camryn was perfectly fine and there was no need to feel inferior. She knew Callum’s feelings for her were sincere but she was still blind then. An outstanding man like him could find a better girl, and he did not need to waste his efforts on a blind person. Later, Camryn discovered that he had traveled to FC Manor several times to get Dr. Carden to treat her eyes. He even received complaints from Tim for disturbing his wife, who had just given birth. Callum chuckled. “No one can snatch me away. I belong to you, and you are mine.“Nana chose you for me too.“To be honest, I thought Nana was biased for picking someone blind as my wife. I was a little narcissistic, thinking that
The following day, Camryn stirred from her sleep because of Callum’s piercing stare. She woke up because she felt someone staring at her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Callum’s dark eyes. After blinking, she covered his eyes with her hand and closed her own. She said, “Why are you looking at me like that, darling?“It’s great that you’re not into cannibalism. I’m worried because you look like you want to gobble me up.”It was not the first time Callum did that. There had been a few times when he would just stare at her after waking up. Even if she were asleep, her instincts would alert her to wake up. Camryn was startled by his intense gaze when they first shared a bed after being legally married and had thought a burglar entered her house.She was not used to sharing a bed with Callum yet and had forgotten they were now husband and wife. When she finally recognized him, her reflex was to wrap herself with the blanket tightly and kick him off the bed. Callum was
Camryn rolled her eyes at Callum. “Dal and Melissa are a loving couple now. Stop overthinking. Don’t affect their relationship.”Callum chuckled. “Okay.”Dalton was married and enjoying marital bliss with his wife. Callum was relieved and needed not to worry about Camryn being snatched away. The way Dalton looked at Camryn was no longer as heated as before. It turned calmer, showing that he truly thought of Camryn as a sister. Callum kissed her cheek. He said softly, “Sleep. I’m going out for a run. I’ll make you breakfast when I get back.”“Austin’s cooking is better. By the time you’re back, he might have already finished making breakfast for everyone.”Callum smiled. “Sure, you can have breakfast at Aunt Tania and Uncle Liam’s place. I’ll check if Austin is awake and tell him to prepare extra servings. We can head there for breakfast later.“I think Austin will be heading to Satbury on Monday. It’s pretty far, so Aunt Tania is sad that he’s leaving. That’s why Austin ha
Soon, Callum laughed and said, “Who cares what he’s there for? Everyone has things they want to do. He’s not a three-year-old kid anymore. He doesn’t need his cousins to worry about him.“Honey, you should sleep a little while longer. I’m heading out.”Callum changed into sportswear and out he went for his morning run.Wildridge Manor was large enough that he only needed to run half a lap to get enough exercise.More often than not, Callum would just run two laps around his own yard instead of the entire manor because it was too time-consuming.Although it was his day off, he did not want to waste so much time because he wanted to spend time with his wife.Camryn continued catching up on sleep after Callum left for his run.Sometimes, she was envious of her husband. They got the same amount of rest but he was always more energetic than she was.After Callum went downstairs, he figured his parents were probably still asleep when he did not see them.It was cold in the morning a
As expected, Callum saw Austin bustling around in the kitchen alone.“Austin, we’re coming over to eat breakfast with Nana. Don’t forget our portions.”Callum was deathly afraid that he had come too late and that Austin was done preparing breakfast, leaving them with nothing to eat and his beloved wife’s stomach empty.Austin did not even turn around or spare Callum a glance as he said, “Can’t you see I’m still getting breakfast ready? Since you’re up early, help me out here.”Zachary and Callum are both back at the Manor, as well as Josh and Jasmine. Austin had the sense to prepare breakfast for everyone without them telling him to do so.As long as Grandma May was home, everyone tacitly understood to gather at the main house to eat together.Callum hurriedly replied, “I have yet to finish my run. I don’t have time to help you right now. Besides, everyone prefers your cooking, especially breakfast. Yours is just tastier.“But tell me, Austin. We were all taught by Nana, so why
“Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. York?”Just as Dylan was about to respond, Imogen’s phone rang from her desk where she had left it. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was her mother calling, so she had no choice but to answer.“Hey, mom.” She was busy with work and usually would not answer personal calls during office hours unless it was from her family, which usually meant something urgent. If there was no urgency, her parents would not call her.“Are you free this weekend?” Leticia asked over the phone. “What’s going on?”“Tell me if you’re free first. I need you to do something for me.”Imogen replied, “Does it have to be me? If not, please ask someone else. I have a client meeting scheduled for the weekend.”“You're still meeting clients this weekend? Is Davidson Group really lacking business? Can’t you even rest on the weekend?” Leticia complained. Her daughter went out early and came home late every day. Sometimes, even though they lived under the same r
The one who was hurt was her. The one who would suffer was also her. When it came to love, the one who fell first was the one who lost. She had lost once and did not want to lose again.Even though she still had feelings for Dylan, Imogen did not want to be in a passive position anymore. She wanted to be the one in control, making Dylan the one who was passive. “Ms. Doyle, I’m here today to apologize.”“Apologize? Apologize for what?”Dylan then took out the set of jewelry and placed it in front of Imogen. “Ms. Doyle, months ago, I pursued you first. When you were moved, I withdrew and said that I didn’t love you. That was my fault, and I’m here to apologize for that. This bouquet and this set of jewelry are my way of offering an apology.”Imogen put down the bouquet and took the red velvet box. She opened it right in front of Dylan. Inside was a set of ruby jewelry.With trained eyes to recognize valuable items, she could immediately tell that they were very expensive when
Huntington was having another bout of snow.When Dylan arrived, he spent the first day at the hotel to rest. Afterward, he picked up the gifts that Sam had prepared for him, rented a luxury car, and drove to the Doyles’ residence with a car full of presents.However, Imogen and her older sister, along with several younger cousins, had gone on a trip. Dylan did not even get the chance to go past the Doyles’ gate and the gifts he brought were refused by Winston.Once Winston learned that the woman Dylan truly loved was actually his own daughter, he guessed that Dylan would soon return to pursue her again. To make sure Dylan left with nothing to show for it, he persuaded his daughter to go on a trip.Imogen also missed her master and her fellow disciples. So, she took her cousins and went to visit her master. All of them together enjoyed a lively reunion, and she completely forgot about Dylan.It was not until after Davidson Group resumed work after the holidays that Dylan would have
“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