It was Liberty. She did not have a mask on, but she wore sunglasses and a cap too. She removed her cap and stuffed it inside her bag only after entering the cafe. Caroline said, “I didn’t want anyone to recognize me.”“Why? Are you in a bad mood? Shouldn’t you be happy that your competitor is gone?”Caroline took off her sunglasses and mask. After putting them on the table, she said, “I didn’t do anything. She didn’t die by my hands. “Even if I’m happy about it, I can’t express it openly anyway.”Liberty called a waiter over and ordered a cup of coffee. After the waiter left, she took a bite of a dessert and complimented, “The desserts here are absolutely tasty.”“Of course. Just look at which family owns this hotel.”Caroline smiled and added, “I heard the York men are all skilled in cooking.”Liberty replied, “I’m closest to Zachary, Callum, and Kevin. They’re indeed good at cooking.”“If a hotel is managed by someone who knows their food, the food in the hotel will defi
After a pause, Caroline added, “However, I still wish to compete against you in business. You should learn as much as you can. The business world is complicated and ever-changing. You aren’t ruthless as it is.”Liberty smiled. “I’m definitely inferior to you in this. I admit that.”She had worked for several years before becoming a housewife. When she started anew, she ran small businesses. While Audrey had sent her over to Jensburg with the support of several families, she needed to have the ability to manage the situation. Liberty had not been involved in business as long as Caroline was.More importantly, her business in Jensburg had just started. Caroline smiled. “This is the best time to steal your orders and strike you down. I’m sorry, but I’ve taken the deal you’ve been negotiating for a week.”Liberty’s eyes gleamed. “On the other hand, I’ve cinched the business you’ve been trying to secure for a month. I even felt sorry about it because you’re my senior in business a
Whenever she ate out and had leftovers, she always had them to go. She was not scared of others making fun of her. Having grown up in a farming village and was treated badly by her adoptive mother, her habit of avoiding wastage was completely understandable. Ten minutes later, Caroline drove back to Fisher Enterprise. As soon as she arrived at the company’s entrance, she was blocked by a few people. Her adoptive family was here. They must have waited at Fisher Enterprise for quite some time but failed to see her. They did not expect her to be out of office. Her brothers had spotted her in the car first. They notified their mom, who confirmed Caroline’s identity. Carmen brought her sons to Caroline. Caroline stopped her car. She was not afraid of these people when in her territory. She also believed they would not dare touch her on the Fishers’ turf. When they approached her, Caroline lowered her window and asked Carmen coldly, “What are you three doing here?”“Carol.
“Mom’s health has been deteriorating. She has to see the doctor every month for injections and medications. It requires a lot of money.”Jacob, Celine’s eldest brother, stated the purpose of their visit. “That’s right. Jacob’s and my salaries aren’t that high. We have to pay for our own family’s expenses too. Dad used to pay for all the costs, and you’ve also contributed money when you started earning some. Now that Dad… Mom doesn’t have an income, and you’ve left our family too.“Jacob and I are struggling to support our families. We don’t have extra money to take care of Mom. She has to get injections and medications frequently. It really costs a lot, and we can’t afford it.”Caroline turned toward Carmen. Carmen avoided her gaze and dared not meet her in the eye. Asking Caroline for money was her sons’ idea. Carmen refused to visit at first. The woman knew Caroline hated their family and that they had mistreated her since the daughters’ swap. In the past, no matter how mu
“Please make way. Otherwise, I’ll have to get the security to haul you away,” said Caroline sternly. There was no way she would let the Dotts take advantage of her. She was not even part of their family. Even if she was, she refused to let them suck her dry. “Carol, don’t be so heartless. I’m still your adoptive mother who has raised you. You and the Fishers should pay us for the effort.”Caroline retorted, “Did your family pay us? The Fishers raised Celine too, until she was a full-grown woman, but with more money and effort. If we must compare the amount spent on raising each of us, your family will have to pay the Fishers a larger sum.“Let’s not forget Marc Dott was the one who switched Celine and I at birth. Who else can you blame but your father for making such a grave mistake? You should blame your own family for being too ambitious.”The Dotts had planned to make their daughter the heir of the Fishers. Once she took over the family, they would then reveal the truth and
Belinda would also pass on some stuff for Marc to bring home to Caroline. In the past, Marc was deeply trusted by the Fisher family. If the Dotts claimed their child was sick, Belinda would lend a helping hand. With such consideration, the Dotts finally decided against killing Caroline. However, they treated her badly. Caroline survived her childhood purely due to luck. It was also thanks to her neighbors’ concern that saved her from starving to death. When Caroline returned to the Fisher family, an elderly woman who used to look after her when she was young had passed away. However, the woman’s daughter was still alive. Caroline gave that family a huge sum of money. She even arranged stable jobs for them in her own company to repay her gratitude to the elderly woman for protecting and feeding her back when she was young. “Even so, you raised her. You’re old and poor now. She should be repaying you with money since she’s so rich,” Jacob complained. His younger brother,
Caroline looked out to the streets the moment she got to her office. After confirming that her adoptive mother and brothers had left, only then did she turn around and sit behind her table. She first sent a message to Darren, telling him not to do anything when Belinda left for her trip. Liberty’s word of caution made Caroline realize that she had almost fallen into her mother’s trap. Usually, her mother would never tell the family about her destination or itinerary. The last time Belinda went to Wiltspoon, Caroline was tasked to manage the company. However, that was because everyone knew about the invitation from the Yorks. The fact that Belinda was going to attend Zachary’s wedding was publicly known. Since there was no need to hide it, Belinda had handed over some work to Caroline before she left. However, this time, Belinda revealed to Caroline that she was leaving to meet an old acquaintance. Caroline simply thought she had gained her mother’s trust. Belinda had al
Caroline’s voice traveled from the pantry. “I haven’t started on my work yet, so I decided to just do it myself.”Adrian commented, “You’re afraid that someone will poison your coffee.”“I’m not afraid that my secretary will poison me, but I am quite worried that my big brother will.”Adrian’s expression darkened and he said heatedly, “I’m your biological brother! How could I poison you?!”Although he disliked Caroline very much, he dared not touch even a single strand of hair on her head, at least while their mother was still alive. Once Belinda passed away and Caroline succeeded her as the matriarch, it would be even harder for him to move against Caroline then. It would be a miracle if she let him go.Caroline laughed drily but stayed silent.After a moment of waiting, Caroline came out of the pantry.She brought with her two cups of coffee and walked over to the sofa. She placed one cup in front of Adrian before sitting opposite him and sizing him up.Adrian was irked by
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella was insistent on getting answers. Austin had never told her when she had asked him about it before. He kept saying he would focus on working and that he was not in a rush to get married. After all, he was only in his twenties; Zachary only got married at thirty years old. If he was unsuccessful in wooing his fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s eyes. He could detect some feelings in her gaze, but it was not obvious enough. What she felt for him was still mostly admiration. It was not the right time for him to confess yet. He would continue to wait. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella had treated him well ever since he became her private chef. It only got better after she discovered he was a young master of the Yorks. Austin believed her when she said she viewed him as a friend because her actions reflected it as well. However, he was not content with being just friends. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to trust him and love him forever. He would also reciprocate her feelings and trust. Isabella smiled. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s words was not lost on Isabella, but she did not comment on it.She allowed Austin to accompany her into the house. The lights were still on inside, but the first floor was empty. Everyone else had already gone to bed.Since Isabella had not returned yet, the housekeeper had left the lights on for her.The house was warm, so once inside, Isabella took off Austin’s coat and handed it back to him.Austin accepted the coat and followed her to the sofa. After she had sat down, he asked gently, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h