Elisa teased the secretary, “Do you want to get married, Helen? I can introduce some guys to you. I guarantee you’ll be happy for the rest of your life.”Helen was a young, fresh graduate and was recently hired as Serenity’s secretary.Helen refused politely. “Thank you, Ms. Stone. However, I’ve been dating my boyfriend since I was in uni. We’re in a steady relationship, and I have no thoughts of breaking up.”“Where does your boyfriend work?” Elisa asked. “He recently got a job at a small company. I don’t know if he’ll stay for long. He said his remuneration package isn’t as good as mine.”Upon mentioning her boyfriend’s job, Helen's smiling expression turned into worry. She had a good relationship with him. However, he had not gotten any good job offers but still liked comparing himself with her. He believed that as a man, his salary could not be less than that of his partner. He found it embarrassing. Nevertheless, just like Helen, he was a fresh graduate without much
Serenity walked out of the office with her bag. The preschool was a ten-minute drive from the company. When she arrived, many luxury cars were already parked outside. Sonny was studying in the best preschool in Wiltspoon with fellow students coming from wealthy families. It was like a luxury car gallery outside the preschool before and after class started.Serenity got out of her car and walked to the entrance. She handed her pass to a teacher and waited for her to guide Sonny out. In the meantime, Serenity looked around. Mrs. Longbottom was not there. She did not see Mrs. Longbottom when she dropped off Sonny at school that morning either. Now that Serenity did not see Mrs. Longbottom after having met her frequently those days, she could not help but feel that she and Camryn might be overthinking. Maybe Mrs. Longbottom was not Carrie after all. Was their uncanny voices truly a coincidence?Serenity took her phone and sent a voice message to Camryn. She whispered, “Di
Serenity said, “Even if we can’t prove it this time, there’ll be other opportunities to do so. As long as she’s pretending, we can definitely find a flaw.“Tasha doesn’t know Mrs. Longbottom or Carrie well. She probably can’t prove anything.”Camryn agreed. “We’ll have to wait for another chance to present itself. I think Mrs. Longbottom is targeting you. You meet her much more often than I do.“Do you ever see Mrs. Longbottom’s younger sister-in-law every time you bump into her at the preschool?”Serenity answered, “No. She would always say that her sister-in-law just entered or wasn’t out yet. I don’t know if she’s telling the truth or not. I’ll hide in my car the next time I meet her to see if she truly picks up a child.“Did something happen at your company?”Serenity changed the topic. “Just attending a few meetings and handling some important documents. Since I’ve regained my sight, I should check on the company occasionally. I can’t push all my responsibility onto Dal. M
Next, Sonny told the driver and bodyguard, “I got a certificate, mister driver and mister bodyguard.”They showered him with compliments too. In the meantime, Serenity initiated a video call with Liberty. Liberty only answered after some time, whispering, “Seren, I’ll call you back later if this isn’t urgent. I’m negotiating with a client now.”“Alrighty. You can go on with your work. It’s nothing urgent. I just picked Sonny up. He wants to tell you that he got a certificate.”Liberty laughed. “Sonny did a good job. I’ll call you back later.”“Bye.”“Bye, Mom. Please earn more money to pay for my school fees.”Liberty smiled. “Okay. You have to study hard and listen to Aunt Ser, Sonny. Don’t be naughty. If you are, I’ll ask Aunt Ser to slap your butt.”Sonny winced. “I’m a good boy.”After speaking, he quickly ended the video call. He could imagine his mother’s hand reaching out from the phone to slap his butt. However, that had never happened before. Whenever he made a m
Serenity brought Sonny to Lewis & Co. He played in Duncan’s office for a while. As the trip to FC Manor was still on his mind, he told Serenity to take him to York Corporation not long after. He wanted to meet Zachary as soon as possible. Duncan laughed. “I guess your love for me is just lip service. You just got here, yet you’re already leaving to look for Zachary.”He shut down his computer and stood up by using the table to support his weight. After taking two steps, he sat in his wheelchair and moved it forward. He said, “I’ll go with you. I have a project that I want to discuss with him anyway.”Serenity wanted to push Duncan’s wheelchair but was rejected. “I switched to an electric wheelchair. I can control it myself.”Serenity said, “You should’ve done that long ago.”“If I did, your sister might still not be mine now.”Serenity was speechless. She thought Duncan was a casual and honest person. She was sorely mistaken. He established Lewis & Co. and increased its
Mrs. Torres, whose job was only to spend money, had transformed into a successful career woman within a few years.She smiled. “You’re the more impactful person, Mrs. York.”Serenity was the York family’s missus. She did not have an outstanding family background and only found Aunt Audrey after marrying Zachary. Although her aunt was Mrs. Stone, none of the Stone family’s assets belonged to Serenity. She simply gained a relative. To think that someone of Serenity’s background was able to be Zachary’s wife; she must have lucked out. Everyone remembered Serenity as she married Zachary and gained a foothold in the York family despite coming from a mediocre one herself. Before she got pregnant, the public criticized her for being infertile but the Yorks defended her. They would target anyone who dared to badmouth Serenity. Even though there were rumors that Tania disliked Serenity, Tania was willing to forego her image and fight those who criticized Serenity. Who would then not
Liberty was a divorced woman, while Mrs. Torres was a widow. They both had a son, but Mrs. Torres thought she was more capable than Liberty was. She felt she had to fight for what she wanted. She thought she had a greater chance of winning against Liberty. Besides, Liberty was not in Wiltspoon at the moment. Serenity remained silent. Duncan smiled and said, “If you’re not in a rush, we can meet another day. Sorry for your wasted trip.”Mrs. Torres returned the smile. “It’s okay. You should handle matters of higher priorities first.”Every business negotiation required several trips, or even over ten times going back and forth before it was finalized. Mrs. Torres’s secretary pressed the elevator button again while she walked toward the back of Duncan’s wheelchair, ready to push him into the elevator. Duncan refused her help, saying, “It’s fine, Mrs. Torres. This is an electric wheelchair. I can control it myself.”Mrs. Torres smiled and withdrew her hands. She watched a
Sonny said playfully, “I miss Jazz more.”He was close to Jasmine because of Serenity. Whenever Serenity brought him to the bookstore, Jasmine would take him out for good food and a shopping spree.Therefore, he liked Jasmine more as compared to Josh. “What a naughty kid.”Josh pinched Sonny’s cheek and put him down. He smiled and said, “I’m busy now. You can follow Serenity and play with Zachary first. Jasmine and I can take you to play when your winter vacation starts this weekend.”“Promise? You can’t lie to kids.”Every child loved playing outdoors, and Sonny was no exception. Josh laughed. “When have I ever lied to you?”Sonny thought about it. Indeed, Uncle Josh had never lied to him. After speaking to Duncan briefly, Josh led the senior managers out of the building. A few minutes later, Serenity and the rest showed up in the CEO’s office. Sonny acted like a spoiled child in front of Zachary for a while before being told to read and write on the sofa by Serenity.
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