Dylan was speechless for a moment. “I’m your brother.”“I have so many brothers, but you’re the only one who’s done something like that. You’re about to embarrass the York reputation thoroughly.”Dylan was again shocked. It was a big deal, then! What had he done to embarrass his family?“Zack.”“Go wait at the corner!”Helplessly, Dylan went to the corner and obediently waited for time to pass. He finally experienced what it felt like to have minutes felt like years. It was excruciating.Finally, it was time for dinner. Zachary shut off his computer and made his way around his desk.Dylan immediately stood and went up to him like a dog after a bone, all smiles. “Are you tired, Zack?”Zachary threw him a side glance as he said, “Very. Can you split the burden with me?”“I-I do help out!”Almost every young man of York was helping out with the family business, though the bigger part of the burden was still Zachary’s to bear.The rest were more concerned with what they liked to
As for Grandma May—Dylan had gone looking for her once before and she told him to handle it himself.When he asked her to let him choose someone else, she said she had only picked a candidate for him. If he really did not like her choice, he could find someone he fancied, but the person had to pass the character test.Dylan felt Chameleon Fox’s character was not bad. She might be a little hot-tempered, but she was still reasonable. He just did not know her family background.“Are you done with work?” Serenity asked Zachary warmly. Her warm voice pulled Dylan out of his reverie.Zachary hummed. “Yeah. We can go now.”Serenity stood up and called out, “Sonny, put your book back. We’re heading for dinner now.”Sonny made a sound in acknowledgment and immediately shoved his book back into his bag before carrying it on his back. Then, he spread his arms out at Zachary, begging his uncle to carry him.Zachary picked him up and tapped his nose fondly. “You still want me to carry you, h
Serenity hung up and said to Zachary, “Let’s order when Ms. Doyle gets here.”“Sure, honey.” Zachary was indifferent.Ms. Doyle was Grandma May’s bride candidate for Dylan. If nothing unexpected happened, she would be his sister-in-law in the future. It was not a big deal for them to meet in advance.The only thing was they had no clue who Dylan would choose in the end.That was his business, though. Dylan could worry about it all by himself. Zachary could not be bothered.Serenity took Sonny to wash his hands while Zachary sat on the sofa. Dylan stood waiting at the entrance, not knowing who Serenity had invited for dinner.He texted Peter, but Peter had stopped replying to him.“That damned Peter stopped replying after hearing I got into trouble. Are you scared I’ll drag you down with me or implicate you too?” Dylan cursed Peter softly.Soon, he heard the sound of high heels. It sounded a little familiar, like…After some thought, Dylan remembered now. It sounded like Imogen
Imogen looked steadily at Dylan, trying to find any sign of a guilty conscience on his face.Dylan remained calm, not a hint of guilt to be seen.After a moment, Imogen said, “Is that so? No wonder you didn’t pick up or reply to my texts. You didn’t bring your phone with you, right? It’s been over ten days and your phone still has enough battery to ring though. What brand are you using? The battery’s so durable.”Dylan’s expression remained unchanged as he answered, “It’s not that durable. I plugged it in to charge before I left, so it stays fully charged.”Imogen knew Dylan was making excuses but did not press further. If he were hellbent on lying, he would have an excuse for every doubt she had.“You can’t be the esteemed guest my sister-in-law asked me to receive, can you?” Dylan asked with a smile. “When did you get to know her?”Imogen asked in return, “Why can’t it be me? That’s between me and Ms. Hunt. What does it have to do with you?”“Your tongue has gotten sharper in
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. York.” Imogen greeted Zachary politely and offered her right hand to shake.Zachary shook her hand out of politeness and consideration for Dylan.The husband-and-wife pair led Imogen over to the sofa to sit down.Dylan sat to one side. To hide his inner thoughts, he sat Sonny on his lap, teasing him occasionally and glancing at the rest out of the corner of his eyes.After a few moments, Zachary asked the hotel butler to come in and they moved over to the dining table. Serenity took the menu from the butler and handed it to Imogen as she said warmly, “Please have your pick, Ms. Doyle. The food here is highly ranked in Wiltspoon.”Imogen did not take it, smiling in return. “You can order whatever you like to share. I’m not picky and since I’m staying here right now, I’ve eaten at the restaurant too, and the food is truly good. All the different cuisines taste authentic.”Wiltspoon Hotel saw guests from all over the world every day, which was why
Serenity pretended she could not see the battle between the two happening in front of her.She smiled. “If that’s the case, I’ll order a bottle of whiskey then. I can’t drink right now for the sake of my baby and Zachary doesn’t drink much in the first place, so I can only get Dylan to drink with you.“Dylan, be a good sport. You guys can drink however much you like. You don’t have to worry if you get drunk, Zachary and I are around.” She even winked at Imogen.Imogen secretly gave her an ‘OK’ gesture in return. Serenity was relieved. Imogen’s tolerance would not be bad. She recalled Imogen wanting to ask Dylan what he really wanted, and worried that Imogen would get drunk. Since her guest said it would be fine, Serenity was not going to supervise them.Once the dishes and the bottle of whiskey were served, Imogen poured Dylan a glass of whiskey.“Here, Mr. Dylan. Let’s toast.”Instead of clinking glasses with her, he took her glass and placed it on the table before saying, “Ms.
“You finished eating so quickly, Serenity.”Serenity smiled and said, “The both of us are fast eaters because we’re normally really busy with work, and every second counts.”Imogen smiled in understanding.Serenity took Sonny’s hand and signaled for her husband to follow. The trio slipped out of the presidential suite and closed the door behind them considerately.Zachary informed their bodyguards that they could take their dinner break instead of keeping watch.Dylan and Imogen both understood that Serenity was purposely giving them space.Once the two were alone in the room, Imogen picked up her glass of whiskey and elegantly sipped at it, though her gaze was fixed on Dylan.Dylan inwardly sighed. What was meant to come would come. He asked, “Is there something you’d like to say to me, Ms. Doyle?”Imogen silently drank her whiskey as she looked at him. Dylan was very good-looking. She had heard that the Yorks were all handsome, and now that she had met Zachary, she concurred;
Dylan did not run. It was too late anyway. He had no choice but to sit and stay calm. He turned to look at Imogen with an intense gaze. She could not guess what he was thinking through his eyes. Imogen leaned toward Dylan. They were so close that he could smell her faint fragrance. He wondered what perfume she used. It was not overpowering and had a light and pleasant smell. “Dylan,” Imogen uttered softly. “I’m listening,” he replied. “I have one question. What do you feel for me now? Are you pursuing me? If you are, why are you ignoring me?”After pressing his lips, Dylan answered, “That was more than one question.”He paused before adding, “Will you scold me if I tell you I don’t know? Will you think I’m a jerk?”Dylan did want to pursue Imogen. He thought she was great and Grandma May’s choice was never wrong. If it had not been for that girl, he could have accepted spending the rest of his life with Imogen, even if he did not love her. However, that girl was bo
She loved Dylan, not Kade. “You, Maria, and I are best friends. In my heart, you two will always be my older brother and sister.”Imogen emphasized the words “older brother and sister.”She truly viewed them as siblings. She had never had a crush on Kade, nor would she have feelings for him in the future. Their families were only thinking about their own benefits. However, her parents knew the man she truly loved was Dylan. The York family was better than the Butchers and more suited for her.To be honest, if Imogen and Kade were to be together, she would be used by the Butchers. The Doyles would also have to aid the Butchers financially. If she were with Dylan, she would not have to worry about being used or giving away money. York Corporation was slightly superior to Davidson Group. Even Leticia wanted Dylan as her son-in-law. Kade understood Imogen’s words. She did not want to follow her family’s arrangements. She liked another man, and that man was more capable
“It’s lunchtime, Kade. Let’s find a restaurant and have some food.“It’ll take an hour or two to return to the city center, and there’s also the weekend traffic. If we head back without eating, you might get very hungry.”Imogen was already hungry. Kade smiled. “Okay. Let’s go with that.”Imogen led the way. Kade pushed his luggage to Dylan and said, “Please help me with my luggage, Dylan.”Without giving Dylan a chance to refuse, Kade quickly went after Imogen with a small bag, probably a laptop bag.Dylan had the urge to kick the luggage away. However, he held it in to maintain a good image before Imogen.Imogen’s attitude toward Kade was likened to that between siblings and friends. There were no romantic feelings involved as her gaze was too calm. It made Dylan feel reassured. Although Kade and Imogen looked intimate, Dylan could sense their intimacy was due to them reuniting after a long time. After Kade caught up to Imogen, she turned back and saw Dylan pulling
Kade did not know if what he felt for Maria was love or friendship. There were two reasons behind his return to Huntington—his career and the time for himself to analyze his feelings. He had been friends with Maria for over two decades. They had a close relationship. In the past, when their families had similar social status, they wished Kade and Maria could get married. However, Kade and Maria seemed to be just friends and had no romantic feelings for each other. He had never even confessed to Maria. As Maria’s family business declined and they went bankrupt, the Butcher family’s attitude changed. They no longer allowed Kade and Maria to hang out because they were worried about Maria’s family dragging them down. Kade had helped the Sprearings a lot in private. Despite having a successful career, Kade was poor. Maria’s father had borrowed all of Kade’s money to salvage his company. If the company made a profit on the borrowed money, Kade could get his money back. The
“Okay.”Kade said gently, “I’ll hang up and send you my location. We can talk when we meet.”Soon, Kade ended the call and sent Imogen his location. It took Imogen and Dylan about ten minutes to find him. “Kade.”Imogen was happy when she saw him. She ran toward him elatedly.Dylan saw a man about his age or a few years older than him. The man looked handsome and gentlemanly. He wore a gray suit without a tie, which made him look like a successful person. From Imogen, Dylan knew his love rival was a senior executive of a multinational company. He was competent since he was assigned to return and handle the business in the country. Kade’s mother and Leticia were best friends. Kade was also Leticia’s godson. Imogen had known him since he was young, and the parents of the two families intended to bring their kids together. Upon seeing Kade in the flesh, Dylan felt threatened. If he wanted to win, he had to put effort into pursuing Imogen. If Imogen loved him and was will
“You can decide what we have for dinner, Mom. I don’t have any opinions.”Some of the Doyles were busy during the weekends, while others would take a rest. Either way, they still had time to have dinner together. After ending the call with her mother, Imogen told Dylan, “When we meet Kade at the airport, we can have lunch there first. We’ll only eat with my family during dinner.”Dylan had heard Leticia’s words through the phone. He said, “Will Mr. Butcher be staying with your family?”Dylan found it normal for them to have dinner together. After all, that Kade guy was his future mother-in-law’s godson. Since he was finally back in the country, it was customary for Leticia to invite him over for a meal. However, Dylan could not help but feel jealous about Kade staying at the Doyles’ mansion. When he could not even enter their mansion most of the time, Kade could immediately move in. If Kade got closer to the Doyles, he would be a more significant threat to Dylan. Imogen
“We can head there in my car.”Dylan was delighted that Imogen allowed him to go to the airport with her. “Any car is fine.”Imogen led him out of the house. Dylan quickly followed after her and opened the car door for her. He even hovered his hand above her head to prevent her from hitting the roof of the car.“You’re so attentive.”Imogen complimented him as she fastened her seatbelt in the car. “I’ll only be gentlemanly to you aside from my family members.”Imogen glanced at him but did not say a word. A few minutes later, Dylan drove out of the Doyle residence with Imogen in his car.Not long after they left, Leticia went downstairs.She noticed the gifts on the table but did not see Imogen anywhere. Thinking he had kidnapped her daughter, she quickly called Wendy over and asked, “Did Jen head out?”“Yes. Ms. Imogen had gone out with Mr. Dylan. She said they were heading to the airport to receive someone.”Wendy had overheard Imogen and Dylan’s conversation, so she
She did not expect him to be discharged that soon.“Let him in.”Mr. and Mrs. Doyle were not awake yet. They would not stop Dylan from entering. With Imogen’s orders, Wendy quickly called the security booth and told the security to let Dylan in. Imogen stood at her door a few minutes later and watched his car stop before her. “Why are you discharged?” Imogen asked as soon as Dylan got out of the car. He was still coughing.Imogen frowned. His body belonged to himself. Who would love him if he did not know how to care for himself?“I feel much better after spending two days in the hospital on IV drips. The doctor said I could be discharged and gave me three days’ supply of medication. If I’m not fully recovered after finishing the medicines, I can return to get more.“The doctor said I should be fine after this round of medication. He also said I’m generally healthy and that my condition only got that severe because I ate a lot of chili peppers in one sitting.“I have to e
Imogen smiled. “Stop teasing him, Layla. He doesn’t eat spicy food at all. Eating that much chili peppers can be deadly for him.“I’ll be heading back to work today. I can’t take care of him at the hospital every day. I don’t want to let him think that I’ve accepted him just because he ate chili peppers once.”Layla said, “That’s right. You can’t be tricked by his pity play.”“Dylan didn’t torture himself to gain my pity, Layla. He was hospitalized because he ate the chili peppers. His fever, cough, and sore throat are all real. His voice is still hoarse when he speaks.”Imogen could not help but defend Dylan.Layla replied, “Look at you. I only criticize him a little, yet you’re already defending him.“Jen, the person who falls first will always be at a disadvantage.“Listen to me. Don’t dedicate anything to this relationship before Dylan falls in love with you as who you are. Don’t be manipulated by him.“You’re usually sharp and capable, yet you seem to lose all rationality
“Why do you want to see me? Didn’t you see enough of me yesterday? Besides, I’m not your beloved Miss Fox. You said it yourself—no matter how you tried and put in the effort, you couldn’t love me.“I’m just a good friend to your sisters-in-law, and Grandma May specifically called me to ask me to look after you for a day. That’s the only reason I did it.“Dylan, I’m not going back to you.”It was he who said that he did not love her. She had fallen for him, but when he said he did not love her, she hid her feelings.Now, he had realized that she was Chameleon Fox and the person he truly loved had always been her. Imogen had been more or less jealous of her own self all this time.If he had not fallen for Imogen but proceeded to get together with her, then it would feel like he was treating her as a substitute. Fox was Imogen, and Imogen was Fox—but she had still stubbornly distinguished the two.“I know, Imogen,” Dylan said softly.He did not assume he had won her over just bec