Tania also turned to look at Serenity, who now already had her back to them. “Was she smiling at us? I don’t know her.”“Oh, maybe it was just my imagination, and it wasn’t us who she was smiling at.”Tania’s friend did not think much about it.She turned around again and saw that Serenity had already walked away. She said with a smile, “I must’ve really gotten the wrong idea.“That girl was quite pretty and bore a good mien. I couldn’t tell which family she’s from, so I thought she was someone you knew.” The friend teased Tania, “All the ladies in Wiltspoon will smile at you when they see you.”Tania had three sons. The most famous one was her eldest, who was the head of York Corporation. In the York family, he was the most important person after Old Mrs. York.All the men in the York family were extraordinary. Excluding the youngest two, one of whom was still in high school while the other had just reached adulthood and was not suitable for marriage, the other seven in their ge
Serenity understood why her mother-in-law pretended not to know her and did not take it to heart.After walking back to her parking spot, she unlocked the car and placed the clothes she bought for Zachary on the passenger seat before driving away.A short while later, she arrived at Brynfield. Zachary had yet to return, so she fiddled with her small garden on the balcony.The roses were blooming in overabundance, so she took a pair of scissors to cut a few off. However, she was reluctant to throw them away, so she took them back to the hall to trim them and arranged them into a vase.Ring ring ring...Her cell phone rang.She answered and it was from her neighbor at the store. It was inconvenient to take the pets with her since she was going to shop for Zachary’s clothes, so she asked the neighbor to look after the pets for her.“Mr. Charles, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot. I’ll go over and pick them up now.”Serenity would have forgotten about the pets if she had not receiv
Since Charles said so, Serenity could only say, “Drive safe then, Mr. Charles.”Charles rode a pedicab here.He smiled, waved at Serenity, and rode away.After he left, Serenity called Zachary.“What’s wrong?” Zachary said in a low voice.“Mr. York, are you getting off work soon?”Zachary was silent, but he thought, ‘Does she miss me?’However, he instantly scrapped that answer. There was no way she would miss him.He had become more and more oversensitive lately.“Why?”He did not give her a direct answer. He wanted to know the reason she was asking before he answered.“Um, I came out in a hurry and closed the door, but I forgot to bring my keys, so I can’t get back in. If you’re still working overtime, I’ll take a cab to your company to get the keys now, but if you’re getting off work soon, I’ll wait at the door.”Zachary thought about it and said, “I’ll come home now. You don’t have to take a cab here.”“Sure. I’ll wait for you in front of the house.”He hummed and hun
“A surprise for you.”Zachary took the bag and looked at it. “More clothes?”He took out the clothes and looked at them. This time, she was much more generous. All of them were branded goods.“I have no experience in giving gifts to men, so I can’t prepare a big surprise. Small surprises are all I can do. The clothes I gave you last time weren’t expensive. They were just a thousand or so each set, but this time, I bought you something branded. Each set costs more than ten thousand dollars.“Wearing it is like being decked out in money. Isn’t it a surprise? Even at my age, I could never bring myself to wear such expensive clothes.”Zachary smiled. “With your temperament and financial ability, it really is a surprise that you’re willing to buy such expensive clothes for me.”These new sets were many times better than the clothes she gifted him last time.Yes, it was a pleasant surprise indeed.“Thank you for helping my sister collect the evidence of Hank’s infidelity.”“Don’t me
After the mother and son ended their call, Zachary frowned and thought about it. He then went ahead and asked the lady in front of him who was holding her kitty on the balcony swing. “Did you meet my mom without my knowledge?”Serenity froze.She had not mentioned the encounter with her mother-in-law to him. How did he know?Zachary walked up to her and stood opposite her. His burning dark eyes locked on her pretty face, and he asked again, “Did you meet my mom today?”Serenity saw he was still holding his cell phone and thought her mother-in-law had called to complain to him about her, so she quickly explained, “I bumped into your mom when I was buying clothes for you. I wanted to greet her, but maybe she didn’t recognize me. She walked away with her friend while laughing and talking, so I didn’t greet her.”Zachary was a smart person.Tania was his mother. Although he was brought up by his grandparents, he did not alienate his parents. His relationship with his parents was cord
The husband and wife did not mention anything about the cold war they had and reconciled in silence. Serenity originally thought of getting through the six months and forgot about it, but she could not help but feel moved by his concern for her. She wanted to break that half-year agreement.However, she was afraid it was nothing but her own wishful thinking. She feared that if they divorced once the agreement expired and she ended up falling in love with him whereas he did not, she would suffer the pain of losing him and spend a long time forgetting him, all while he lived his new life happily.Falling in love with someone was easy, yet the same could not be said about letting go of someone you love.“Don’t worry, my sister and I will definitely ask for your help if we can’t solve a problem.”Since he was kind, she would respond in like.She added, “I called my sister when she got home, and she’s fine for now. She’s good at enduring, so she won’t act impulsively if she thinks it’s
Serenity stopped walking.Zachary too. He looked at her deeply and asked, “What’s wrong?”“I’ll pay for the nanny. She’s going to be taking care of Sonny, who’s my nephew, so I should be the one to pay for it. I can’t let you use your money.”It would cost thousands of dollars to hire a nanny now.He was already paying for all their living expenses.Serenity felt like she was taking advantage of him.Zachary could not help but reach out and pinch her face. “You are always haggling with me. We’re a family now, so why do you have to split hairs over everything? On the day we got our marriage license, I already said that since I married you, I can afford to support you.“Sonny calls me Uncle, and I like that child very much too, so I’m willing to pay for a nanny to take care of him.”After a pause, he added softly, “Most importantly, I don’t want my wife to be so tired.”“Pardon?”“I said, I’ll pay for the nanny.”He was very insistent.Serenity could not win against him. Afte
Hank twisted the door handle but failed to open the door. Liberty had locked the door.He knocked.“Liberty, open up.”Liberty came to open the door, but she blocked the doorway to keep him from entering the room. She asked, “What?”“I have something I want to discuss with you. Let me in.”This was originally the couple’s master bedroom, but now it was occupied by Liberty.Hank was a little displeased, but in order to coax and persuade Liberty to help with the school run for his sister’s children, he held back his temper.“Can’t it wait till tomorrow? It’s already late now.”“It’s only 11. I usually come back during this time after dinner parties.”Liberty guessed that Hank wanted to talk to her about something having to do with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She was curious too, so she stepped to the side and said, “Go back to your room to sleep when you’re done.”Hank cursed in his heart, ‘I just couldn’t hold it in that night because I drank... Do you really think I
Zachary said those words, but in his heart, he was thinking that he had to keep an eye on the younger generations of the major families in Wiltspoon, particularly those who stood out. He would make note of any promising boys, so that when he had a daughter, he could arrange for that boy to grow up alongside her. If they became childhood sweethearts, she would not have to marry far away. Of course, once he had a daughter, he would not want her to get married too early. He would still be fine even if she was unmarried at thirty.Zachary drove his beloved wife to the Stone residence. Audrey was walking in the yard with Patrick. The weather was nice today, and the temperature had risen a few degrees. Patrick had been ordered by Audrey to stay inside and avoid the cold wind, but he was now finally able to get out and walk around.Elisa had gone to Annenburg with Remy to celebrate Christmas. Anthony, afraid of his parents’ constant nagging to settle down, had bought a plane ticket abroad
“Duncan is a good man. Being with him, you will definitely be happy, Liberty. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, growing old together, and may you have children soon.” After a pause, Hank added, “Or maybe don't have children, I'm afraid that if you have your own kids, you might not love Sonny as much.”He was still quite selfish. He hoped that Sonny would be Liberty’s only child. As long as Liberty and Duncan did not have children, the fortune and empire Duncan built would eventually become his son's legacy. Then again, thinking about Liberty’s current status, Hank sighed quietly, knowing that his selfish prayer would never come true. Liberty would definitely have another child. She would need a daughter to take her place and eventually take over the Fisher matriarchy in Jensburg.What if Duncan had a biological child? Would he still treat Sonny well?Hank was actually quite worried that if Duncan had his own child, he might not treat Sonny well. That was why, when he last s
“Go cook some food. It's rare for Hank to be resting at home, so don't say those unpleasant things in front of him. Honestly, if he hadn’t gone after Jessica, she wouldn't have ended up like this. As a married man, Hank shouldn't have pursued a young, innocent girl in the first place. Everything that happened to him is his own fault—it’s all self-inflicted.”Ever since Hank divorced Liberty, and after seeing how Liberty had turned her life around and was living a better life, Luke had changed a lot because of regret. It made him realize many things and change a lot.Olivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing in the end. After a heavy sigh, she stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare food for her husband and son.In the past, when Liberty was still part of the Brown family, every time Olivia came to her son’s house, she never had to cook. She only had to mention what she wanted to eat, and Liberty would prepare it for her. All she had to do was eat and still
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo
“He doesn’t even want kids and said having Sonny was enough.”Duncan did not care about blood relations. Liberty believed him. He only cared about her. If Liberty had not had to manage the Fisher family, she probably would have taken more time to consider whether she wanted a second child. However, Duncan's love for her ran deep. She decided to try for another child so that he could have a child of his own. Liberty did not want to be selfish. She could not prioritize only herself and Sonny. She had to be considerate of Duncan as well. “By the way, there’s something that I need your help with.”Serenity said, “Oh you, don’t sound like a stranger. We’re sisters. I’m ready to help with whatever you need.”“I have to go to Jensburg next year. I think I’ll leave Sonny here in Wiltspoon for his studies. I’ll ask for Sonny’s opinion again once my situation in Jensburg is stable. If he wants to move to Jensburg to live with me, I'll bring him over.“If he says no, I’ll need y
“Morning, Liberty. The housekeeper said you weren’t out yet, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”Serenity stood and smiled when she saw Liberty enter. “I woke up when you arrived.”Liberty whispered, “Sonny is still asleep. Let’s go downstairs. You can accompany me on a walk outside too.”“What time are you and Duncan meeting?”Serenity was worried that Liberty would be late. Liberty said, “We still have to wait until the City Hall opens. Duncan and I agreed to meet at nine. It’s still early.”The three adults exited the child’s bedroom and went downstairs. Zachary remained in the house while Liberty and Serenity went on a stroll in the garden. Liberty’s villa initially belonged to Zachary. Although he sold it to Liberty, it was also considered a gift. She was the one who insisted on paying and refused to accept it as a gift. Therefore, Zachary accepted some money from her so that she would take it. The villas Zachary owned were never small. They usually came with garden
“As expected of a child’s skin. It’s so smooth,” said Serenity. “Catch me if you can, Isaac…”Sonny spoke in his sleep and even giggled. He dreamt of him and Isaac playing tag. When Isaac started running after him, he quickly turned to escape while laughing. He did not realize that he was dreaming. “I have two dads, Isaac…”Sonny spoke again.Serenity laughed and told Zachary, “Sonny must’ve had a blast yesterday. Even his sleep talking is related to playing.”She pinched Sonny’s face lightly. “You do have two dads, Sonny. They love you a lot, so you have double the love.”Serenity spoke gently, regardless of whether he could hear her. She bent over and left a soft kiss on his cheek. “That’s why you must be happy. I wish you a carefree life ahead.”She hoped he would grow up healthily and be worry-free. Sonny was in a deep sleep and did not reply to her. Liberty watched them from the door with an affectionate gaze. She felt content. Zachary and Serenity had a st