The legendary doctor missed Oliver a lot. Before he returned, he would get on a video call with his disciple, Dr. Carden, multiple times a day to look at Oliver. Dr. Carden was annoyed and said she could let him raise Oliver in the mountains. He was experienced in raising children anyway. After all, Dr. Carden was brought up by the legendary doctor himself. However, Tim refused to let him take Oliver away. Although Oliver was a crybaby and often caused Tim headaches from his crying, Tim still loved Oliver deeply. He said the place where Laurence and the legendary doctor lived was too cold and that the young Oliver could not stand such harsh weather. Tim was right. The legendary doctor’s home was far from civilization. It was cold in spring, fall, and winter. The weather would only turn slightly warm during summer. Now that it was still snowing, Laurence was forced to clear the snow in the garden every day after waking up. He would train while clearing the snow. Indeed, Oliv
Jane said, “Okay. We can get the present when we go shopping for clothes tomorrow.”She did not offer to pay for the present. She would let Laurence use his money. He had some savings and did not lack money. He managed his finances. Since he wanted to give Sonny a present, he would have to pay for it himself. “What present should I get for Sonny?”Laurence sounded as if he was asking Jane and muttering to himself simultaneously. Jane said gently, “Since it’s a gift for Sonny, you should get something he likes.”Laurence was in a dilemma. “Sonny loves food. He already has a lot of toys.”“You can get him some food then.”“Sonny isn’t picky. He eats everything as long as it doesn’t kill him. If so, won’t I have to prepare many presents?”Laurence was a little concerned about his money. He looked toward Jane, looking as if he wished Jane could sponsor him but was embarrassed to ask. He was the one who said he would pay for Sonny’s present himself. Sonny was his friend. H
Laurence would turn four years old soon, yet his learning progress was faster than others. As expected, a child taught by the masters was special. If one did not have natural talent and wit, he or she could never keep up with the masters’ teaching. Of course, the masters would refuse to teach someone who did not have talent. Laurence answered seriously, “The books in my bag are gifts from the grandpas and grandmas for the new year. I like them a lot.”He put a lot of emphasis on the last sentence. Jane dared bet that Laurence would have the urge to throw his bag away once he opened it and saw it filled with books. She knew he was under a lot of pressure. Keeping up with a group of masters was difficult. However, it was an opportunity that others could only dream of. “Since I’m Sonny’s age, he’ll definitely like whatever I do. That’s why I want to give Sonny some books as well. He likes too many types of food. I can’t buy that much food for him.”Jane said, “Are you su
Jane patted Laurence’s head. She said, “Admitting and correcting your mistakes is good.”He nodded vigorously. He would reflect on his mistake. As long as the adults pointed out his mistake, he would correct all of them. Jane stood and said gently, “You can go and play now.”“Where’s Chloe, Mommy Jane?”Laurence added, “I want to play with her.”He only had one younger sister. He preferred her over his younger brothers but they were also adorable. “Her nana might’ve brought her out to play. Connor is still with the nanny. Do you want to play with Connor?”After thinking about it, Laurence said, “I’ll look for Chloe. Since Connor has the nanny to play with, he doesn’t need me.”Connor was a crybaby like Oliver. Uncle Ethan’s sons were older than Connor by a few months and were more difficult to handle. Laurence only found his little brothers cute when they were asleep. On the other hand, Chloe was adorable regardless of whether she was awake or asleep. Laurence thought
“Was that Chelsea and her family?” Jasmine asked Serenity after they settled down. “It must be. She’s been living a comfortable life. She’s even dressed in expensive clothes and jewelry.”Before Liberty got a divorce, Chelsea and Mrs. Brown would go to the bookstore to complain to Serenity. Jasmine had met Chelsea several times before. Chelsea had left such an impression that Jasmine could not possibly forget her. “It is Chelsea.”Serenity replied, “Lucas called Sonny twice, but Chelsea covered his mouth. She’s scared of us joining her for dinner and making her pay.“In the past, she and her family would go to Liberty’s house to eat for free. They never helped out and even dared to order my sister around and pick on her.”The Browns were like leopards who would never change their spots. Serenity felt Wiltspoon was tiny. She would bump into people she disliked from time to time. Imogen did not know what happened in the past. She kept quiet and simply listened. Jasmine sa
Serenity agreed, “It’s reasonable, yes, but before Dylan makes up his mind, you can still give it a shot.”Imogen smiled and said, “Serenity, Jasmine, let’s eat and stop talking about men. Both your husbands are good men, so you’ll feel happy to talk about them, but the man I’m interested in isn’t interested in me. Talking about him will just ruin my appetite. Like Sonny said, eating is king. Let’s just eat.”Serenity and Jasmine stopped there. They had no way of influencing Dylan when it came to his feelings.“Well, it’s not like I didn’t get anything out of this visit—I got two new friends. Whether or not Dylan and I end up together, the three of us will still be friends. You guys mustn’t renounce me. Either way, I’m wrapped around both of your thick thighs, so you can forget about trying to kick me away.”Serenity could not help but laugh.Jasmine laughed too and said, “You’re speaking casually with us already. We can’t just abandon you now, can we?”Imogen was very good at co
Jasmine scoffed. “Don’t believe a single word of what she says. She’s a master at exploiting. Second to none.”Serenity heard Chelsea say to Mrs. Brown, “Mom, the kids said they hadn’t eaten something delicious in a very, very long time, so I took them out to eat. We’re done eating, but I don’t have enough money to pay the bill. Do you have money in your account? Transfer some money to me.” Chelsea walked off into the distance. Serenity and the rest could no longer hear what she said.Jasmine said to Imogen, “If I had a daughter like that who only knew how to leech off her family and take advantage of them, I’d strangle her at birth.”Imogen replied, “You wouldn’t know if she was that sort of person at birth, though.”Jasmine was silent for a moment before she decided, “I’d cut all contact with her and pretend I never had a daughter, then.“Imogen, that shameless nut is Sonny’s aunt. She just loves taking advantage of anything she can. She used to frequent her parents’ place to
“Have you eaten, Dad?”Hank replied warmly, “Not yet. I’m not hungry yet, so I’ll only eat after I’ve taken two more customers. You’ve eaten, right?”Sonny replied, “Yeah. Aunt Ser and Jazz took me out to eat and we ran into Aunt Chel and the rest. Lucas said hi to me but, I don’t why, Aunt Chel covered his mouth. Lucas’s granddad and grandmom were there too, there were so many of them eating together. Only Aunt Ser and Jazz and Jen were with me, just the four of us.”Hank did not pay much attention to this at first and laughed. “Oh, you ran into Aunt Chel? Did you say hi to her?”“No,” Sonny answered honestly. “Lucas called out to me but Aunt Chel covered his mouth. Dad, what does Aunt Chel mean by that?”Hank was silent for a moment. “Your Aunt Chel… You don’t have to mind her.”He finally realized it. Had Chelsea been afraid that Sonny and the rest would try to join their table if she said hi and did not let Lucas talk to Sonny because of that?Being her brother, Hank did und
Belinda still viewed tradition seriously. No matter how big of a fuss Adrian and his brothers made, the gates of Fisher Manor remained closed. Adrian spotted Audrey and Patrick strolling in the garden, but they ignored the Clark brothers. The brothers finally knew the feeling of losing their mother. When she was alive, they were still young masters of the Fishers despite being Clarks. They could live in the manor with their parents and lead a lavish lifestyle. They could also enter and leave the manor as they wished. Adrian had always thought Fisher Manor was their home. How was it not theirs when they had been born and bred there?Although their mother had bought them villas as a wedding gift after they got married, the brothers still preferred living at Fisher Manor. Their villas were inferior compared to the manor. They thought they could live there for their entire lives. Even if Belinda were to pass away, Caroline would have become the matriarch and continue livin
Serenity hummed in agreement but did not reply. She soon fell asleep. Since he did not hear her reply, Zachary looked toward her and saw she was asleep. He chuckled. “That was fast.”He was jealous of her being able to fall asleep so quickly.Although Zachary was sleepy, many thoughts would run through his head when he was on the bed. It was difficult for him to sleep once he started thinking. It usually took an hour or longer for him to be able to fall asleep. Drinking alcohol helped. He could fall asleep within an hour if his head were free of thoughts. Zachary caressed Serenity’s face. He could not get enough of looking at her. “I love you, Seren. I love you forever.”He whispered those sweet words in her ear. A moment later, he touched her stomach. The baby must have rested as well. It did not respond to his touch. Soon, Zachary would become a happy man with a wife and a child.He closed his eyes in satisfaction and fell asleep with his wife. …Meanwhil
“I want to go to Satbury.”Serenity was interested in traveling to Isabella’s hometown. “It’s too bad that I’m pregnant now. Even if I can handle the trip there, you won’t let me go. We can head there after the baby is born. I’m curious how my future sister-in-law looks.“By the way, we haven’t gone on our honeymoon, Zachary. You said you’d make it up to me and take me on a trip for a month or two after the baby is born.”Serenity remembered that Zachary owed her a honeymoon. He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about it. We can go on our honeymoon a month after you give birth, but should we bring the baby along? Can you bear leaving the baby to the nanny for a month?”He bet she was not willing to leave their baby behind. Even he did not want to.The baby would be their first child. Zachary wished he could be by their child’s side every day and watch the baby grow. They also agreed that he would look after the baby so Serenity would not have to worry about a thi
Upon hearing Serenity’s words, Zachary knew she was not very satisfied with the name he had come up with. He said, “You’re right. There’s still time. We can think of a few better names.”After a pause, he added, “I think my parents and Nana will think of a name for the baby too. After all, it’s their first grandchild and great-grandchild, respectively.”The first child would always receive the most love. Since there was only one child, everyone would shower their love on the baby. Serenity smiled. “I’ll leave the naming of the baby to you. You can be the one worrying about it. I’ll stay out of it because I’m bad at coming up with names.”“Okay. Leave it to me.”After speaking, Zachary pecked her cheek. He said gently, “I just want you to be happy and not tire yourself out.”“I won’t ever have the chance to be tired with you around.“Do you want to have some rest, babe? You should rest. I’ll head downstairs to have a look at Sonny and Laurence.”Zachary said, “I’m not sleepy.
“There’s no rush. There’s still a month till the due date. We can take our time to think of a name.“We should think of a few names for a baby girl too. What if a miracle happens?”Zachary said, “Chloe has gotten more adorable over time. Connor also looks cute when he isn’t crying. Their eyes are huge and bright. I feel my heart melting whenever I look at them.“I’m so jealous of Ben for getting a son and a daughter in one go. His babies are so cute. I can finally understand why Nana’s eyes gleam whenever she sees Chloe. She’s always fighting to hold her.”Serenity leaned her head against Zachary’s shoulder. “Let’s not think that we’re having a daughter. I joined a new mothers’ support group when I went for a checkup last time and learned of some ways to determine the baby’s gender. Although they aren’t the most accurate, we can still use them as a reference. I’m 99 percent sure that we’re having a baby boy.“You should just stick to thinking of a boy’s name. You can still come
Soon, the baby did a kick again. Zachary grinned. “Lil’ Bun understands us, Seren. The baby gave a little kick as a reply.”Serenity said, “The baby must think you’re playing with it because your hands keep touching the bump.”“I think the baby understands what we say. I read in books that babies can hear in the womb. Otherwise, why do people bother talking, playing music, or reading to their unborn babies?”“Do you miss Dad, Lil’ Bun? I’ll be by your and Mom’s side from now on. I’ll watch you grow and wait till you’re ready to meet me.“You must be a good kid. Don’t kick your mom too hard. She’ll be in pain. If you like kicking, you can kick me after you’re born. I have thicker skin and a higher tolerance for pain.”Serenity beamed as she watched Zachary interact with the baby in her womb. She was happy. Having Zachary and the baby made her feel like she owned the entire world. It was surprising that a man as tough as Zachary had such a soft side to him. He had changed for
Jane suggested. Antonia added, “You guys can even leave for Wiltspoon tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. You must be tired after your business trip, Mr. York. You should rest at our manor. Besides, it’s the weekend tomorrow. You can meet Ben.”Zachary smiled. “I thought about that as well, but I didn’t want to intrude.”Antonia said, “Not at all. We would love to host you. Sonny probably doesn’t want to go home yet.”She waved at Sonny, who then walked to her. She pulled him into her arms and lifted him, asking, “Do you want to play for another day or two?”“I’m fine with anything. I’ll go back when Aunt Seren does. I’ll follow her.”His mother was not back yet. Sonny did not mind either arrangement. Zachary told him, “I bet you’re having so much fun that you don’t want to go home, but your mom will return soon. Duncan has already gone to Jensburg to bring her home.”Sonny replied with a grunt. He knew about that. He was unhappy that Duncan did not bring him along to
Zachary laughed. The kids were fighting to do something so trivial. Conflicts arose often between the two boys. In the past, he, Josh, and Duncan also got into fights. However, they always reconciled quickly. No one ever took their quarrels to heart. After the bodyguards took all the gifts, Zachary led them to the courtyard. At that moment, Serenity stepped out of the house. She and Zachary stopped at the same time and stared at each other.A day apart felt like three years to them. Since they had been apart for some time, it felt as if a lot of time had passed. During those days, Serenity had been extremely worried about her husband and sister. Luckily, everything was over. “Seren.”Zachary smiled and walked toward his wife. Serenity snapped back to her senses and went to him in quick steps. The couple hugged each other tight. “You’re finally back, Zachary.”“I said I’d come to take you and Sonny home. Of course, I’d be back.”Zachary pulled away from Ser
“Honey, you have me, and my parents treat you like their own. They care for you more than they do for me and I’m their son.”Camryn shook off the pain in her heart and smiled lightly, “Yes, God has been kind to me by giving me such an excellent husband and open-minded in-laws, and sisters-in-law who I get along with like real sisters.”This had somewhat compensated for her lack of familial affection. She was especially grateful to Grandma May. If the old lady had not chosen her, Callum would not have even known who she was, let alone pursue her. The Camryn of today would not exist, and she could not imagine how many more years she would have spent living in darkness if she had not married Callum. Even if Aunt Evelyn had heard of the legendary doctor, she had no way to contact him.Right then, a customer entered the store. The couple aptly stopped their conversation there and moved on from the heavy topic.Meanwhile, in Annenburg, Serenity knew her husband would be flying here tod