Jane said, โOkay. We can get the present when we go shopping for clothes tomorrow.โShe 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. โWhat present should I get for Sonny?โLaurence sounded as if he was asking Jane and muttering to himself simultaneously. Jane said gently, โSince itโs a gift for Sonny, you should get something he likes.โLaurence was in a dilemma. โSonny loves food. He already has a lot of toys.โโYou can get him some food then.โโSonny isnโt picky. He eats everything as long as it doesnโt kill him. If so, wonโt I have to prepare many presents?โLaurence 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 Sonnyโs 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 mastersโ teaching. Of course, the masters would refuse to teach someone who did not have talent. Laurence answered seriously, โThe books in my bag are gifts from the grandpas and grandmas for the new year. I like them a lot.โHe 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. โSince Iโm Sonnyโs age, heโll definitely like whatever I do. Thatโs why I want to give Sonny some books as well. He likes too many types of food. I canโt buy that much food for him.โJane said, โAre you su
Jane patted Laurenceโs head. She said, โAdmitting and correcting your mistakes is good.โHe 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, โYou can go and play now.โโWhereโs Chloe, Mommy Jane?โLaurence added, โI want to play with her.โHe only had one younger sister. He preferred her over his younger brothers but they were also adorable. โHer nana mightโve brought her out to play. Connor is still with the nanny. Do you want to play with Connor?โAfter thinking about it, Laurence said, โIโll look for Chloe. Since Connor has the nanny to play with, he doesnโt need me.โConnor was a crybaby like Oliver. Uncle Ethanโs 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
โWas that Chelsea and her family?โ Jasmine asked Serenity after they settled down. โIt must be. Sheโs been living a comfortable life. Sheโs even dressed in expensive clothes and jewelry.โBefore 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. โIt is Chelsea.โSerenity replied, โLucas called Sonny twice, but Chelsea covered his mouth. Sheโs scared of us joining her for dinner and making her pay.โIn the past, she and her family would go to Libertyโs house to eat for free. They never helped out and even dared to order my sister around and pick on her.โThe 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, โItโs reasonable, yes, but before Dylan makes up his mind, you can still give it a shot.โImogen smiled and said, โSerenity, Jasmine, letโs eat and stop talking about men. Both your husbands are good men, so youโll feel happy to talk about them, but the man Iโm interested in isnโt interested in me. Talking about him will just ruin my appetite. Like Sonny said, eating is king. Letโs just eat.โSerenity and Jasmine stopped there. They had no way of influencing Dylan when it came to his feelings.โWell, itโs not like I didnโt get anything out of this visitโI got two new friends. Whether or not Dylan and I end up together, the three of us will still be friends. You guys mustnโt renounce me. Either way, Iโm wrapped around both of your thick thighs, so you can forget about trying to kick me away.โSerenity could not help but laugh.Jasmine laughed too and said, โYouโre speaking casually with us already. We canโt just abandon you now, can we?โImogen was very good at co
Jasmine scoffed. โDonโt believe a single word of what she says. Sheโs a master at exploiting. Second to none.โSerenity heard Chelsea say to Mrs. Brown, โMom, the kids said they hadnโt eaten something delicious in a very, very long time, so I took them out to eat. Weโre done eating, but I donโt have enough money to pay the bill. Do you have money in your account? Transfer some money to me.โ Chelsea walked off into the distance. Serenity and the rest could no longer hear what she said.Jasmine said to Imogen, โIf I had a daughter like that who only knew how to leech off her family and take advantage of them, Iโd strangle her at birth.โImogen replied, โYou wouldnโt know if she was that sort of person at birth, though.โJasmine was silent for a moment before she decided, โIโd cut all contact with her and pretend I never had a daughter, then.โImogen, that shameless nut is Sonnyโs aunt. She just loves taking advantage of anything she can. She used to frequent her parentsโ place to
โHave you eaten, Dad?โHank replied warmly, โNot yet. Iโm not hungry yet, so Iโll only eat after Iโve taken two more customers. Youโve eaten, right?โSonny replied, โYeah. 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 donโt why, Aunt Chel covered his mouth. Lucasโs 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.โHank did not pay much attention to this at first and laughed. โOh, you ran into Aunt Chel? Did you say hi to her?โโNo,โ Sonny answered honestly. โLucas called out to me but Aunt Chel covered his mouth. Dad, what does Aunt Chel mean by that?โHank was silent for a moment. โYour Aunt Chelโฆ You donโt have to mind her.โHe 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
Georgeโs business was doing fairly well and Chelsea was definitely not short of money. Hank could forgive her for not inviting their parents out to dinner with her family but she even asked their mother to foot the bill once they were done eating. It was no wonder Hank was angry.โGot it, Sonny. The next time Iโm free, Iโll take you out to eat too, okay? I have to go now. You have to listen to your Aunt Ser, okay?โโIโll be good, Dad. Take care.โ Done tattling, Sonny happily ended the call.Serenity heard it all. After Sonny returned her the phone, she tapped him on the forehead. โYouโve even learned how to snitch, huh, kiddo?โChelsea had really gone too far this time though. This had nothing to do with Serenity, so she would not interfere. If Sonny wanted to complain, it was the Brownsโ issue. If she had been the one to tell Hank about it, Hank might suspect she was deliberately making things up about Chelsea, but he did not have the same reservations with Sonny.Sonny blinked a
Austin was extremely patient with the boys. Although they occasionally caused trouble, most of them were minor issues. They would never do something they were not allowed to do.After breakfast, Austin brought them their bags. With a boy in each hand, he left the house. It was to prevent the boys from saying he was playing favorites. Dominic was used to that scene. Initially, Austin was simply Ms. Isabellaโs private chef. However, he gradually took on more responsibilities.He would take the two young masters to school. If he had time in the evening, he would also fetch them from school. Austin also made sure Louis and Phillip did their homework, supervised their hobby classes, and played with them. Sometimes, he would even teach them martial arts and train with them. Dominic felt Austin was an all-rounder. It seemed like there was nothing Austin could not do. No wonder Ms. Isabella thought highly of Austin. However, Austin was a young master of a wealthy family. He w
Louis and Phillip were downstairs having the breakfast Austin had prepared for them. The food was different every morning, and everything was delicious.Having gotten used to Austinโs cooking, Louis and Phillip could no longer stand the food provided in the school. They thought the food there was terrible. Louis was enrolled in an elementary school not far from home. As he was a first grader, he did not need to stay in the dormitories and could have his lunch and dinner at home. Phillip, who was a year younger than him, was still in preschool. He would have breakfast and dinner at home. Actually, the preschool did provide breakfast, but Phillip refused to eat in school and insisted on having breakfast at home. In order to eat the breakfast Austin made, he would get up early in the morning without the adults waking him. After putting on his clothes and washing up, he would head to Louisโs place with his bag. โAustin.โLouis suddenly asked, โDid my sister come back last n
Isabella had always thought Tati was teasing her. Therefore, she did not take her words seriously. She thought it was completely normal for Austin to treat her well as she was his boss. From Austinโs perspective, she was his source of income. Now that Isabella pondered about it deeper, she realized perhaps Austin did come to Satbury for her. It was not just to be her chef. He always said Grandma May only gave the York lads a year to pursue their fiancรฉes. However, Austin had never left since he started working for Isabella. Even if he did, it was to accompany her on business trips. He was busy feeding and taking care of her every day and had never gone to pursue his so-called fiancรฉe. He did not even try to gather information on her. Was he not anxious?A year would go by pretty quickly. Although it felt like it had not been long since Austin started working for Isabella, three months had passed. Time really flew. Three months had gone by in the blink of an eye. Neve
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, โMs. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.โIโm polite to other women when I need to be. If theyโre unimportant, Iโll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I wonโt cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.โGet some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. Iโll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.โAfter 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 fiancรฉe, 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. โMs. Isabella.โIsabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, โThis may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?โIsabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?โSomeone like Austin,โ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, โI like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isnโt as financially well-off as mine, I donโt mind so long as heโs honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.โOf course, itโll be great if we have the same social status. That way, weโll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, weโll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.โโAlthough you can accept someone who isnโt from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, โItโs okay. I know I was forcing it.โThere 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 fiancรฉe was. He was already so protective of his fiancรฉe 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. โYou werenโt forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. Itโs only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.โAustin said gently, โItโs not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancรฉes for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.โTo be honest, we didnโt even know Nana had been choosing fiancรฉes for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
โYou can drink it now. Itโll turn cold if left aside for longer.โIsabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. โIโm drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what Iโm doing and saying.โIโve had enough ginger ale.โShe did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. โWhich family is your fiancรฉe from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?โIsabella 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 fiancรฉe that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austinโs fiancรฉe, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austinโs fiancรฉe had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabellaโs 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. โYouโre the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.โAustin added gently, โYou give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but youโre always a nice person in my eyes.โIsabella 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. โEven my parents are scared and avoid me when Iโm in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, โDonโt worry, Ms. Edith. Iโll take good care of Ms. Isabella.โEdith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousinโs 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 Austinโs 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, โMs. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?โIsabella rubbed her temples and said, โYes, please. I donโt want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.โAustin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austinโs