Eventually, Old Mrs. Stone accepted Audrey, also because she gave birth to two boys and a girl. Audrey only truly felt at ease in the business world after this. Old Mrs. Stone especially doted on Elisa, whose temperament was similar to hers. “You’re being modest, Missy Drey. You’ve fully inherited Ms. Tiara’s talents and would do well anywhere you go.” Patrick’s words were full of pride like a parent bragging about their child.As Darrell and Audrey helped Patrick out of the room, she laughed. “I wasn’t yet the heir of the Fishers and didn’t have this status to back me up, so I had to start my own business. Otherwise, as someone’s employee, I would have to be an excellent judge of character in everything I do, and many things were beyond my control.”Later on, she indeed started her own company. After Clive stepped up, she handed her company to him to manage and she stepped down, spending her retirement peacefully with Darrell. From time to time, she would worry about her children’
Patrick said with relief, “I know, Serenity has a good husband. She married into the York family, so there’s no need to worry about her. Things will only get better for her from here on out. Old Mrs. York is a smart cookie. “But I heard Liberty’s divorced and I know she has custody of her son. Before I came here, I did ask some men to look into her ex-husband. The Browns were simply too shameless and outrageous.“It’s just that Liberty’s still so young. She’s only in her early thirties and will still have to find someone willing to marry into the family. This is the way it has always been done.”Patrick understood right away that Audrey did not intend to fight for the position of the matriarch herself when Audrey arranged for Liberty to go to Jensburg. Serenity was the Yorks’ eldest daughter-in-law. She was not suitable to take the position, and even if Zachary was willing to marry into the Fisher family, the Fishers would be too embarrassed to let him do so.Meanwhile, Elisa was
Sugar was not willing to reveal even just her real name, so Serenity and company did not even ask where she was from. When they heard Audrey reminding Patrick not to rush down the stairs, everybody stopped chatting to look toward them.A few young ones went over to help Patrick descend, but he laughed and waved them off. “I’m alright. I’m not so weak that I need support just to walk.”They all seemed to be Tiara’s offspring. Patrick felt gratified. He thought Tiara’s whole family was dead but fortunately, he had found the two sisters, who both also had children of their own. Tiara’s lineage had not died out.Sonny had never met Patrick and hurriedly retreated into Serenity’s arms when he saw the old man. Serenity said softly, “Sonny, this is your great-granduncle I told you about.”Sonny stayed silent as he watched Patrick with his bright, sparkling eyes. Patrick sat down and greeted Grandma May and the rest.She asked in concern, “Are you alright, Old Pat? You don’t look too well
Zachary’s mouth twitched. His nana called him a blockhead again. Serenity could not help but laugh. Grandma May liked to call her grandsons blockheads, but were blockheads this handsome?Sugar glanced at Dylan when everyone’s attention was elsewhere. When Grandma May arrived at the Stones’ manor, she also informed her other grandsons who were in Wiltspoon to come over to meet the elders. Although the elders accepted her invitation and promised to visit Wildridge Manor, she was still afraid they would go back on their word. Where would she find them if they suddenly disappeared?Despite being born in the same generation, Grandma May was unfamiliar with the elders. She had only heard about them but had not met them in person. She could not guarantee that they would visit Wildridge Manor for her. After hearing Grandma May’s words, Silver glanced at Sugar. He teased Grandma May, “I don’t think you have to look any further. What do you think of my student? Sugar is in her
“What about us ordinary people, Grandma May? If Zachary and the rest are considered mediocre, we’re probably bottom feeders.”Clive smiled and joked around. Remy nodded in agreement. Grandma May laughed aloud. Her nine grandsons were her greatest pride. After a few more years, her grandsons would have formed their own families. Even if she died, she could leave with a smile on her face. Patrick looked toward Sonny again. Sonny was in Serenity’s arms, looking at everyone curiously. He did not understand what the elders were saying. “He does look a lot like her,” Patrick murmured to himself. “He looks a lot like Ms. Lisa when she was young. If he had his hair in braids and wore a dress, he would look exactly like her.”Patrick was lost in reminiscence while staring at Sonny. Back then, Lisa used to ask him to lift her whenever she saw him. “Uncle True, upsy-daisy.”He could never refuse her request. Patrick would lift her high and spin her around before putting her
Grandma May smiled. “Sonny is indeed a good boy, but he can also be very naughty sometimes.“If he’s quiet, it means he’s causing trouble somewhere.”Serenity chimed in. “There was once when he was playing quietly on his own. I went looking for him, and it turned out he was playing with my skincare and makeup. My lipstick was smeared all over the table and floor.“He even smeared it all over his face. I was totally speechless.”Everyone burst into laughter as they imagined the scene. Sonny was embarrassed by everyone laughing at him. He buried his face in Patrick’s chest and said, “Aunt Ser is laughing at me, Great-grandpa True.”Patrick was swooning over how Sonny was addressing him. He immediately got protective and told Serenity, “Stop laughing at him, Serenity. That’s just how kids are when they’re young. Your mom used to be naughty when she was young too.“She would spill the expensive alcohol Madam Tiara had collected and even smash the bottles. She also took a pair of sc
The Hunts had hurt the sisters too much. Before Patrick made his visit, he already knew what Madam Tiara’s daughters had experienced. His heart ached for Lisa, and he resented the Hunt family.He also supported Serenity and Liberty in fighting for the house Scott and Lisa had left for them.The house belonged to them. Built by their parents, the house held the memories of their childhood happiness. They would always recall times with their parents whenever they returned to that house. Those were the memories the sisters wanted to protect. Therefore, the house could not be taken away.The Hunt family had wronged Serenity and Liberty. Not only did they become rich with the compensation they received for Lisa and Scott’s passings, but they also chased them out of the house and forcefully occupied it. Before Liberty and Serenity came of age, the Hunts tried to guilt-trip them into paying Old Mrs. Hunt’s hospital bills. Oppressing the Hunts and pushing them into a corner was me
When the fight for the house was ongoing, the Howdens gave up on Lisa’s inheritance and passed it all to Liberty and Serenity. After that, Serenity sent some gifts over to the Howdens. That was the last of their interaction. Lisa had lost a lot of memories, probably from being transferred from family to family countless times when she was young. It could have been selective amnesia.Serenity and Liberty were mature enough to stop asking their mother about her past after she had refused several times to recall or talk about it. However, Serenity had always been curious about her mother’s younger days. Before Lisa was three or four years old, she was a happy kid. Patrick jogged his memory. He said, “Ms. Lisa was honey-tongued. She looked adorable. Sonny is like a replica of the young Ms. Lisa. Everyone loved her.“Although she was a troublemaker, everyone couldn’t bear to scold her because it was a child’s nature. On the other hand, Ms. Audrey wasn’t as eloquent. Ms. Lisa tru