Serenity had no choice but to put Sonny down. She said, “I have to answer a call. It might be Zachary calling.”She took out her phone and looked at the caller ID. True enough, it was Zachary. “Is it Uncle Zak, Aunt Ser?”“Yes.”Sonny extended his little hand. “Let me answer it, Aunt Ser. Let me.”Serenity passed the phone to him with a smile. He picked up the call skillfully. “Uncle Zak,” said Sonny clearly. “Where’s your aunt, Sonny? It’s pretty late now. Have you bathed?”Zachary knew Sonny had been playing a lot. Serenity always had to grab him back to bathe.The York family’s elders doted on Sonny a lot. Thankfully, he did not become a spoiled child because of Serenity and Liberty. “Not yet. Aunt Ser said she was taking me back to bathe. I haven’t played enough. I said I wanted to play some more, but Aunt Ser wouldn’t let me. When’s your vacation, Uncle Zak? Aunt Ser won’t scold me anymore if you play with me.”Zachary said, “She’ll scold me if she doesn’t scold y
Zachary hung up after giving Serenity a few reminders. In the past, he would have wanted to be on the phone with her for several hours. Now that he was hiding something from her, he quickly ended the call because he was afraid of exposing something.Serenity did not suspect anything because everyone was busy at the end of the year.Zachary was the head of the York family. He was busier than anyone else. Although his brothers and cousins had grown up and could share his responsibilities, not all lived in Wiltspoon permanently. Only Callum, River, and Noah left, whereas Dylan and Peter occasionally traveled to different places. Kevin and Austin had not returned to Wiltspoon as they were pursuing their happiness. Zachary and Serenity had not asked Austin how his courting was going due to the elders’ visit for the past few days.They wondered if there had been any progress between Austin and Isabella.However, it had only been a few days. Unless Isabella had fallen in love wi
“I know you’re worried, Duncan.”Zachary was speechless when he heard Duncan villainize him as if Zachary did not care about Liberty at all. As long as he was still in love with Serenity, he would be concerned about his sister-in-law’s safety. Liberty had raised Serenity and was her only sister. Zachary had nothing but respect for her. To him, Liberty was equivalent to being his mother-in-law.He would always go to Liberty whenever Serenity fought with him or ignored him. Serenity had mentioned that she had never seen a man who complained so much to the wife’s family. She could not believe Zachary was that sort of person. “Why wouldn’t I be worried about Liberty? She’s my wife’s sister. She’s like a mother-in-law to me.”Liberty had always been a mother figure to Serenity. She started looking after the ten-year-old Serenity when she was only fifteen herself. She acted as both a sister and a parent. Not only did she become a fine woman, but she also raised Serenity to
Duncan asked, “Who’s Mr. Patrick?”Zachary replied, “Oh, we forgot to tell you.”He told Duncan about Mr. Patrick. When Duncan heard that Tiara’s assistant had been found, he finally understood why the situation in Jensburg suddenly became so tense. He sulked and said, “I know you all are hiding things from me so I don’t get anxious, but I’ll still feel sad and guilty.“If only I drove slower and more carefully that day, I wouldn’t have gotten into an accident. If the accident didn’t happen, my legs wouldn’t get hurt. None of you will be keeping secrets from me now.”Zachary said, “It’s because many things happened over the past few days…”He did not finish his sentence. They had indeed hidden some information from Duncan after considering his injury. Duncan stayed silent for a moment. Then, he raised his head to look at Zachary and said, “I feel better with the elders around. It’s late, Zachary. Why haven’t you gone home?”Zachary replied honestly, “I haven’t updated Ser
Zachary had no words. They could do nothing but worry about Liberty.Meanwhile, in Jensburg, Belinda did not attack Liberty that very night. It was because Clive had arrived from Wiltspoon. Belinda had received the information swiftly. Mr. Gordon entered her study. No one knew what they were discussing inside. The night passed peacefully. It snowed heavily in Jensburg the next day. When Caroline woke up, the first thing she saw was the white ceiling. The smell of antiseptic overwhelmed her nose. She was not in her room. ‘Oh. Darren said he was taking me to the hospital.’She was most likely in the hospital then. What time was it?When her memories came flooding back, Caroline sat bolted upright. However, she got dizzy and fell back into the bed. What on earth was the drug her mother had given her?She managed to regain consciousness last night but felt extremely dizzy and weak. She fainted again shortly after. Caroline had no memory of Darren taking her to t
“It’s true. However, Mr. Gordon had met Madam Fisher several times. I don’t know what they are planning.”Darren pulled a chair over and sat by the bed. He tugged the blanket to cover Caroline further. “It’s snowing a lot today.”Caroline turned toward the window and saw falling snow, covering the ground in white. “You regained consciousness pretty quickly and told me to contact Liberty. She was able to make preparations and even had reinforcements sent in from Wiltspoon. Madam Fisher might’ve shifted her plan because the situation had changed.“You should focus on resting and not overthink. You’ve done everything you could.”What he meant to say was that Liberty would not blame her. Madam Fisher was Ms. Caroline’s biological mother. Nevertheless, Ms. Caroline had chosen justice instead of siding with her mother. She had done enough for Liberty and the rest. “Are you hungry? I’ll buy breakfast for you.”“I wasn’t hungry before, but I am now that you mention it.”Carolin
“Mr. Fletcher.”Hunter smiled at him. However, he was utterly frustrated. Despite being the husband of the matriarch, his status was not even as high as the assistants. He still had to show respect when he talked to them. “We’re here to visit Carol. How is she? We were worried for the entire night and only found out this morning that you’ve taken her to the hospital. We rushed over right away.”Hunter lied. He and his sons left Fisher Manor in a hurry after getting yelled at by Belinda. After that, they monitored what was happening in the manor. However, nothing happened the entire night. Aside from Mr. Gordon visiting the manor several times, it was a relatively peaceful night.Hunter had thought, ‘Did I make a wrong guess? Otherwise, did Belinda set up a trap to trick Audrey Stone and Liberty?’Darren said indifferently, “Ms. Caroline is awake and fine. You look more badly injured than her.”Hunter laughed sheepishly. “I fought with the matriarch. I was worried aft
“Now that we’ve seen you’re fine, we can finally relax. Don’t eat whatever your mom gives you next time. You shouldn’t even touch a cup. Your mom is evil. She even killed the sister who raised her.“She’s a selfish person who only loves herself.“As her children, she’ll give you all some love if you’re obedient and listen to whatever she says. However, she won't hold back once you start going against her.”Hunter started badmouthing Belinda before their children without fear. Well, he was not bad-mouthing. Everything he said was true.Belinda was indeed a selfish person who loved no one but herself. “I’m okay, Dad. You should return with Adrian and the rest now. Take care, and don’t disturb Mom if you have no business with her.”Caroline was aware that her parents had become enemies. They did not get a divorce because they were old and Hunter could not bear losing the benefits the Fisher family provided to the Clarks.Hunter had always thought he had sacrificed his happines
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After 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 fiancée, 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. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There 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 fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée 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. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella 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 fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s 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. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella 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. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s 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 Austin’s 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, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h