“Darren, let’s leave Jensburg after everything ends, okay?“Let’s leave all the mess behind. We don’t have to go too far as long as it’s away from the city center.”Caroline remembered that her company was still in Jensburg but not the city center. She had spent years getting her company going. She had no thoughts of relocating it yet. Resettling the company in a new city and environment meant starting anew, which would hinder its development.Darren replied affectionately, “I’ll leave with you anytime you want. I’ve said that I belong to you in this lifetime.”Whether for personal or official reasons, his body and heart could only belong to Caroline. She raised her head to look at him. She saw his love for her in his eyes. Caroline suddenly found Darren pretty handsome. Although he could not compare to Hayden or the York brothers, he was above average in terms of looks.He was more than enough for her. “Darren, am I marrying into your family? Or will it be the other w
“Don’t sleep just yet. Place an ice pack on your face before you do. It is so red and swollen. I can do it for you while you’re asleep, but it’ll affect your rest.”Darren knew Caroline was embarrassed. He kissed her swollen face lightly and said, “I’m yours forever. Why are you embarrassed by just a kiss?”“Who said I was? I’m thick-skinned. I’m not embarrassed at all. Besides, you said that you’re mine. So what if I kissed you? Even if I decide to have sex with you, you can’t say no.”Caroline refused to admit that she was embarrassed.Darren held the ice pack to her face. He smiled at what she said. “You’re welcome to have sex with me anytime you want. However, it’s best if you can inform me ahead of time so I can bathe and be squeaky clean for you.”Caroline was speechless.“You should’ve tried to dodge Madam Fisher’s blows a little. Both cheeks are swollen.”After a short silence, Caroline said, “I betrayed her first. She has the right to get angry. Even if I think I’ve d
All because she wanted to shorten her business trip. Hence, Isabella worked overtime every day and only returned to the hotel at midnight. She would also go to work at her usual time the next day.Being sleep-deprived, she struggled to stay focused and relied on several cups of coffee to keep herself going.Isabella got up and went to the window. She observed the world outside. The weather was cold. The people walking on the streets seemed to be in a hurry, and there were not many people outside. Austin had mentioned that the streets in Wiltspoon were always crowded regardless of the time of the day. The city was only quiet and less crowded between Christmas and New Year’s Day due to folks from out of town returning homes.Once the week was over, Wiltspoon would be back bustling as city dwellers made their way back.Luckily, Isabella had Austin preparing her three meals every day. No matter how busy she was, she would always be able to eat something when mealtimes came arou
“I’ve been busy,” Isabella replied. “I know you have, but can’t you take time to call us at night?“Our family misses you a lot, especially Louis. He’s been asking every day when you’ll be back.”Actually, Louis simply missed Austin’s cooking.It was devastating to him that Isabella took Austin on her business trip. Austin gave off a friendly vibe, and the food he made tasted great. The two young masters of the O’Connors adored him. Of course, they could not tell Isabella such things, so they said they missed her instead. However, how could Isabella not know her brothers’ personalities? She smiled and said, “I guess they probably miss Austin’s dishes more, but they won’t go hungry even if he isn’t there.”Austin was not the only chef working for the O’Connors. Strictly speaking, he was Isabella’s personal chef. Her family could only have a taste of his cooking thanks to her. While other chefs were not as talented as Austin, they were definitely on par with chefs wor
Isabella knew she and Tati’s parents did not want them to move after marrying. The family business was mainly managed by her and Tati. Their younger sisters were less capable and still young. They were not able to take over the family business yet. Therefore, unless Isabella and Tati’s younger brothers could take over the reins when they become teenagers, she and Tati would have to continue dedicating their lives to the family. They had no choice because the O’Connor family had more daughters than sons. Isabella had spent much time and suffered a lot back then to find her footing in the business world and succeed. Tati smiled. “I also said that I have no feelings for Austin, Isa.“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Although we’ve investigated Austin’s background, we still don’t know much about him. Let’s not overthink. Have you been eating your three meals regularly?”Isabella replied, “Yes. My stomach feels much better after having someone feed me unfailingly.“Don’t wo
Isabella said, “If he refuses to give up, then tell him he can work with the O’Connors, but only on the condition that the legitimate head of the family is present for the negotiations. Mr. Longbottom is just a stand-in. Before the true head returns, he doesn’t have the authority to make decisions.”Tati burst out laughing. “I think he’ll explode from anger when he hears those words, Isa. Everyone knows that he wants to be the official head of the family. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the totem, seal, or token.“No matter how many people he bribes, he’ll never become the true, legitimate head of family.”As for the Longbottom family members who wished to flatter Mr. Longbottom would acknowledge him as the head, while those who were righteous would disapprove of his position. The previous head of family and his family had been killed a few years ago. The identity of the culprit was a no-brainer. “Mr. Longbottom has done much over the years to look for the totem, seal, and toke
Isabella got up and sat on the sofa. Austin opened the door. He entered with her lunch in hand. “It’s time for lunch, Ms. Isabella.”Austin placed the dishes he had prepared on the table. Since Isabella was the only one eating, he made a main with three side dishes, all in a single portion.She had a fussy mouth. Since not many foods were to her liking, her appetite had always been small. Isabella looked at the dishes. The menu had changed from yesterday’s, but the food still looked amazing. Austin scooped half a bowl of soup for her to start with and warm herself up. Actually, Isabella did not feel cold as there was a heater in the room. She was also wearing her usual work outfit without any outerwear. Even if she needed to head out, putting on outerwear was unnecessary because she simply had to take the elevator to the parking lot and get into the air-conditioned car. She only put on a thick jacket when she had to inspect the manufacturing factory. “You can expl
Isabella smiled and said, “You bought local delicacies? I went sightseeing in my free time but never considered buying them.“Maybe because I’m picky and didn’t think they’d taste good.”There were rarely any local dishes or snacks Isabella enjoyed whenever she was in other places. “Every time I travel somewhere, I’ll buy some of the local specialties for my family to have a taste. If I got too much, I’d give them to my relatives and friends.”Austin always had a smile on his face as he spoke. Whenever he talked to someone with a smile, it would be easy for the other party to misunderstand that he had a crush on her. Even someone as calm as Isabella was always in a good mood whenever she talked to Austin. No wonder Tati had a good impression of Austin during their first meeting and often praised him. It had led Isabella to think that Tati had fallen in love with him. “Have you eaten?”Isabella averted her gaze to avoid looking at Austin directly.She enjoyed her lunch eleg
“If Mom said she would create an opportunity for you to get with the king, would you really believe her? It’s just talk—nothing actually happened.” Trenton could not resist poking Carrie’s forehead a few times. “Carrie, can you please come back to earth? In your current state, forget about finding a great guy like Callum—even a regular, decent guy would be turned off by you.”Carrie swatted away her brother’s fingers, irritated and embarrassed. “Am I really that bad? I’m young, beautiful, have a great figure, and a dignified heiress. If the monarchy still existed, I could marry the king and be his queen without a problem.”“Carrie, you have sky-high ambitions, but be careful, don’t fly too close to the sun and end up like Icarus.”As soon as he said that, Trenton was met with a smack from his sister.“Is there a brother who curses his own sister like that? What do you mean by that? I’m destined to have the princess life. I’ll be fine.”However, deep down, she was still worried bec
Camryn was right—he was just too soft-hearted. If he were as ruthless as her, Carrie would have found a job long ago after running out of money.To encourage Carrie to become independent, Trenton decided that after Christmas, he would stop giving her living expenses. He would also tell their parents during his visit to prison that Carrie was truly hopeless.“Trenton, you keep siding with her, and one day you'll regret it. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing who has deceived who knows how many people. Do you really think she cares about you? She just wants to win your complete trust to take everything that belongs to you for herself. By driving us out of our home, she’s not only seeking revenge on Mom and Dad but also on us—especially you. She’s just pretending to be nice to you to sow discord between us siblings.”“Carrie!” Trenton said seriously, “Don’t talk about Camryn like that. She’s not that kind of person. I believe in her, one hundred percent.”Carrie was so furious she wanted
“Alright, alright, I can't win with the two of you against one,” Carrie sulked. “Give me money to spend. I'm out of money.”She reached out her hand toward Camryn, wanting her to give her money. Camryn slapped her hand away. “Even Trenton knows to take advantage of the winter break to find a part-time job and earn some pocket money. You’re perfectly capable, yet you don’t look for a job.“To put it bluntly, if you’ve gone to sweep the streets, you'd still have a source of income. I have money, but I won’t give it to you. Don’t think that just because we’re sisters—estranged, too, at that—I have an obligation to support my adult sister. I’ve said it before: if you want money to spend, earn it yourself.” With that, Camryn walked away to tend to her plants.As Christmas approached, the flower market was bustling. Every day, many people came to buy flowers, and all her employees were out delivering flowers to clients. Sometimes, when it got too busy, she even had to ask her two bodyguar
Trenton was relieved that Dalton was indebted to Camryn. That was why Dalton had been loyal to Newman Enterprise.If Newman Enterprise did not fall into Camryn’s hands, there was no doubt that Dalton would leave the company. If that happened, the company was doomed.When his parents went to prison, he was merely 18, and Carrie only knew how to spend money. Not only that, their relatives were hungry to get a share of the Newman family’s assets. He and Carrie could not have protected their family’s wealth alone.After Camryn regained her sight, she still could not strain her eyes for long hours. Therefore, Dalton remained in charge of the company.Luckily, they had Callum as well. Even if anything were to happen, Callum would not leave Newman Enterprise to fall because many of the Newman family’s assets belonged to Camryn.He would not let Camryn lose anything.“You’ve been brainwashed by Dalton after working with him. Our dad treated him well and trusted him, yet Dalton betrayed
Camryn said, “She’s just using her lack of money as an excuse to start a fight with me.“Do you really think she has no money?”Carrie had somehow become Mrs. Longbottom yet she was still hiding her identity. Camryn had not understood the entire situation yet.Nevertheless, she was certain that Carrie did not need money.After she spoke, a familiar car arrived.It was the car Carrie had always used in the past.When she returned to the Newman family’s villa after getting out of prison, she only drove that car. She could not take other cars. The cars were still parked in the garage. “Come out, Camryn.”Carrie had gotten out of the car and started shouting for Camryn.When the York family’s bodyguards saw her, they simply glanced at her and did not stop her from entering the store. They knew Camryn had always been lenient with her younger sister.Since Camryn did not give any orders to stop Carrie from entering, the bodyguards simply kept an eye on Carrie to ensure that sh
“I want to go to Spring Blossoms as Carrie,” she told the bodyguard who was driving. “Your sister’s people are keeping an eye on your apartment. She’ll get suspicious again if you head over in your outfit. Everything Mr. Longbottom arranged will go to waste,” the bodyguard reminded her.Carrie thought it over. “Okay. Let’s head home first. I’ll change my clothes and remove my makeup before heading over.”She would also check if her stand-in had damaged any of her stuff.If she did, Carrie would tell the stand-in to compensate her.The bodyguard remained silent.Once they arrived at Longbottom Villa, Carrie took off her hyper-realistic mask and removed her makeup. After changing her clothes, she returned to being Carrie and went out with her bag.Her two bodyguards did not stop her from leaving.She could do anything as long as it would not rouse Camryn and other people’s suspicions.Besides, Carrie had just gotten scolded by their boss on the phone. Although Mr. Longbottom
Mr. Longbottom thought he was not so inferior to men younger than him.More accurately, he was far superior. He had status, money, and power.Which of the younger men could be on par with him unless they came from a wealthy family?Many sons of wealthy families could not compete with him.“I can’t go over because I’m busy these days. But I do miss you too.“It’s more difficult because of the festive season. There are many events, and I have to accompany my family. My wife doesn't care about me, but her request is that I be with her during the holidays because we have to meet our friends and families. Do you understand?”Mr. Longbottom had a wife and children. Carrie knew about it. He had never hid that fact.Carrie did not know if he was close to his wife. Although he said they no longer had feelings for each other, Carrie dared not believe him because he had never let other women take his wife’s place.He also never allowed other women to become pregnant with his children.Mr
Carrie thought she had matured since she could figure out that much. In the past, she would not have understood a thing. Love was about accepting everything about someone. Most people could tolerate their partner’s shortcomings when they were deeply in love. However, without love, even a person’s strength would seem like a fault. Carrie smiled. “Mr. York is a workaholic. Serenity must’ve gotten the habit from him and turned into one herself. I can’t believe she’s working so hard even though she’s pregnant.”“She’s still in the early stages of pregnancy. Going to work is fine.”“Do you need anything else, Mrs. Longbottom?” Jasmine asked.“No. I shall take my leave now, Mrs. Bucham.”Jasmine was on guard and unwilling to reveal much about Serenity. Therefore, it would be better for Carrie to leave. She was not close to Serenity and her friends yet. “Bye, Mrs. Longbottom.”Jasmine saw Carrie out and watched as she got into her car.Once Carrie got far enough from the booksto
Mr. Longbottom had been surprised by her question. He told her coldly that she should refrain from asking unnecessary questions.One who knew too much would not live long. Carrie got intimidated and dared not ask another question. Although she got more curious, she did not try to gather more information for fear Mr. Longbottom would choke her again if he found out. “Nothing. I just asked because I haven’t seen her in a while.”Of course, Carrie could not reveal that she was looking for Serenity. Jasmine would get suspicious if she did. No one around Serenity was a fool. “Seren is busy with work. I rarely see her these days,” Jasmine said.Carrie knew it was a lie. She was aware that Serenity's closest friends did not trust her yet. It made her feel defeated. It had been months since Mr. Longbottom found her and asked her to approach Serenity. Despite her efforts, she still had not obtained Serenity’s trust, let alone become her friend.However, Jasmine and Serenity go