Aunt Evelyn had also advised Camryn to accept Callum if she truly loved him and that she would regret it if she let him slip past. Every one of the York men received the same education and was equally loyal and devoted to their partners. Once they fell in love, it would be for a lifetime.“I know. Our family is just too famous.”Grandma May patted the back of Camryn’s hand. Camryn smiled and said, “That was in the past, Nana. I don’t feel any pressure or inferiority now. I used to think I was just lucky when Callum chose me.“Now I realize I must’ve had some qualities that made you choose me for Callum.“You only gave him a candidate, and it was up to him to decide if he wanted to pursue me. Ultimately, he chose to take action. He decided to learn more about me and develop a relationship with me. After a year, I believe that he truly loves me.“Therefore, I didn’t only regain my confidence after being able to see again but also because I think I’m good enough for Callum.“I
Grandma May smiled. “I don’t care what other people say. They are my grandsons. I raised them and painstakingly nurtured them with their grandfather. I know their personality and what kind of girl suits them more than anyone else.“I just want my grandsons to be happy. Which of the ladies I chose for them isn’t outstanding?“The outsiders always say Seren isn’t good enough for Zack. However, it hasn’t been that long since she joined the York family. Look at her abilities. Is Zack really out of her league?”Grandma May was biased toward Serenity all along. She said, “I feel grateful to Seren for marrying Zack. Otherwise, he might really stay single for the rest of his life with his terrible temper.“Even the psychic had said Zack and Seren are meant to be husband and wife.“It must’ve been the good fortune they’ve accumulated in their past lives. I simply brought them together as they were destined to.”Grandma May disagreed with the saying that she had forced Zachary to marry S
Grandma May simply had too many grandsons. “No. Nana didn’t say anything bad about you. You shouldn’t think of Nana that way.”Camryn flashed a smile at Grandma May as she spoke to Callum. Grandma May deliberately raised her voice. “Callum loved wetting the bed when he was young, Camryn. He still did it even when he was five or six years old. He always said he was looking for a bathroom in his dreams and only cared about relieving himself once he found one.”“Nana!” Callum yelled into the phone. “I, I was still a kid at that time.”Callum defended himself. Well, out of all the York boys, he did wet himself the most. The others no longer wet the bed after their first steps and syllables. They would use the bathroom before bedtime and sleep soundly through the night. On the other hand, Callum had to drink water before he slept, but he would not go to the bathroom. Therefore, he often wetted the bed. Nevertheless, five or six years old was still a child. It was not as
Of course, Camryn loved her husband. She said, “You should go on with your work. I’ll accompany Nana on a stroll to unwind. She got embarrassed by someone’s comment earlier.”Grandma May was speechless. Callum burst out laughing. However, he knew not to ask what comment it was. He did not want his nana to expose more of his embarrassing stories. After the call ended, he put his phone down and took a few sips of tea. Before he could place the cup back on his desk, someone knocked on the door. Callum said, “Come in.”Dylan marched in through the door. When Callum saw him, he put the cup on the table and smiled faintly. “Well, well. To what do I owe this pleasure?”“Ah, you’ve wounded me, Callum. I’m your brother.”Dylan walked over and sat opposite Callum. They were born to the same mother. Callum chuckled. “Is that so? I guess you want my help. Otherwise, I won’t even see you around. Even River drops by to visit me sometimes.”All three of Rosella’s sons had started wor
“There are too many!” Dylan exclaimed.Callum snapped, “Do you still think we’re free? You’re the only one who’s relaxed here. Zachary and I can’t even have a moment’s rest.”“I’m not free. I’m busy too.”“I don’t see you being busy.”Dylan was speechless. Of course, his brothers could not see him being busy. He was not even working at the headquarters. Well, it was his fault for running his mouth and saying he was bored. Why did he not just reveal his reason for being there?“Zachary has it worse,” said Callum.Zachary was the core of York Corporation. Although he did not need to oversee minor things, he still had to handle many major tasks. York Corporation was huge, and his to-do list was packed every day. He had endless meetings and business engagements. Before Zachary and Callum married their wives, they often attended events until late at night. Getting home before eleven at night was considered early for Zachary in the past. After getting married, their priorit
Dylan said, “There are times when I have to seek my sisters-in-law’s help because you and Zachary aren’t good at certain things.“Serenity has gone to FC Manor, while Hayden hasn’t married into the family. I’m not close to Hayden either. On the other hand, Camryn is the wife of my biological brother. Can’t I seek her help sometimes?”To be specific, Serenity was his cousin’s wife. Camryn was his actual sister-in-law. Dylan scoffed. “Camryn doesn’t know the woman you like. She hasn’t even met her before and won’t be of help to you. You shouldn’t disturb her. You can share your problems with me. If I think Camryn can be of help, then I’ll inform her.”“It’s not about my little fox. It’s Sugar. Camryn knows her. They probably still keep in touch. That girl gets friendly with someone really quickly. She became close to Serenity and Camryn. I feel like she’s thick-skinned and an expert at mooching off someone. Callum took a while to recall who Sugar was after searching his brain’s da
Dylan scanned through a document but did not sign it immediately. Instead, he closed the folder, meaning he would not handle it right away. He was talking about something that required his full attention. If not, he would get into trouble and be beaten up by Callum. “Callum, I realized Sugar and my little fox share similar body language.Dylan finally got to the topic. He was there because of Chameleon Fox. She was the only one who could make him endure his brothers’ eye-rolls to ask them questions. That girl had hidden herself again. He could not find her despite searching everywhere in Wiltspoon. Dylan had never felt as defeated as he was throughout his thirty years of living.However, Fox had given him a taste of frustration again. “So what? Do you suspect that Sugar is your little Fox? Besides, wasn’t she the girl who came to the company last time?”Callum remembered how that girl looked. He could recall her face only because she was looking for Dylan. She was
“Do you think you can successfully pursue her?”Callum said, “If you fail, you should consider going for Ms. Doyle as Nana had arranged previously. Since she chose Ms. Doyle, it means Ms. Doyle is a good match for you.“You only tried pursuing her for two or three months. Feelings don’t develop that quickly. I don’t think we’ll ever fall in love with someone at first sight. We’re probably the type to grow feelings only after spending a good amount of time with that person.“Did you think I fell in love at first sight with Camryn? That didn’t happen. I approached her because I was curious about the woman Nana had arranged for me. I wanted to know what aspects of her caught Nana’s eye and why she was compatible.“I paid a lot of attention to her as I was curious. I realized her qualities as time passed and unknowingly gave her my heart.“It was the same as Kevin as well. On the other hand, Zachary fell in love with Serenity only after marrying her and spending lots of time with her.
Isabella could not find anyone who suited her tastes in Satbury. She knew the city was filled with talented young men, but none made her heart race. Their goal was usually the O’Connor family business. The men knew Louis was young and that Isabella was the head of the family. If they could win her heart, it would be equivalent to conquering the O’Connor family. From there, they could gradually swallow the family whole. Isabella dared not date anyone. She was scared of falling into someone’s trap. She would not let her feelings show, even if she had a crush on someone.“Many people are aiming for my family’s status and wealth. I dare not date or get married for fear that I’d destroy the family once and for all. Those people will go to great lengths for money and power.”Isabella was even wary of young masters of wealthy families, let alone ambitious men from inferior backgrounds. “I know Nana is doing this for us. She had chosen our wives. Our parents didn’t need to worry
Isabella knew it would not be that quick. By the time Louis could take over, which would be twenty years later, she would already be close to fifty years old. If she got married and had children within the next two years, her children could inherit her businesses a few years after Louis took over the family business. That way, she could finally retire for good. “Austin, you’re aware that I sent someone to Wiltspoon to investigate your background, right? There was no information about you being a young master of the Yorks. Was it because you didn’t want me to know about it?”“No.”Austin said honestly, “I wasn’t aware. Zachary was the one who told me that you investigated me twice. You couldn’t find the connection between me and York Corporation because Zachary covered it up for me.“He knew that I was here to cook and improve my skills. If you knew I was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon, you might not have hired me as your private chef. If so, I wouldn’t be
Isabella smiled and said, “If the person taking over the family business doesn’t have true ability, they won’t be able to bear the responsibility. In this way, they can still prove themselves. Of course, starting a business from scratch and inheriting from a generation or two back is different.“For those who are supported by their family, no matter how many achievements they have, others will say they relied on their family’s support. If they fail, people will call them useless and a waste, and that family wealth will never last more than three generations. They’ll just wait for your family to go bankrupt.“So, without real ability, no one can take over the family business.”Austin was silent for a moment before responding, “What you say is true. My eldest brother, for example, is very capable. Although we could all take on the responsibility, none of us is as steady as he is. He’s the real anchor of our family. With him around, we don’t have to worry even if the sky falls.“Becau
Oh, right. Ruth mentioned that the York family elders were very open-minded.Open-minded elders and a good family culture were what cultivated outstanding children. It was little wonder that Austin was exceptional and bore such an impressive demeanor. It turned out that he was from a prestigious family.“Isa, what's wrong with Austin? Can we start eating now?”Louis and Phillip were completely confused. All they knew was Austin was not from a simple family, and that he was very capable. Even Ruth had shaken hands with him.The two boys were too young to understand anything besides that. They were just hungry and wanted to eat. It was cold, and the barbecue was very comforting to eat hot off the grill.Isabella smiled and said, “All you two think about is eating. Well, the meat and vegetables are all cooked, so we can start eating now.”As she spoke, she grabbed some meat, shrimp, and vegetables for her baby brothers. Then, she began eating, and everyone followed suit.Ruth too
After Austin left, Isabella asked her friend, "Ruth, do you know the Wiltspoon Yorks? Is Austin really one of them?"“You’ve never been to Wiltspoon, Isabella, and it's so far away. Plus your family doesn't have business there, so it's normal you don't know much about them. I was there for half a month for a trip, and my in-laws have business there.“Last time, when I went on a business trip with my husband, we heard a lot of gossip and rumors related to the York family.“In Wiltspoon, there are several prominent families, but the wealthiest and most powerful is the York family. York Corporation holds the same status in the business world of Wiltspoon as your family does here.”Ruth was introducing the York family to everyone, giving them a preliminary understanding of the family. After that explanation, Ruth added, “The York family has a great family culture to boot. The men in their family are all very loyal. Once they marry, they will remain loyal to their wife and family for
“Your family? As in, Wiltspoon’s York Corporation? Is that your family’s company?” Ruth asked in shock. She looked at Austin, disbelief written all over her face. The members of the O'Connor family were all watching the two of them.“Yeah, that’s my family's company. Our ancestors were good enough to build a strong foundation my elder brother now manages.”“Where do you fall in the order of your siblings and cousins?” Ruth had once traveled to Wiltspoon with her husband for a business trip and had spent half a month there, so she knew a bit about the most prominent family in Wiltspoon. She had also been deeply impressed by the good values the Yorks had. She had heard that the York sons were all exceptional, talented individuals, and indeed, Austin was exceptionally handsome—so much so that it could even incur a god’s jealousy. But how did a young master of the York family end up working as a chef for the O'Connor family?Though York Corporation was based in Wiltspoon, its fina
Austin slept for an hour and then got up. He had to prepare the barbecue ingredients for Isabella, and the marinade was very important. If the O'Connor family was having a barbecue, Austin would actually have it quite easy. He just needed to prepare the marinade whereas the actual ingredients would be prepared by someone else, so he did not need to do everything himself. Of course, if he wanted to take charge and do it all, that was fine too.While Austin was busy in the kitchen, he heard a crisp voice coming from the hall, laughing while asking, “Isabella, where’s that handsome chef of yours? Can I take a look at him? I made sure not to bring my husband along just to see him, so he wouldn’t get jealous.”Austin was speechless. Being handsome could be troublesome too; everyone treated him like a circus monkey. He was not even the most handsome among his brothers. Zachary was the most good-looking and charismatic. If these women saw him, would they go crazy?He heard Isabella sa
As for their future partners, they also had certain requirements. First, their family background should be comparable to the O’Connors, and secondly, they should be from this city or a nearby city—wherever it was, it could not be too far away.Austin had been working for Isabella for some time and had secretly figured out her requirements for a husband. He thought it would be easy when his nana had chosen Isabella for him, but he now understood that it was not as simple as he had assumed.Not only was it hard for Isabella to fall in love, but her refusal to move far from home would also be an obstacle in their relationship. Would he have to marry into her family?Hayden was also in charge of her family company, but she had a twin brother who was just as capable as her. After marrying into the York family, the company could be handed over to her brother to manage.Isabella’s brother had only just started elementary school, so it would take at least another twenty years before Loui
Soon, even Tati ran out and joined the others.Only Isabella remained seated in the gazebo, sipping her tea while watching the younger ones play joyfully. Her personality made it difficult for her to indulge in carefree fun like the rest. However, seeing them so happy lifted her own spirits, and she felt content.She found the tea Austin made to her liking. In the past, she rarely drank tea, as she mostly drank coffee. She would have two cups of coffee every day to keep herself going.After returning to his dorm, Austin lay on his bed but did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, he picked up his phone and chatted with his cousins. He was closest to Peter and River, given their close age gap, and they often chatted the most. At this moment, he was on a call with River.He asked about the situation at home and whether their nana was mad at him for not coming home for Christmas.River replied, “Everything’s fine at home. Nana’s not mad that you’re not coming home. In fact, she’s