Someone had returned alongside Anthony. He was Silver’s best student, Hawk.He was about the same age as Duncan.Hawk was a serious person. Anyone his sharp gaze targeted would start trembling. “Here’s the evidence Mr. Patrick had gathered, Mom. I found it where he said he kept it.”Anthony handed the evidence to Audrey. She did not look at it immediately but passed it to Patrick first. Patrick had kept the evidence well. All writings were still visible despite it being decades old.“Can you confirm if this is the correct item, Uncle True?” Audrey asked gently. Patrick put on his glasses before taking and opening the box. He checked its contents. He said, “This is the evidence I collected. It isn’t much, but it can be used to put Belinda on the suspect list.”He returned the box to Audrey and said, “Have a look, Drey. Do you think this will be enough?”Audrey looked through the letters, photos, and other items in the box. She told him, “Regardless of whether this is enoug
“It’s been arranged for Dr. Carden to come over in two days and accompany us to Jensburg,” Audrey said. “With her around, we’ll feel a little more at ease too.”Patrick was simply too old. The others worried that the stress of traveling such a distance would leave him breathless and that he would then pass on, just like that. They felt a bit more reassured if Lilian or Doc accompanied them.“Dr. Carden often has to travel to treat patients. Seren won’t suspect a thing if she leaves for a few days.” Audrey continued, “If Seren weren’t pregnant, we wouldn’t be hiding this from her either.”“The baby is more important. It’s better to keep this from her.” Patrick also approved of everyone keeping Serenity in the dark, especially after learning Serenity only managed to get pregnant after a year into her marriage. It was not easy for her to conceive and there was a lot of pressure on her. If she knew it was time for the final showdown in Jensburg, she would definitely be unable to stay pu
Serenity was the Yorks’ eldest daughter-in-law, while Serenity’s biological mother Lisa Hunt was the previous matriarch Tiara Fisher’s younger daughter. Liberty would be the Lewises’ daughter-in-law soon and hold the same standing as Serenity, while Audrey was Tiara’s eldest daughter.That was why the Imperial Force was willing to keep in contact with the Yorks, Stones, and Lewises—out of respect for Patrick. Hawk had not crossed paths with these three families. However, after his master arrived in Wiltspoon, Hawk investigated all the prominent families in Wiltspoon. He learned that the four major families—the Yorks, Stones, Lewises, and Buchams—dominated Wiltspoon, and generally, no one dared to provoke them.The heads of these four families also kept their respective family members in check, preventing them from causing trouble. While they were skilled in business, they did not engage in criminal activities.Besides these four families, there were also the Marshalls, who were less
“That’s right, Grandpa True, another day or two won’t make a difference. How about we accompany you for a walk?” Anthony echoed his mother’s words.Even Hawk chimed in, “Grandpa True, Mrs. Stone is right. We’ve waited decades, so waiting another day or two isn’t a problem. Your health is more important. Lilian should be arriving tonight.”“Since she had the baby, she’s always wanted to go out, complaining that her son cries too much.” Hawk laughed. “Little Oliver is just as much of a crier as Lilian was as a child.”“I remember Lilian was quite easy to handle though,” Patrick said, recalling when Lilian was about two or three years old. At that age, she hardly cried and was very well-behaved, with an exceptional memory. Even if she did not understand whatever she learned immediately, she would remember it and then slowly grasp it herself.Hawk was almost ten years older than Lilian and was already in the first year of junior high when Doc adopted her. He remembered his master bei
Lilian, who had not gone out that day, took her incessantly crying son from the nanny as she asked, “Did he poop?”“No, we just changed his diaper.”“He ate not long ago, so what’s making him cry now? It’s so annoying—he cries all day and night. Can’t he just let us have some peace?” Lilian tried to soothe her son while asking the nanny, “Where’s Tim?”“Mr. Tim is probably with Mr. Ben.”Since Doc and Serenity were coming today, and instead of going to work, Ben and his brothers had stayed at the manor to wait for their arrival along with the elders.Lilian said to the nanny, “Alright, I’ll take him to play with his cousins.”Although Oliver’s cousins were older than he was, they would look at each other and sometimes cry together when gathered. Most of the time though, they still played. However, Oliver was a few months younger and could not sit up yet. He could only lie in his crib, and after lying down for less than two minutes, he would cry for an adult to pick him up.Meanw
Lilian playfully pinched her son’s chubby little face, “So clingy. Do you think we have the time to carry you all the time? It’s all your father’s fault for indulging you. When you were just born, he was always holding you.”When Tim first became a father, he would rush to hold the baby whenever he cried. This habit spoiled Oliver and he would cry easily when away from an adult’s arms.“And your grandfather dotes on you too. He spoils you the most.”Oliver smiled at his mother. Seeing her son’s smile softened Lilian’s heart. She kissed his little face and found his skin so tender that she could not help but give it a gentle nibble. She did not think she had bitten too hard. However, the baby soon pursed his lips and began to cry loudly.Lilian was silent for a moment before she grumbled again, “You little rascal, Mommy only gave you a gentle nibble. Your skin is just so soft that I couldn’t resist. I didn’t bite hard at all, yet you’re crying so much. I see you’re preparing to comp
In Beatrice's eyes, Lilian might as well be a dog. She had a tendency to bite people, especially babies, and the smooth and soft baby skin was irresistible. When she could not control herself, she would end up biting them. Lilian followed her mother-in-law into the house."Mom, when will my master and the others arrive?""They already have. Ben and the rest went out to meet them."Lilian sighed with relief when she saw that her son had stopped crying. She was really worried that the baby would keep crying until Doc arrived."Stop biting Oliver," Beatrice chided. "Even if you really can't help it, don’t bite so hard. The baby is so young, and his skin is tender. Even a gentle bite can leave a mark for a while. Plus, he's your son, and instead of doting on him, you’re behaving like a dog. Did you eat dog meat while you were pregnant?"Lilian awkwardly replied, "He smiled at me. I found him too incredibly cute and gave him a few kisses, and couldn’t help but give him a gentle nibbl
Lilian smiled and said, "Connor, I can’t hold you right now. Why don’t you sit and play with your toys for a while?"Connor stretched his arms but was not picked up, so he complained loudly at Lilian. "Wow, now you know how to shout when you aren’t picked up too." Amused, Lilian freed a hand and lifted Connor to hold him as well. Once in Lilian’s arms, Connor noticed that his sister was still holding a toy and tried to grab it from her. Chloe clung tightly to the toy and would not let him take it. Even when Connor persisted, Chloe managed to wrest the toy back and hit him with it. After being hit a few times with the toy, Connor pouted, his eyes welling up with tears as he prepared to cry."Antonia, quickly, take Connor. He’s about to cry."Lilian was most afraid of children crying, as evidenced by her attempts to comfort her own son. She wanted to escape the moment a child started to cry. Antonia took Connor from Lilian’s arms and picked up one of Connor’s toys from his crib
Liberty smiled. “Not yet. Maybe you can continue sleeping in the car until the sun rises.“We’re home. Let’s get out of the car. Even if you’re sleepy, you should still take a bath first. The year is ending in a few days. The weather isn’t that cold now. I checked the weather forecast. It says it’ll rain a little on New Year’s Day, so the temperature might drop slightly.”Duncan sat up and touched his forehead. Indeed, there was some sweat. “It really isn’t cold. I’m even sweating.”Liberty did not turn on the car’s air conditioning. In that weather, it would be cold if the air conditioning was turned on and hot if it was turned off. Thanks to the wind, it was still cooling when the car was moving. However, once the car stopped, it became stuffy inside. Liberty got out of the car and went to the passenger seat to help Duncan. Duncan declined her help and insisted on doing it himself. Then, he held her hand and walked into the house slowly. After heading upstairs, he belatedl
Liberty did have a fatty liver back then. However, that was resolved after she lost weight. Indeed, having an unhealthy weight could bring about health issues. Purchasing plus-sized clothes was also a problem. Once she started maintaining a healthy weight, she looked fantastic in whatever she wore and often received compliments for having a great figure when shopping for clothes. Most people marveled at her healthy and youthful complexion. She did not look like she was already in her thirties with a four-year-old son. “Do you want to take a nap? There’s heavy traffic ahead.”Liberty saw a stretch of road highlighted in red on the navigation app, signaling slow traffic. “Aren’t most people on holiday and traveling? Why is the traffic still congested?”Duncan muttered, “Maybe there was a car accident.“I don’t need a nap. I’m energetic now. I won’t be able to fall asleep.”He was extremely excited. “If you think I’m too talkative, you can play some music. We can liste
Since Audrey would take care of Sonny, Liberty and Duncan were in a good mood as they exited the Stones’ residence. Duncan’s bodyguards were to return home instead of following him around. He had Liberty anyway. Besides, it was his and Liberty’s wedding night. They even left Sonny with the Stones, so there was no way he would be letting his bodyguards follow him home. Liberty was the one who drove as Duncan’s legs were still recovering. She would glance at him from time to time. She said, “You’ve been staring at me the entire night. Haven’t you seen enough?“It’s not our first time meeting each other. What’s there to look at?”“You’re beautiful. You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”Duncan was particularly generous with sweet words that night. To him, his wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. “I can’t get enough of watching you. I controlled myself in Aunt Audrey’s house because I didn’t want her to laugh at me. Now that there’s only the two of us,
Sonny asked Liberty, “Mom, is it okay? I want to stay at Grandaunt’s house for one night. Tomorrow, you can come pick me up and take me to Dad’s house.”After receiving a call from her former mother-in-law, Liberty had already asked Sonny after he woke up that morning if he wanted to stay with the Brown family for a couple of days, to spend time with his grandparents. Tomorrow, she would take him to the Browns.Liberty smiled, “You can stay the night if you want. Tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up and take you to your dad’s house for lunch.”She planned to call Hank soon and let him know that she was not taking Sonny there early in the morning, so the Browns would not have to get up early to wait.Sonny jumped up happily and said to Audrey, “Grandaunt Audrey, my mom agreed! I’m going to stay here tonight and play with Elias."With that, he rushed upstairs. Elias was getting cuter. When he talked to him, the baby would respond with cooing sounds, which was really fun.“Aunt Audrey, I
After a long while, Jessica finally asked, “You have swollen eyes because Liberty is getting remarried? You’ve lost your chance to remarry her.”“Jessica, I’ve never thought about remarrying Liberty. That’s impossible. I’ll wait for you to be released. No matter how many years it takes, I will wait for you,” Hank quickly explained. “It’s true that I’m upset that Liberty is remarried, but it’s mainly because of my son.“In the future, Sonny will call someone else ‘Dad’, and I’m not around him often. I’m afraid that one day, he’ll only end up closer to his other dad and not me, his biological father.”Jessica quietly looked at him for a moment before coldly replied, “If you have time, you should spend more time with Sonny. Even a biological father and son need to nurture their relationship.”“Who did Liberty marry?” Jessica asked. “Is it Duncan Lewis?”“Who else could it be? It’s Duncan. He kept Liberty close, never letting anyone else near her. Whenever any other man got close to L
Why was he crying? He knew the reason deep down but could not bring himself to say it out loud. Instead, he simply slumped over the steering wheel and cried his heart out. After he was done crying, he finally started the car and left the city hall, heading to the prison to visit Jessica.When Jessica saw him, she noticed his eyes were red and swollen. Thinking something bad had happened in his family, she immediately grabbed the phone and asked, “Hank, why are you crying? Your eyes are all swollen. Did something happen to your parents?”She still harbored hatred toward Olivia and Chelsea, hoping something would happen to that mother-daughter pair. Ideally, she wanted the old woman to face judgment in hell.Back when she stabbed Hank and Chelsea came to the rescue, Jessica felt she should have made sure to stab Chelsea to death. It was because of Chelsea’s incitement that she and Hank ended up like this. The two women had torn apart Hank and Liberty’s marriage, and now that Liberty’s
Liberty did not need them to push her husband. She continued to push Duncan toward the car, and only then did the bodyguards help him into the vehicle. Soon, the luxurious car carrying the family of three drove away from the city hall and merged into the street traffic, gradually disappearing into the distance.It was not until the car was out of sight that the car parked not far from the city hall slowly began to move.The driver was Hank.He would not stop Liberty and Duncan from registering their marriage and neither did he have the right nor the standing to do so. He had intended to take customers but had not received any orders, and without any particular destination in mind, he ended up at the city hall by chance, arriving before Liberty and Duncan.However, his car was parked farther away, and many other cars were occupying spaces near the city hall. After the divorce, Liberty no longer paid much attention to him and did not notice that Hank’s car was already there, waiting.
Liberty was his wife now.Sonny was completely confused. He had come here with his mother and Dunc. Everyone here was so friendly and smiled at them as they congratulated Liberty and Duncan. Why, though, did they not congratulate him?“Mom, Dunc is smiling so brightly. What’s so special about that paper? Mom, can I see it?” Sonny asked, looking up at Liberty, curious about what was so interesting about the marriage license that made Dunc smile so widely.Liberty glanced at Duncan and teased him, “Duncan, the corners of your mouth are almost reaching your ears.”“I’m happy. Very happy,” Duncan responded with an even brighter smile.The weather today was cloudy, though occasionally, the sun took a peek while sometimes it became overcast. Still, the power of the sun today certainly could not compare to the beam of Duncan’s smile.Liberty handed the marriage license to Sonny to view.Sonny eagerly took it and started reading it. Some of the words he recognized, but overall, he did n
“That brat is already at that age and still doesn’t think about settling down. Every time we pressure him, he hides away.” When Audrey talked about Anthony, who did not want to get married, she could not help but feel a headache coming. Out of her three children, the one who worried her the most was Anthony.Serenity walked over to Audrey and affectionately linked arms with her, smiling, “Aunt Audrey, you don’t need to worry. Anthony’s a good man. When the right person comes along, he’ll get married.”“Let’s hope so—he’s not young anymore. Children are always a worry, aren’t they? There’s always something to be concerned about. What about Sonny? Why didn’t he come along?” Audrey asked. “Didn’t you come from your sister’s place?” “Sonny went with my sister and Duncan to the city hall. They said they wanted to go as a family of three,” Serenity replied.Audrey laughed, “Duncan doesn’t mind bringing along a little third wheel, huh? Well, that’s fine. They’re going to be a family, aft