Serenity smiled and said, “That’s how kids are. Childhood is the happiest and most carefree time in a person's life. When they grow older and start schooling, and face academic pressures, they won’t be as carefree as they are now.”Jane agreed. “Yes, I sometimes wish I could return to my childhood. Being a little kid was the happiest time.”As a child, she was the family’s little darling. She was pampered by everyone and was even more carefree than her adopted son Laurence. After all, Laurence had to study medicine and self-defense. Before she started elementary school, her time was purely spent playing.Serenity said, “Keep your voice down—don’t let Ben hear you. Otherwise, he might think you’re unhappy with him and start wracking his brain to figure out how to make you happy.”Jane instinctively turned to look at Ben. As if sensing her gaze, Ben looked up and smiled at her. Jane smiled back. Turning her head, she affectionately linked arms with Serenity.“I’ve always been happy.
Sonny, feeling satisfied, said, “I’m so cute. I just knew everyone would miss me.”“This kid’s becoming more shameless by the day,” Serenity commented about her nephew’s growing arrogance.Jane laughed as she took Connor from Antonia's arms. “Sonny is speaking the truth. He’s as adorable as my Laurence.”This was a double entendre. Both kids were clever and cute, but they were also becoming quite thick-skinned, especially Laurence. Jane felt that her adopted son had grown up a lot in his recent time away. He was very perceptive. With a few unconventional old-timers around raising him, they could not judge Laurence by conventional standards.“I’m good friends with Laurence—we’re like brothers. My uncle says that Laurence and I have been playing together since we were little, so we’ll be childhood friends, and that we’ll always be best buddies.”Sonny and Laurence were sitting on either side of Lilian, who was still holding Chloe. The adults in the room laughed. It would be delightf
Lilian was “scolded” by Doc and was only left off the hook after she promised to never bite Oliver again. When baby Oliver returned to Lilian’s arms, he still gave her a huge smile that melted her heart. No wonder her master loved the baby so dearly. Oliver was truly adorable.The Johnson family had breakfast prepared. Everyone took their seats and together they had breakfast at the dining table. After eating, Jane and Lilian accompanied Serenity on a stroll in the garden. Serenity often felt too full after a meal and needed to move around. However, she would get hungry as soon as everything was digested. Jane smiled. “The fetus is growing rapidly at this stage. It needs a lot of nutrients. That’s why you get hungry quickly. Most pregnant women eat small but frequent meals.“I used to eat more than you when I was pregnant. My appetite returned to normal after I gave birth.”Jane had twins. Naturally, more nutrients were required for two fetuses.She felt herself stuff
After two years, Liberty had become a better version of herself. Her style was also more similar to Aunt Audrey’s.Jane did not know what to say. Serenity turned to look at Lilian. She asked, “When are you going to Wiltspoon, Lilian? Is it tonight or tomorrow?”Lilian replied openly, “Tonight. Mr. Patrick is eager to return to Jensburg. He’s been waiting for this day for decades. It has been the sole motivation that’s been keeping him going.”After speaking, she smiled. “How did you know I’d be going over?”“Doc is back, and he can’t possibly leave so soon. Mr. Patrick is old and is plagued by many ailments. He needs a doctor at all times. If your teacher won’t be with him, then it must be you. It’s easy to guess.“The masters will most likely leave tomorrow. Going home was an excuse. They are simply taking a detour to go to Jensburg.”No one had revealed anything to Serenity. She had guessed and analyzed everything herself. Lilian praised, “You’re clever, Serenity. You also
“Children don’t have to be worried about gaining weight. They’re physically active, which burns a lot of calories.”Jane added, “There was a period when Laurence gained weight but lost it soon after.“Since Sonny is also practicing martial arts, he won’t gain too much weight if he doesn’t overeat.“Lilian’s also right, Serenity. My brother and sister-in-law are nosy people. Even if I don’t tell them, they’ll go over themselves. You don’t have to feel like you owe me a favor.”Jane reassured Serenity and told her not to be too worried about the situation in Jensburg. She also convinced Serenity that getting her brother and sister-in-law to go to Jensburg was no big deal. It would be nothing but entertainment to them. “I’m not worried. I’ll wait for my sister to return and celebrate Christmas.”Serenity nodded gratefully. Zachary bringing her over and linking her up with Jane and Lilian back then had been really helpful. Jane and Lilian had powerful families backing them.
“Spot on. He learned the tricks from his friends.”“Aunt Ser.”“Mommy Jane.”The two boys came running over. “Where did your pinwheels come from, Laurence?” Jane asked despite knowing the answer. “This is one of Sonny’s presents for me. Don’t you think this pinwheel is pretty, Mommy Jane? It’s fun. The wind is strong today. It’s a perfect day to play with pinwheels. It’ll be better if we have kites.”Laurence was happy that he had received gifts from his friend. He told Jane eagerly, “Sonny gave me many presents, Mommy Jane. There are toys, snacks, and even books.”Jane patted his head and asked, “Have you said your thanks? Did you get something for Sonny too?”“I thanked him and gave him presents. He liked them a lot.”Sonny chimed in, “I love the present Laurence gave me, Aunt Jane.”The items Laurence had given him were something Aunt Ser could not buy. Laurence said his teacher’s teacher made them. The carved animal figurines looked like they could come alive any seco
The day passed by quickly and evening came around.After a short rest in the afternoon, Serenity was glued to Lilian the entire evening. She got nervous as she watched Lilian stuff many bottles of medicine into her luggage. “These are the medicines I usually bring around with me. Don’t overthink.”Lilian had no choice but to tell Serenity. “There’s also the medication Mr. Patrick has to take daily. I’m bringing it over because his supply is running low.”Serenity kept quiet. Lilian stood and patted her shoulder, saying, “You can follow me to Jensburg if you’re really worried.”“Lilian,” said Jane. Although Serenity was physically there with them, her heart was in Jensburg. How could Lilian even mention bringing Serenity along?It would only distract Zachary and the rest. The situation would get messier too. “I’m not worried. I don’t have to follow you to Jensburg either.”Serenity denied and said, “I’m watching you pack because I’m bored. Oh, by the way, please rela
No matter how close Serenity was with Camryn, it could never surpass her friendship with Jasmine. She knew everything about Jasmine.After all, they had been best friends for over a decade. They were two peas in a pod.“I know. My teacher had examined Camryn as well. I don’t know if he gave her any other medications. I didn’t ask him about it.“It’s okay. I’ll just bring some medicine over for her based on my last prescription.”Camryn’s eyes had almost fully recovered. However, it would take some time for her body to be completely cleared of toxins. Lilian would pity Camryn whenever she prepared her medicine.Paige Newman was utterly cruel. Even if she did not love her ex-husband, Camryn was her biological daughter. Lilian heard that Camryn and Paige looked alike. Even Carrie resembled little of Paige.Nevertheless, Paige disliked and even resented Camryn. She wanted to kill her to ensure her ex-husband, Abel, did not have any offspring. Abel was not to be blamed for
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
Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no
After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even
Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w
Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus
Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m
The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa