Caroline was unmoved by Belinda’s jab and replied, “You’re my mother, so of course, I’m concerned about you. No matter how you treat me, I’ll be concerned about you.”“How have I treated you? Do I treat you badly? If you weren’t my biological daughter, even being a cat and having nine lives would not have been enough to save you for what you’ve done.”“Sure, sure, I must thank you for your mercy.”Belinda could not resist smacking Caroline’s arm.“Ow.” Caroline deliberately yelped in pain before crouching down, clutching the place her mother smacked. This gave Belinda a shock.Belinda glared at her. “I only gave you a little smack. There’s no way I broke it or anything like that. Why did you cry out so loudly as if I slaughtered a pig?”“It hurts—it hurts so much.” Caroline did not reply, merely continuing to clutch at the smacked area and moaning in pain.After a moment of silence, Belinda still crouched down to check, though she grumbled, “I was only a little bit more forceful
Their mother Belinda was simply biased. She favored girls over boys. What could they do? This was their lot, being born into the Fisher family. Even their daughters did not have much standing with their mother. Only the daughter Caroline would eventually have was Belinda’s much-anticipated successor.If he had not been born into the Fisher family and did not have to rely on Fisher Enterprise for a living, Adrian would have wished for the Fishers to fall into chaos and for their hateful family rules to be changed. All the other families were led by patriarchs, but it was the opposite for the Fishers.“Dad, why do you think Mom and Caroline are awake this early? It’s too early for just a walk. It’s so cold outside too. Are they not scared of the cold?”There was heating indoors and though it was not snowing, the temperature was still very low. The Wiltspoonians who had come over to Jensburg rarely went out unless it was for business precisely because they were scared of the cold.Hun
“Why, Dad?” Adrian voiced the confusion he and his brothers shared.Hunter lowered his voice and said, “Your mom is inviting the Wiltspoonians over for a meal. You think that’s a good thing? Even if your mom thinks it’s a good idea, those people won’t be willing. They’re all intent on avenging the previous matriarch.”Justin said, “They can only suspect that Mom was behind the previous head’s death—they have no proof. They’re people of status and position, and without evidence, are they really willing to act carelessly? Aren’t they afraid of ending up in prison? It’ll be their loss.”Jason nodded in agreement.However, Adrian said thoughtfully, “I heard that the previous matriarch’s assistant has appeared. That old man is a resilient one. He’s nearly a hundred years old, still alive, and has even come back to Jensburg. He knows what happened back then.“Things probably aren’t as simple as they seem. Plus, someone’s reported Mr. Gordon for illegal possession of firearms. There’s no
Even if there were dangers hidden in the banquet tonight, he had to walk with her into it.“But tonight's dinner is definitely fraught with peril. You guys need to stick close to Caroline. I can promise you that it will keep you alive,” Hunter said. “Your mom won’t let her only daughter come to harm, so she’ll make sure everything is well arranged to protect Caroline. If you follow her, you’ll be safe.”Adrian frowned. “Dad, that’s just your guess. We’re her sons. If there is danger, why would she call us back? Dad, don’t overthink it.” Hunter glared at his eldest son. “You never listen to me. If you had listened and all returned to the Clark family home, I wouldn’t be so anxious tonight. And now, you’re still ignoring what I say.“Your mom has hated me to the bone for a long time. She usually doesn’t even want to see me, so do you really think she suddenly asked me to move back just for the sake of having a family reunion this Christmas? Why hasn’t she called all your children ba
The mother and daughter pair who had not slept all night were taking a walk in the courtyard. Despite the cold outside, they seemed unaffected by it. They did not talk about grievances or grudges and instead chatted about everyday matters. At that moment, they were just an ordinary mother and daughter.After walking for some time, Belinda said, “Caroline, let’s sit for a bit. I’m getting old and I can’t walk much longer.”With that, she took the lead and sat on a long stone bench. Caroline followed suit.“It’s almost dawn.” Belinda looked up at the sky. “In winter, the nights are long and the days short. If it were summer, it would already be bright by now.”She adjusted her coat and asked her daughter, “Are you cold?”Caroline replied, “Yes, it’s quite chilly outside.”Belinda reached out to fix her daughter’s collar and said, “You’re dressed too lightly. You should wear a thicker coat. You’re usually in heated places, so you don’t feel the cold, but once away from the warmth, i
All three of Hunter’s sons had children, and their wives had taken the kids back to Hunter’s hometown to celebrate Christmas, acquiescing to his arrangements. Hunter prioritized the Clarks’ offspring, while Belinda prioritized protecting her daughter, a Fisher. However, those were still her grandchildren, so she did not ask her daughters-in-law to bring the kids back. It was better for them to stay far from the conflict.Hunter had managed that part well. He understood her ruthlessness and that if the grandchildren had not left, they would not survive. His sons, however, refused to heed his advice and were unwilling to leave. Belinda pressed her lips together. Tonight, it was up to fate. If their lives were not meant to end, then they might just be saved; if they could not escape and were consumed by the flames, at least she, as their mother, would accompany them and bring many influential people along for the ride, making their deaths worth it.As dawn broke, a new day began. Caroli
Caroline glanced at the few bodyguards lying on the ground and said, “Just keep an eye on them. Don’t harm them.”“I’ve instructed them accordingly,” Darren replied respectfully.Caroline hummed in acknowledgment and quickly walked over to get into Darren’s car. Soon, he drove her away from the scene.On the way back to Jensburg, Darren informed her, “Madam Fisher has been planning this for a long time. She got Mr. Gordon to prepare a substitute for you in advance, who is currently taking your place at Fisher Manor.”Caroline rubbed her neck as she said, “I suspected she would do that.” That was why she had also made preparations in advance. When Belinda suggested going for a walk, she dropped her guard and waited for Belinda to act, leading her to think her plan had succeeded. This way, Caroline could work discreetly once she returned to Jensburg. “My mom might be old, but she still has considerable strength. My neck is still aching.”Darren continued to drive as he explained
As long as Darren was by her side, Caroline felt that she did not have to worry about anything, even if the sky were to fall. Liberty often said that Darren loved her deeply and that Caroline felt differently for him as well. She was advised not to miss her chance with Darren and to avoid saying she only wanted a sperm donor, to prevent hurting his feelings. Regardless of how things turned out between her and Liberty, the advice was always for her benefit. Caroline recognized her own feelings too and knew she had indeed fallen for Darren. It was easy to love such an excellent man. Noticing that Caroline had fallen asleep, Darren pulled over to the side of the road, took off his coat, and gently draped it over her. Even with the heater running, she could easily catch a cold because it was so cold out. He watched her quietly for a moment, then leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before straightening himself to continue driving her back to his little home.Meanwhile, Lib