At his words, Isabella chuckled and said, “Since you both are so enthusiastically generous, I’ll call the others to go shopping together and give emptying your bank accounts a good go. “You haven’t gone shopping in a long while, so have a good time buying everything you like.” Both the boys nodded and Louis continued, “You’re always so busy. It’s about time you let loose.”Isabella was the busiest and most hardworking of all the O’Connors. Ever since Louis could remember, he had never seen his sister go shopping or traveling. Every day was filled with work, networking, and business trips. She could not relax even on the weekends because sometimes, she had to schmooze with clients by golfing, swimming, or fishing with them. It had to be said though, the clients who could make her personally make the trip were utterly important clients who could bring profits to their company in the billions.Isabella would not entertain regular clients. In fact, they would not even get to meet her.
Isabella wanted to discuss Louis's education with her parents. She took his education seriously and always made it a point to check on his studies, no matter how busy she was. If he got into trouble, the elders tended to spoil him and were reluctant to scold or punish him. Once Isabella found out, she did not care whether he cried or acted cute, she would discipline him by correcting his mistakes and then making him write a self-reflection. If their parents or relatives protected him, they would be made to write one too. She wanted to see who would still dare to cover for those two troublemakers in the future.Of course, she would not interfere with harmless mischief. It was normal for boys to be a little naughty, as long as they understood what was acceptable behavior and what was not. Instilling the right values from a young age meant that even if they grew bold, they would not commit outrageous or illegal acts when they got older.“Isa, Austin said the soup’s ready. He made you
“It’s almost Christmas, and our parents keep calling us to come home and celebrate with them, so we came back,” Ruth replied. Then she remarked on Isabella, “You just got back from a business trip and you’re heading back to work right away? O'Connor, you’re working too hard. You have several younger sisters who can help out now. You should delegate instead of taking everything on yourself. Don’t tire yourself out like this.”Ruth genuinely ached for her friend. Although they were close friends, ever since Isabella took over the family business, they rarely met up because Isabella was so busy. Most of the time, they stayed in touch via their phones and maintained their friendship that way. Fortunately, they had been classmates since elementary school, and their strong bond from years of friendship kept them connected despite Isabella’s heavy workload.The O'Connors, the Fullers, and Ruth's in-laws all had business dealings together. Isabella was the head of the O'Connor family, and bo
Even now, in terms of status and wealth, Caleb was still quite out of Isabella’s league. Isabella tried to recall who Caleb was for a moment before she asked, “What does he look like? I don’t have any impression of him.”When they were in school, many boys would surround her, but she never felt anything for them. She often wore a stern expression that was as cold as ice, earning her the reputation of being an icy beauty, which discouraged them from making any advances. As there were so many boys who liked her, she really could not remember their faces, but also because she simply knew they were not the kind of men she wanted. That was why she paid no attention to them. So how could she remember what Caleb looked like?Ruth was speechless for a moment. Then, she replied, “He was the most handsome boy in our class! You really don’t remember him at all? You were in the same class for two years!”“He wasn’t the only one who was my classmate for the two years. How could I possibly reme
“Bring your husband along. Don’t let him misunderstand and think you’re coming to my house for an affair.”“Fine… I’ll bring him. I just want to see if a man with such a nice voice is also good-looking,” Ruth reluctantly replied.After a moment of silence, Isabella said wryly, “Maybe you shouldn’t come after all. I’m worried you might regret getting married once you see him, since you can’t pursue handsome men anymore.”“Wow, he must be a hottie then! Now I definitely want to go see him. If you’re saying that about him, it must mean he’s exceptionally good-looking. O'Connor, remember to let me know if you get tired of him. I’d love to scoop up a handsome chef for myself. J just looking at him would be a delight, and I wouldn’t even feel hungry!”Isabella could not help but laugh. “As of now, I’m still enjoying the food he makes, so I’m not tired of him yet. He’s a natural at cooking—he must have been a royal chef in his past life. He’s young, but very skilled.“I’ve tried his dish
After finishing her call with her friend, Isabella entered the dining room. The two little ones and her mother were already seated at the table, each with a bowl of soup and savoring it. A bowl of soup was also waiting for Isabella at her usual spot, served by Austin.After calling out to her, Austin returned to the kitchen to finish preparing two more dishes before they could eat. After Isabella had lunch and a short rest, she would need to head back to the office. Austin felt a bit tired too, but he wanted to take care of Isabella first. Only after she left for work could he finally have a good rest. If she did not come back for dinner that evening, he could either work or continue resting as the O'Connors had other chefs.His primary responsibility was to Isabella and he was allowed to refuse cooking for the rest of the family if he did not feel like it. They would not say anything if he chose not to. However, Austin regarded the O'Connor family as his future in-laws, so he was ha
Phillip felt aggrieved after being kicked by Louis but remained silent. It was not that he wanted to study, but Isabella was just that much stricter than their teachers, so much so the elders in the family did not dare to protest, much less them.Louis, feeling frustrated, channeled his emotions into his appetite, eating an unusually large lunch. It was a good thing that Isabella stopped him from overeating as she worried he would get indigestion. Otherwise, he really might have eaten in excess. If he had indigestion, he could avoid doing his homework.After lunch, Isabella said, “Austin, after your afternoon break, could you make some snacks for Louis and the others? Leave some for Tati, she loves your snacks. I won’t be home for dinner tonight, so you can manage your time freely. By the way, about Christmas—do you mind working during the holidays? I can offer you five times your usual salary, plus a Christmas gift and bonus.”Considering that her few days off during Christmas time
Austin said, “Thank you for your consideration, Ms. Isabella. My nana is over eighty but still in good health and she can still fly. I do have a large family though, and it would be difficult for everyone to come over. It’s better to forget it. I’ll tell my family that I won’t be going back for Christmas this year. They’ll understand.”He had thought about this before coming here. His family was already mentally prepared for his absence during the holiday. Plus, next year, he planned to take Isabella home for Christmas and finalize their engagement. His nana had only given them a year to cement their relationship with their bride candidates and as long as they treated them with care, a year was enough to win their hearts.“As for the Christmas holiday wages, Ms. Isabella, just give me whatever you think is appropriate. My job is to be your chef and provide your daily meals, so it’s normal not to have time off during the holidays in this line of work.” The service industry was usual
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
The Queen family was well-educated and had few members. Sophia had heard of other families fighting over power, but Caroline’s experience shocked her the most. Maybe it was because the Queens was close to her. Sophia quite liked Caroline as well. “How could they… You’re their biological sister!”Caroline smiled bitterly. “Are you having a fever, Carol? Your face is red.”Sophia touched Caroline’s forehead. She said, “You’re burning up. Have you informed the doctor, Mr. Fletcher?”Darren replied, “The fever started at dawn. Ms. Caroline caught a cold. Her fever subsided after taking medication once, but it returned.“It’s time for her to take her medicine.”Sophia spotted the lunch boxes. She told Darren, “Go have your lunch, Mr. Fletcher. I can look after Carol.”“It’s okay, Mrs. Queen. I can eat on my own,” said Caroline embarrassedly. It was her first time feeling cared for by someone her mother’s age. Although Sophia was not part of her family, the lady treated her
Caroline looked toward Darren. She said, “In my younger days, I often caught colds and coughs when the weather was too cold. The coughing will last throughout the changing of seasons. Therefore, I’ve been looking after my health since I grew up.“My immune system strengthened a lot. I haven’t been coughing for years.“I’m not worried.”Caroline stared at Darren lovingly. “I have nothing to be worried about with you here.”Darren pinched her face lightly with affection. “I’m still sulking. I didn’t want you to risk yourself, yet I couldn’t stop you. I’ll only feel better once you recover.”He was Caroline’s assistant and had to heed her orders. Even if they were dating, he still had to follow her arrangements.“Okay. Don’t be angry. I won’t take risks like this again in the future. You’ll age quickly if you get angry frequently. If that happens, your hair might turn gray before I even grow old.“We promised to grow old together.”Under Caroline’s gentle coaxing, Darren’s expre
Darren became an orphan when he was only a few years old. After losing everything, he was collected and trained by the training center to be an all-rounder assistant. He could not remember how he lost his parents as he was too young back then. Since he had no memories, there was no pain.Nevertheless, he had seen others interacting with their parents. He knew parents should love their children. There were not many parents who would not shower their children with love. Ms. Caroline was too unlucky to have met one. “I don’t care. I don’t care about my dad at all.”Caroline asked, “Has my dad asked you to give him money? He doesn’t need money. He just wants to know about his sons’ conditions.“Having lived for so many years, he was probably aware of the consequences of his sons’ plan and had advised them not to do it. They didn’t listen to him, so he’s just hoping to get lucky and waiting for some news.”Hunter must have known that her brothers were going to murder her. Sinc
“I’m not obliged to provide for you, Mr. Clark.”Darren would not give Hunter money. He also felt Hunter was trying to obtain some information through the call, not money. Hunter said furiously, “Aren’t you going to marry Caroline? You’ll be my son-in-law in the future. It’s like being half a son to me. Since you’re my son, you should look after your father. Quick. Give me the money.“Otherwise, I won’t let you marry my daughter.”Darren said without hesitation, “Ms. Caroline will decide for her marriage.“If we do get married, she’ll be the one in charge of the finances. I don’t have money.”“Fletcher! Are you a man? Can’t you revitalize the spirit of the Fisher family’s sons-in-law? You saw how I ended up like this. I didn’t have access to the finances and didn’t have money. I’ve been under strict control ever since I married into the family.“That was how I ended up in this miserable state. I’m telling you, the Fisher women are evil. It’s best if you don’t marry Caroline.
“Why would a husband have an affair if his wife could do well?”Ellie was exasperated. She ended the call without hesitation. “Old bastard. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. All your sons cheated on their wives because they have a perverted father like you.“I would’ve divorced Jason if it weren’t for my children being too young. Look at Emma now. She even received half of Adrian’s assets and doesn’t have to look after her children herself. How relaxed her life must be.”The wealth Belinda had left behind was sufficient to afford the children’s education. Ellie still had feelings for Jason. Otherwise, she would have gotten a divorce upon knowing he cheated on her. She would not have reconciled with him with just a little coaxing and advice from her family. Since Jason did not return home the entire night, Hunter guessed his sons’ plan had failed. As he had expected, Caroline was not an easy target. After all, she was Belinda’s biological daughter. Belind
Since the call ended abruptly, Adrian’s girlfriend, Irene, muttered, “Is Mr. Clark unsatisfied with me?”She was almost twenty years younger than Adrian. If he had not been rich and willing to spend his money on her, she would not have wanted to be his lover. Adrian promised to marry her after he was done fighting a legal battle against his sister and claiming his inheritance. He would make her the missus of the Clark family. As for the three children he had with his ex-wife, he had told Irene not to worry about them.Since his mother had left some money behind for her grandchildren, he did not have to pay child support. Irene knew Adrian used to be a young master of the Fishers and that Madam Fisher was extremely wealthy. She did not expect Belinda to be helping her son take care of his children even after her death. Considering Adrian would be able to receive a huge portion of inheritance in the future, Irene decided to be with him. If she did get married to him, and gave