However, Belinda was chanting in her heart, ‘Quick, Gordon. Pour the gasoline and light the fire. Burn them all.’Unfortunately, nothing happened despite her strong wish. Did Mr. Gordon think the time was not right yet? Or were there other reasons?Belinda thought the best time to start the fire was when everyone was distracted by the evidence. In truth, Mr. Gordon did want to put the plan into action. However, while he was ordering everyone to douse the manor with gasoline, they realized that the tanks of gasoline they had prepared had been switched to water at some point.When they opened the tanks, there was no smell of gasoline. Mr. Gordon asked them to empty one tank and try setting it aflame, but it failed. It was certain that their gasoline was swapped. Mr. Gordon broke into a cold sweat.Since he and Madam Fisher were the ones who thought of the plan, no one other than his most trusted subordinates, who were carrying out the plan with him, knew about it.Even the s
“Are you trying to let Mr. Fletcher kill your daughter? Since you’re suspicious that we assistants will harm our masters, your assigning Mr. Fletcher to Ms. Caroline is equivalent to handing her a death sentence.”Belinda was speechless.Patrick’s words were still as sharp as ever. He used to have a lot of patience with her. Looking back, it had probably been because of Tiara.Patrick looked at the audience gathered around them. He said, “That year, Madam Tiara got into an accident. Her entire family passed away, save for her two daughters, who were unscathed because they were in school.“There was a mechanic who would always check Madam Tiara’s car daily before she headed out. After she returned, the mechanic would inspect the car again to ensure nothing was amiss.“However, on the day of the accident, the mechanic suddenly had an upset stomach. He was severely dehydrated from diarrhea and had no energy to inspect Madam Tiara’s car. She headed out after a simple check conducted
“No matter how strong I am by myself, I couldn’t handle group after group of assassins coming after my life. No, they didn’t just want to kill me. They also wanted to destroy the little evidence I had painstakingly gathered.“There was once I got severely injured after many rounds of attacks. When I thought I was about to die, the heavens blessed me. Someone rescued me. I believe the heavens must’ve thought Madam Tiara and her family’s deaths were unjust and sent someone to save me to seek justice for Madam Tiara.“Not only did my savior rescue me, but he also spent lots of precious medicine to heal me. Although I was brought back from the brink of death, some side effects remained. I could never recover from them. I stayed alive for decades with my broken body solely for the sake of avenging Madam Tiara.“Later, I secretly returned to Jensburg to retrieve Madam Tiara’s daughters, Audrey and Lisa. However, I only discovered they had gone missing after arriving in Jensburg. At that t
Patrick looked around again. He said, “Belinda said I had escaped and she refused to admit she wanted to kill me. She even accused me of killing Madam Tiara. But I have witnesses. They can prove that I was being hunted down. “They can also verify that the assassins sent after me were by Belinda. The people who rescued me that year are here with me tonight. They’ll be my witnesses.”Patrick turned around. Silver and the other legendary masters stood behind him. “They’re my saviors. If it weren’t for them lending a hand, I would’ve been six feet under now.”Belinda suddenly laughed out loud. She then said sarcastically, “You said they’re your saviors, Patrick. Can their words be trusted? What if Audrey had paid them to act as your saviors?“You kept saying that I killed Tiara and Alivia. You can ask them to confront me directly and see if I was the one who killed them. If the victims don’t sue me, then there’s no truth in your words.”Everyone looked toward Belinda with a weird
Belinda sneered. “Can you prove that they are the elders of the Imperial Force, Mr. York? Who here knows these old-timers of the Imperial Force and can verify their identities?”Zachary was rendered speechless.Aside from their group, no one had met the legendary masters before. Not only that, they had just recently met the masters in the flesh. Their families’ elders would be able to confirm the masters’ identities. However, they only had Audrey with them. Even if they could vouch for the masters, it would not be convincing enough. “I’ve met them before. I can verify their identities.”An old voice came from the direction of the manor’s gates.The place was silent. Therefore, the old voice could be heard clearly. Everyone looked toward the source of the voice. It belonged to an elderly man in his nineties. He was in good health. Although he had a cane in one hand, he did not need support from anyone else. It seemed he had spoken right after getting out of a car and was
Roy then shook hands with Silver, Dan, and the other two masters. He said, “I never thought I’d be able to see you lot again. I could never forget the days when you fellas deceived me. Even if you turn to ashes, I’ll still be able to recognize you.”Silver said, “We didn’t deceive you. You wanted us to do something but refused to pay. Were you trying to mooch off us?“You’ve always been a people-pleaser, Roy. How could you do something like that?”Roy laughed. “Leaving money aside, there were still many instances where you all tricked me and put me in a difficult spot.”After a short reunion, Roy said resoundingly, “I can prove that these old men here are the masterminds of the Imperial Force. However, they retired decades ago. The leaders of the Imperial Force are now their disciples.“I never thought I’d be able to see these people again in my life.”Roy looked toward Zachary and said, “You have the aura of your grandfather, Mr. York. However, how you do things resembles your g
“Have you no conscience?!” Patrick harshly reprimanded Belinda.Belinda suddenly exploded in anger and confessed, “That’s right, I don’t have one! I caused my sisters’ deaths—what can you do about it? What should I feel guilty about? My sister loved me so much that she would have agreed if I wanted her position as the matriarch. She wouldn't have blamed me, and if she hadn’t had her daughters, she would have given the position to me. Why did she have to get married and have kids, taking away my chance for power?“Why should she receive your love and affection? Just because she was the matriarch? Since being the matriarch was the only way to have you, then I wanted to be the matriarch! Patrick, I wanted power, but I also wanted you, and I wanted you to be loyal to me like you were to my sister,” Belinda roared even as her eyes reddened.Did they think she truly felt no pain at causing Tiara and Alivia’s deaths? Not long after Alivia was born, she was orphaned and only had her sisters
“Shut the door, Elaine! Shut the main doors!” Belinda suddenly shouted. Then, she dug her phone out to call Mr. Gordon. Once he picked up, she instructed, “Go ahead with what I instructed you to do.”She did not want to live anymore. She wanted to take everyone down with her. Apart from the party from Wiltspoon, her other guests were all the Fisher family members who had some capability. Everyone would be taken out in a single blow.“Mom!” Caroline shouted. “Stop deluding yourself!”Belinda turned and gave Caroline a vicious slap. “Get out, you unfilial daughter! Get out! I don’t want to see you, you unfilial daughter!”She did not just stop at a slap, but also pushed Caroline, trying to drive her out.Caroline hugged Belinda as she begged with tears in her eyes, “Mom, you have to wake up! You have to face the consequences of your actions.”Belinda shoved Caroline away, angrily questioning, “What have I done wrong? I’m not at fault! If I didn’t look out for myself, I would have b
Hank pulled Sonny’s luggage over. Luke and Olivia had many bags in their hands too. They were presents they had prepared for Sonny and Liberty. Although the stuff they prepared was not as expensive as the supplements Sonny had brought back, it still contained their sincerity. “Liberty,” Hank called and handed the luggage over. “Sonny’s belongings are all inside. He can’t take that many toys, so there’s some left at my place. He said he can play them the next time he comes.“We bought him a few sets of clothes. They can’t fit into the luggage, so we put them in bags.”After speaking, Hank took the bags from his parents’ hands.Aside from the clothes and toys they had bought for Sonny, the rest were presents for Liberty. “My parents prepared some snacks for you. You can have them while celebrating the new year. It’s nothing expensive, just a token of our sincerity.“Although we aren’t husband and wife anymore, we’re still Sonny’s parents. We can still be friends or relative
Liberty and Duncan had only gotten their marriage license for a few days. They were newlyweds. Even with Liberty by his side, Duncan still wanted to have video calls with Sonny several times a day. He missed Sonny more than she did. He would worry about whether Sonny was eating and sleeping well at the Browns’ place.He also worried whether Chelsea’s son would bully Sonny.While Sonny had learned martial arts, he was not exactly skilled yet. Besides, he was taught well and would not fight under normal circumstances. Therefore, Duncan was worried that Sonny would be at a disadvantage. Liberty thought Duncan was acting more like Sonny’s biological father than Hank. “Sonny’s here,” said Duncan. He got up and walked toward Sonny, leaving his wheelchair behind. He could walk short distances. Liberty was anxious that he might fall. She quickly left her neighbors behind and followed him. She reminded him, “Walk slowly. Be careful.”They did not have their bodyguards with them
“Dunc is nice, Dad. He treats me well. He’s not a bad guy.”Sonny tried his best to clear Hank’s misunderstanding toward Dunc.Hank felt bitter, but he kept a smile on his face. He replied, “Mm. Duncan isn’t a bad person. He treats you and your mom well. I feel at ease knowing you and your mom are living with him.”No matter how jealous he was, he had to admit that Duncan had dedicated his heart and energy to Liberty and Sonny. Duncan was better than him, Sonny’s biological dad. Liberty had made a great choice marrying Duncan.Although Duncan was still in a wheelchair, he would eventually recover. Once he recovered, he could take on any challenge and be the pillar Liberty and Sonny needed. “Sonny, Sonny,” Olivia called out from the living area. Hank told Sonny, “Your grandmom is calling you. Go out and have a look.”Sonny hummed in agreement and left the room. “Grandmom.”Hank smiled when he heard Sonny saying that. He liked being with his son and parents. He truly
“I packed and checked everything, Dad. Nothing is missing,” said Sonny. He did not know that Hank was stalling. Hank did not want to take Sonny downstairs that quickly. “It’s okay even if I leave something behind. I’ll still come over to visit in the future, Dad. Didn’t you say this will always be my home?”Sonny thought he could simply take anything he left behind the next time he came. There was no need to ensure everything was packed.Wherever his mom and dad were would always be his home. Hank replied softly, “Yes. This is always your home. The doors will be open for you for as long as I’m here.“Go watch the TV with your grandparents first, Sonny. I’ll finish packing up soon. Your grandparents bought snacks for you. Remember to bring them with you.”Sonny did not lack anything when he lived with Duncan and Liberty. However, the things his grandparents bought for him held their sincerity. Hank hoped his son could get along with his parents and forget the fact that the
Dylan took a flight back to Wiltspoon on that day. It was the day when Liberty and Duncan went to pick Sonny up from the Brown family’s place. Sonny was only visiting for two days, yet Duncan had mentioned him almost every moment. He even had to be on a video call with Sonny every few hours. For the video calls to happen, Duncan even became shameless and connected with Hank on social media. It was so that he could call Sonny conveniently. Not only that, he even uploaded many lovey-dovey pictures of him and Liberty to make Hank see them and get jealous. Meanwhile, in the Brown family’s house, Hank was packing Sonny’s clothes. He slowly folded his son's clothes to stall for time. Duncan could wait downstairs, who had insisted on coming along with Liberty to pick Sonny up but did not want to head upstairs. Therefore, he had been waiting downstairs. Liberty did not want to enter the Browns’ house either. She waited downstairs and chatted with her old neighbors. Through them
After a moment of silence, Imogen said, “I didn’t know either. If Dylan didn’t mention anything, I wouldn’t have known about this.“I met and talked to Old Mrs. York when I visited the Yorks with my teacher. She’s a nice old lady. It was a pleasure talking to her and not stressful at all. I wouldn’t have guessed that she was that formidable just by looking at her.“As expected of someone whom the Buchams respect. Even my teacher was humble before her and dared not be arrogant. He said Old Mrs. York used to be a badass when she was young. She has contributed greatly to the York family’s achievements.“Her capability is also evident through the eight grandsons she had raised with her deceased husband.”Leticia said, “Doesn’t the York family have nine young masters?”“Rowan York is the youngest. He was mainly educated by his parents as well as his elder brothers and cousins. Although Old Mrs. York did give him some guidance, we can’t say that he was raised by Old Mr. and Mrs. York.”
Dylan suspected that Imogen was Fox. If they were indeed the same person, then it was true that he had only ever pursued Imogen.“Was he okay after standing outside for more than half an hour?” Winston asked.Leticia chimed in, “Jen had Wendy make him a bowl of hot soup. Knowing that the boy doesn’t like spicy food, I made sure she added plenty of spice. It was definitely spicy. Wendy said Jen made sure he finished it before leaving.”Imogen had made Dylan drink such spicy soup, but he was still willing to drink it for her. He was clearly doing this out of consideration for Imogen, not wanting to make things too awkward between their families.“Lucky for him,” Winston muttered.Imogen was speechless.“Why did he come looking for you, Jen?” Winston asked in concern. “Was he here to ask to reconcile? If that’s the case, you mustn’t agree too easily. He has to pursue you again, and for at least two years, before you even think about agreeing to be with him. He needs to know how to
After deciding to go home and plead with his grandmother, Dylan did not stay much longer at the Doyle household. However, he still pinched his nose and finished the bowl of soup after Imogen persuaded him to.She personally saw him off at the gate.“Mr. York, remember to see a doctor when you get back. Take some medicine for a few days, don’t be careless,” Imogen said, following him out mainly to remind him to get treated once he got home, so he would not end up with a serious illness.People who were usually very healthy tended to get very sick when they did fall ill.“My health is my responsibility. If I don’t feel well, I’ll definitely go see a doctor. Don’t worry about me, Ms. Doyle. Even if I fall sick because of what happened today, it’s my fault. I won’t blame you or your family,” Dylan said, thinking Imogen was concerned he might blame her father.He could not bring himself to hope for anything beyond that.Imogen smiled. “Please send my regards to Grandma May and Serenit
“Mr. York, are you really not going to give up? Are you going to keep chasing after her? What is it about her that I lack?”Imogen really wanted to know why Dylan could not fall for her when she interacted with him as her true self but instead, he fell head over heels in love with her when she wore a different identity.“Ms. Doyle, you’re a great person, really—you’re wonderful. It’s just that I’m not worthy of you,” Dylan replied sincerely. “There’s nothing about you that’s inferior to Fox. I don’t even know why I fell for her. Maybe it’s because I kept having the same dream of her over and over.“Before I approached you, I had already dreamt of Fox many times, and then I actually met her in real life. I guess, if you had to ask why I fell for Fox and not for you, I can only say it was because I had already fallen for her in my dream. When the dream became a reality, it felt natural.”Imogen was silent.“Actually, I only met the real Fox after I started getting closer to you. I k