”You’ll be doing me a favor by accepting it. Help a girl out, will you?” Elisa said as she made a playful pleading gesture.The Stone family had plenty of money, but Audrey grew up in an orphanage. Even though it had been decades since she married into a wealthy family, she was still frugal.She hated it when Elisa spent money indiscriminately.Serenity thought, ‘The rich really are willful!’Jasmine felt that she herself was quite extravagant too when it came to shopping, but compared to a true wealthy lady like Elisa, it was likened to comparing an ant to an elephant.“Serenity, who’s that lady?” Elisa asked Serenity after seeing Mrs. Lane.“I hired her to take care of Sonny. Jasmine and I are busy sometimes, and I worry that Sonny might run out of the shop, so I got someone to look after him. That way, we can both be at ease.”Serenity was taking care of another person’s child. Even if he was her nephew, it was a heavy responsibility.She could not afford to be careless when
Serenity patted the back of Elisa’s hand and comforted her. “You’re a good girl, Elisa. Give up the man who doesn’t belong to you, and you’ll find happiness at your next stop.”Elisa pursed her lips. Her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and forced a cheerful expression. “Yeah. As long as I want to marry someone, there are plenty of men lining up for my hand in marriage. I don’t have to steal another woman’s man!”Jasmine chimed in, “Isn’t it nice to remain single? You’ll be free and unfettered.”She had not fallen in love with a man before, so she could not imagine Elisa’s pain of not being able to attain her love.Elisa looked at her and thought of something. Her eyes were still red, but she laughed and said, “Ms. Sox got famous in Wiltspoon for lying down on the ground at Mrs. Dawson’s party.“You were really drunk. Thinking about it now, you did that on purpose, right? I heard your family has been nagging you to get married.”Ja
Before Clive had taken over Stone Group, Darrell’s voice was weaker than Audrey’s. The seniors in the company were more than willing to defer to her.It was clear what status Audrey held in Stone Group.“Yes yes yes, I also agree with Elisa.”Jasmine felt that she and Elisa shared the same thoughts.Her mother and aunt had always wanted her to climb up the social ladder.Serenity laughed. “That’s why I found myself a man with similar status and had never expected to marry into a rich family.”Zachary’s salary was a little higher than her income, but he was still a salaryman, so they could be considered to be on the same level.“Since you all say so, ask your husband to arrange the date for me then, Serenity. I’ll meet with his colleague. Maybe this is our fate.”“Sure.”Serenity was quite thrilled to be able to help her friend find happiness.Mrs. Lane was listening in on the trio’s conversation about marriage and agreed with Elisa’s statement.Elisa and Serenity got along w
“Look at that sweet smile. Did your husband send you a message?”Jasmine teased her best friend.She was happy when she saw Serenity and Mr. York getting closer to each other. She was looking forward to the two having a wedding soon so she could be the bridesmaid at their wedding banquet.“Our guest room doesn’t have a bed and cabinet yet. He received a bonus and transferred fifteen thousand for me to buy a bed, closet, bedding, and whatnot. “Mrs. Lane, I’ll take you shopping after Sonny has his afternoon nap, and that’ll be after lunch. They’re for you, so you should pick them out yourself.”Mrs. Lane laughed. “I’m not picky. I’ll be fine with just having a place to stay.”“That won’t do. You have to live comfortably. Your boss gave us money to buy stuff for you, so we don’t have to scrimp and save for him. Pick furniture that’s of good quality.”Serenity thought that if Mrs. Lane did a good job, it meant a long-term employment relationship for them. They would be living toget
Zachary said after a brief pause, “Nana, you really do think in the long run. Tell your sons to put in the effort and give you a granddaughter instead. It might be faster that way.”Grandma May instantly laughed and scolded him, “If your grandfather was still alive, would you say that it’ll be quicker for us to try for a daughter instead? Your parents, aunts, and uncles are already old. How can they give birth to more children? They didn’t manage to get a daughter when they were young, so they can only pin their hopes for a granddaughter now.”“My third uncle and aunt are only in their forties. I think they can still try.”If his third uncle and aunt were here, they would say, “Zachary, you traitor!”“Are you busy now?”“I’m on the phone with my Nana.”“Look, that’s what I mean. You’re not cute at all. You’re not busy, right? If you’re not, I’ll go to the office to find you. Let’s go shopping.”Zachary was at a loss for words.“I’m working, Nana.”“The company won’t close down
Olivia soon walked in while holding Chelsea’s third child.Chelsea was not with her. She probably went back to work.“Sonny, Lucas is here to play with you.”Olivia called out to Sonny while holding her other grandson.“Serenity, Ms. Sox.”She smiled and greeted Serenity and Jasmine. She glanced at them a few more times when they saw the two packing up.Her attention was soon drawn to Elisa.Elisa did not put Sonny down and asked him, “Who is she, Sonny?”Serenity straightened up and said in a light tone, “Why are you here, Aunty?” Then, she told Elisa, “She’s my sister’s mother-in-law and Sonny’s grandmother.”She emphasized on the word “grandmother”.Elisa looked at Lucas, who Olivia was holding, then looked at Sonny. Sonny only greeted his grandmother once and nothing else. He was obviously not close to his grandmother.She guessed the relationship between Liberty and her mother-in-law was not pleasant.“Sonny usually has no playmates, so I went back and brought Lucas
Serenity said coldly, “Who is Lucas? What has he got to do with me? Sonny is my nephew. I can’t possibly let him suffer to coax someone else’s child. What did Sonny do wrong? It’s your other grandson who was raised badly. He always bullies Sonny, steals his toys, beats him, and brings his toys back home. You’re their grandmother, right? Are you blind?“Or is this what you usually teach him? Olivia, Lucas is your grandson, but so is Sonny. You’re too biased!”Olivia was speechless.She responded, “Sonny is still young, Serenity. Besides, Sonny has so many toys. What’s wrong with giving Lucas one or two to play with? Look, Sonny, your brother is crying. Share some toys with him to play together, okay?”Sonny hesitated.Elisa said to him, “Sonny, you don’t have to force yourself if you don’t want to share. If he likes to cry, he can cry as much as he wants. Since he wants to roll around and clean the floor, we’ll let him do as he pleases. It’ll save your Aunt Seren the need to mop th
Serenity’s expression was gloomy. “I also wished that she was his step-grandmother. That way, it would not be that hurtful. Unfortunately, she’s his real grandmother.”Her nephew’s grandmother and her own grandmother were comparable to each other.After a pause, she added, “That old woman brought Lucas over so he could infect Sonny. If Sonny gets sick, my sister will be too worried to go to work. She’ll definitely take time off to take care of Sonny, but she has just started her job. If she keeps taking time off, it’ll be difficult for her to keep this job.”The Brown family was really doing everything to keep her sister from returning to the workplace.Now that her sister had a job, she should bring forward her plans to divorce. The earlier she divorced, the faster she could get a new lease on life.“Serenity, why does your sister’s mother-in-law not want her to go to work?” Elisa asked.Serenity walked back with the broom. When she saw Sonny walk out, she bent down to pick her
“If Mom said she would create an opportunity for you to get with the king, would you really believe her? It’s just talk—nothing actually happened.” Trenton could not resist poking Carrie’s forehead a few times. “Carrie, can you please come back to earth? In your current state, forget about finding a great guy like Callum—even a regular, decent guy would be turned off by you.”Carrie swatted away her brother’s fingers, irritated and embarrassed. “Am I really that bad? I’m young, beautiful, have a great figure, and a dignified heiress. If the monarchy still existed, I could marry the king and be his queen without a problem.”“Carrie, you have sky-high ambitions, but be careful, don’t fly too close to the sun and end up like Icarus.”As soon as he said that, Trenton was met with a smack from his sister.“Is there a brother who curses his own sister like that? What do you mean by that? I’m destined to have the princess life. I’ll be fine.”However, deep down, she was still worried bec
Camryn was right—he was just too soft-hearted. If he were as ruthless as her, Carrie would have found a job long ago after running out of money.To encourage Carrie to become independent, Trenton decided that after Christmas, he would stop giving her living expenses. He would also tell their parents during his visit to prison that Carrie was truly hopeless.“Trenton, you keep siding with her, and one day you'll regret it. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing who has deceived who knows how many people. Do you really think she cares about you? She just wants to win your complete trust to take everything that belongs to you for herself. By driving us out of our home, she’s not only seeking revenge on Mom and Dad but also on us—especially you. She’s just pretending to be nice to you to sow discord between us siblings.”“Carrie!” Trenton said seriously, “Don’t talk about Camryn like that. She’s not that kind of person. I believe in her, one hundred percent.”Carrie was so furious she wanted
“Alright, alright, I can't win with the two of you against one,” Carrie sulked. “Give me money to spend. I'm out of money.”She reached out her hand toward Camryn, wanting her to give her money. Camryn slapped her hand away. “Even Trenton knows to take advantage of the winter break to find a part-time job and earn some pocket money. You’re perfectly capable, yet you don’t look for a job.“To put it bluntly, if you’ve gone to sweep the streets, you'd still have a source of income. I have money, but I won’t give it to you. Don’t think that just because we’re sisters—estranged, too, at that—I have an obligation to support my adult sister. I’ve said it before: if you want money to spend, earn it yourself.” With that, Camryn walked away to tend to her plants.As Christmas approached, the flower market was bustling. Every day, many people came to buy flowers, and all her employees were out delivering flowers to clients. Sometimes, when it got too busy, she even had to ask her two bodyguar
Trenton was relieved that Dalton was indebted to Camryn. That was why Dalton had been loyal to Newman Enterprise.If Newman Enterprise did not fall into Camryn’s hands, there was no doubt that Dalton would leave the company. If that happened, the company was doomed.When his parents went to prison, he was merely 18, and Carrie only knew how to spend money. Not only that, their relatives were hungry to get a share of the Newman family’s assets. He and Carrie could not have protected their family’s wealth alone.After Camryn regained her sight, she still could not strain her eyes for long hours. Therefore, Dalton remained in charge of the company.Luckily, they had Callum as well. Even if anything were to happen, Callum would not leave Newman Enterprise to fall because many of the Newman family’s assets belonged to Camryn.He would not let Camryn lose anything.“You’ve been brainwashed by Dalton after working with him. Our dad treated him well and trusted him, yet Dalton betrayed
Camryn said, “She’s just using her lack of money as an excuse to start a fight with me.“Do you really think she has no money?”Carrie had somehow become Mrs. Longbottom yet she was still hiding her identity. Camryn had not understood the entire situation yet.Nevertheless, she was certain that Carrie did not need money.After she spoke, a familiar car arrived.It was the car Carrie had always used in the past.When she returned to the Newman family’s villa after getting out of prison, she only drove that car. She could not take other cars. The cars were still parked in the garage. “Come out, Camryn.”Carrie had gotten out of the car and started shouting for Camryn.When the York family’s bodyguards saw her, they simply glanced at her and did not stop her from entering the store. They knew Camryn had always been lenient with her younger sister.Since Camryn did not give any orders to stop Carrie from entering, the bodyguards simply kept an eye on Carrie to ensure that sh
“I want to go to Spring Blossoms as Carrie,” she told the bodyguard who was driving. “Your sister’s people are keeping an eye on your apartment. She’ll get suspicious again if you head over in your outfit. Everything Mr. Longbottom arranged will go to waste,” the bodyguard reminded her.Carrie thought it over. “Okay. Let’s head home first. I’ll change my clothes and remove my makeup before heading over.”She would also check if her stand-in had damaged any of her stuff.If she did, Carrie would tell the stand-in to compensate her.The bodyguard remained silent.Once they arrived at Longbottom Villa, Carrie took off her hyper-realistic mask and removed her makeup. After changing her clothes, she returned to being Carrie and went out with her bag.Her two bodyguards did not stop her from leaving.She could do anything as long as it would not rouse Camryn and other people’s suspicions.Besides, Carrie had just gotten scolded by their boss on the phone. Although Mr. Longbottom
Mr. Longbottom thought he was not so inferior to men younger than him.More accurately, he was far superior. He had status, money, and power.Which of the younger men could be on par with him unless they came from a wealthy family?Many sons of wealthy families could not compete with him.“I can’t go over because I’m busy these days. But I do miss you too.“It’s more difficult because of the festive season. There are many events, and I have to accompany my family. My wife doesn't care about me, but her request is that I be with her during the holidays because we have to meet our friends and families. Do you understand?”Mr. Longbottom had a wife and children. Carrie knew about it. He had never hid that fact.Carrie did not know if he was close to his wife. Although he said they no longer had feelings for each other, Carrie dared not believe him because he had never let other women take his wife’s place.He also never allowed other women to become pregnant with his children.Mr
Carrie thought she had matured since she could figure out that much. In the past, she would not have understood a thing. Love was about accepting everything about someone. Most people could tolerate their partner’s shortcomings when they were deeply in love. However, without love, even a person’s strength would seem like a fault. Carrie smiled. “Mr. York is a workaholic. Serenity must’ve gotten the habit from him and turned into one herself. I can’t believe she’s working so hard even though she’s pregnant.”“She’s still in the early stages of pregnancy. Going to work is fine.”“Do you need anything else, Mrs. Longbottom?” Jasmine asked.“No. I shall take my leave now, Mrs. Bucham.”Jasmine was on guard and unwilling to reveal much about Serenity. Therefore, it would be better for Carrie to leave. She was not close to Serenity and her friends yet. “Bye, Mrs. Longbottom.”Jasmine saw Carrie out and watched as she got into her car.Once Carrie got far enough from the booksto
Mr. Longbottom had been surprised by her question. He told her coldly that she should refrain from asking unnecessary questions.One who knew too much would not live long. Carrie got intimidated and dared not ask another question. Although she got more curious, she did not try to gather more information for fear Mr. Longbottom would choke her again if he found out. “Nothing. I just asked because I haven’t seen her in a while.”Of course, Carrie could not reveal that she was looking for Serenity. Jasmine would get suspicious if she did. No one around Serenity was a fool. “Seren is busy with work. I rarely see her these days,” Jasmine said.Carrie knew it was a lie. She was aware that Serenity's closest friends did not trust her yet. It made her feel defeated. It had been months since Mr. Longbottom found her and asked her to approach Serenity. Despite her efforts, she still had not obtained Serenity’s trust, let alone become her friend.However, Jasmine and Serenity go