“Mr. York, I’ll do it.” Serenity gestured for Zachary to move aside. Holding his tongue, Zachary gave way and handed the apron over to Serenity. However, he did not leave the kitchen. Standing in a corner, Zachary watched Serenity tackle the dishes and remarked, “We should have the next family event at a hotel. It’ll save us the trouble of cleaning.” “Okay.” Serenity had no objections to that. She only cooked up a storm to make a good impression with her in-laws since it was the first time both families came together. “What did Nana say to you?” Zachary asked suddenly. Pausing the dishwashing, Serenity turned her focus on Zachary. The couple’s eyes met as Zachary’s head was facing her too. Zachary caught a glimpse of the playfulness in her eyes when she blurted, “Nana asked if we’re sleeping in separate rooms. She said since we’re married, I should be bold and take the lead to throw myself at you, strip you naked, and bang you.”Zachary was speechless.That certainl
Well, too bad the young couple was not that close. Zachary and Serenity were only sharing a living space while still carrying on with their separate lives. Even if Zachary was p*ssed at her to kingdom come, Serenity could not care less so long as he did not kick her out. Serenity washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen before mopping the entire house. Finally, she sat on her recent purchase – the balcony swing – and enjoyed the cool night breeze in her hair. That was the life. Not to mention, the balcony was a mini garden. Looking at the flourishing greenery, Serenity was once again in awe of Zachary’s competence to get the job done. The sound of steady footsteps led to the balcony. Soon, Zachary came to the balcony. The sight of Serenity swinging leisurely only added grimacing lines to Zachary’s scowling face. He drew close and handed two sheets of paper to Serenity. “What’s this?” Serenity asked out of curiosity. Although Zachary buttoned his lips, he got the m
Taking the pen, Serenity got up from the swing and walked to the balcony railing to sign her name on the contract against the hard concrete. Zachary took out an ink pad for her to seal the agreement with a thumbprint. The couple kept one copy of the contract each. Serenity folded the contract nonchalantly and stuffed it in her pocket. Zachary was irked by her incuriosity, but who was he to judge? He wrote the contract after all. Even though the demands outlined were detrimental and worked to her disadvantage, Serenity did not try to add a clause to get more than what was already stated. “You had a tiring day. Get some rest.” “You too.” Serenity said with a smile. “I’m going to sit here for a bit and enjoy the flowers. It has always been my dream to have a balcony filled with plants. Now that my dream has come true, I just can’t get enough of the view.” She did not seem to hold the contract against him at all. Did she marry him without a hidden agenda? Was he just bein
Zachary and Serenity were merely a married couple on paper anyway. Even if the alcohol was getting to Zachary’s head, he did not need Serenity to tend to him. God knew if she would take advantage of him while he was intoxicated. At the age of thirty, Zachary had not lost his first kiss to anyone. Much less, had the sanctity of his modesty violated. Romance had never been in the cards for Zachary.Nana often called him a loveless and passionless man, but because of his lackluster expectation toward love, Zachary married Serenity to get Nana off his back. Despite searching all his pockets, Zachary could not find his house keys. He said, “… Jim, maybe you should wake the missus.” It appeared that he had left home without his keys. The bodyguard immediately pounded on the door. Although Serenity was asleep, she was a light sleeper, and the pounding woke her up. She pricked up her ears and realized someone was at the door. As she got up to see who it was, it dawned on her tha
It was not busy at the shop during weekends. In fact, the shop could be closed due to the lack of business. Yet, Serenity went to the shop anyway. The slow day made it the perfect time to make crafts to sell online. Jasmine was here too. Seeing that Serenity was in the shop, Jasmine asked in surprise, “Seren, what brings you here on a Sunday? You’re usually at the park with your nephew.” “It’s about time to replenish new stock for my online business.” While knitting, Serenity lifted her chin and looked at her best friend. She asked with a smile, “What about you?” “Ugh. I couldn’t stand my mom’s nagging, so I came to hide out here.” “What is it this time?” “She’s not happy that I didn’t find myself a husband at the dinner party that night. Does she think it’s that easy? She really thinks her daughter is a catch, that I’m Miss Universe or something.” Serenity burst out laughing. Jasmine just described most parents in the world. Parents fret over their children’s happy
Grandma May was a recipient of Serenity’s copper wire handicrafts as well. She displayed the life-like masterpieces in plain sight all over the house. Although the crafts were not worth much, they were her granddaughter-in-law’s gift from the heart. Visiting guests who had seen these craftworks were impressed by Serenity’s craftsmanship. That was when Grandma May came in with a sales pitch, bringing these people to Serenity’s online store to up her business sales. “Have some water, Grandma May.” Jasmine poured Grandma May a glass of water. “Thank you, Jas. You’re here too.” “Sigh. My mom’s pressuring me to get married, so I came to the shop to enjoy some peace and quiet. She keeps setting me up with guys like I’m some unsalable product. I’m supposed to go on a blind date at XX Coffee House tonight, and I’m begging Seren to come with me.” With a glint flickering in her eyes, Grandma May uttered with a friendly smile, “I can understand where your mom’s coming from. Marriage d
Grandma May said with a smile, “Why can’t you? You’re legally married. Zack isn’t stepping up to the plate. It’s up to you to do so and give me a great-grandchild.” Rosiness crept onto Serenity’s cheeks. “Nana, I’ll be blunt. I just can’t when I stare at your grandson’s straight face.” Nana was speechless.Like his grandfather, Zachary was a no-nonsense and detached man by nature. It took Grandma May years before winning over the heart of Zachary’s grandfather when she first laid eyes on him. “Even if I want to, he’ll freeze me to death before I can get close to him. He gives me the chills.” Nana was at a loss for words. “Don’t worry about Zachary and me, Nana. Things will happen naturally.” Serenity saw their living arrangements as roommates. As if that could ever stop Grandma May from worrying. Since Serenity was Grandma May’s choice for a granddaughter-in-law, Grandma May even went so far as to make the union possible against her son’s and daughter-in-law’s wishes. Gr
Jasmine chuckled in amusement, loving Grandma May’s funny quips. Jasmine had never met Zachary in person but got to know his aloof nature from her best friend. It was a wonder that he was related to Grandma May. Soon, Callum arrived. He was here to bring his gallivanting grandmother home. Nana reminded him to drive a cheaper vehicle. The cheapest car in the house was a BMW used by the housekeeper to get groceries. However, it was worth over a million bucks. Since it was too late to buy one, Callum had to borrow the gardener’s pickup truck. “Serenity, I’m here to take Nana home.” Callum came into the shop and said hello to Serenity. “Drive safe. Nana, please give me a message when you get home,” Serenity urged and gave them the crafts she made today. She gave Callum a copper-wire miniature tree. Callum was glad to accept the gift as he had grown to admire Serenity’s work after seeing them around the house. He believed Serenity’s handicrafts might not be worth a lot, but th
Isabella could not find anyone who suited her tastes in Satbury. She knew the city was filled with talented young men, but none made her heart race. Their goal was usually the O’Connor family business. The men knew Louis was young and that Isabella was the head of the family. If they could win her heart, it would be equivalent to conquering the O’Connor family. From there, they could gradually swallow the family whole. Isabella dared not date anyone. She was scared of falling into someone’s trap. She would not let her feelings show, even if she had a crush on someone.“Many people are aiming for my family’s status and wealth. I dare not date or get married for fear that I’d destroy the family once and for all. Those people will go to great lengths for money and power.”Isabella was even wary of young masters of wealthy families, let alone ambitious men from inferior backgrounds. “I know Nana is doing this for us. She had chosen our wives. Our parents didn’t need to worry
Isabella knew it would not be that quick. By the time Louis could take over, which would be twenty years later, she would already be close to fifty years old. If she got married and had children within the next two years, her children could inherit her businesses a few years after Louis took over the family business. That way, she could finally retire for good. “Austin, you’re aware that I sent someone to Wiltspoon to investigate your background, right? There was no information about you being a young master of the Yorks. Was it because you didn’t want me to know about it?”“No.”Austin said honestly, “I wasn’t aware. Zachary was the one who told me that you investigated me twice. You couldn’t find the connection between me and York Corporation because Zachary covered it up for me.“He knew that I was here to cook and improve my skills. If you knew I was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon, you might not have hired me as your private chef. If so, I wouldn’t be
Isabella smiled and said, “If the person taking over the family business doesn’t have true ability, they won’t be able to bear the responsibility. In this way, they can still prove themselves. Of course, starting a business from scratch and inheriting from a generation or two back is different.“For those who are supported by their family, no matter how many achievements they have, others will say they relied on their family’s support. If they fail, people will call them useless and a waste, and that family wealth will never last more than three generations. They’ll just wait for your family to go bankrupt.“So, without real ability, no one can take over the family business.”Austin was silent for a moment before responding, “What you say is true. My eldest brother, for example, is very capable. Although we could all take on the responsibility, none of us is as steady as he is. He’s the real anchor of our family. With him around, we don’t have to worry even if the sky falls.“Becau
Oh, right. Ruth mentioned that the York family elders were very open-minded.Open-minded elders and a good family culture were what cultivated outstanding children. It was little wonder that Austin was exceptional and bore such an impressive demeanor. It turned out that he was from a prestigious family.“Isa, what's wrong with Austin? Can we start eating now?”Louis and Phillip were completely confused. All they knew was Austin was not from a simple family, and that he was very capable. Even Ruth had shaken hands with him.The two boys were too young to understand anything besides that. They were just hungry and wanted to eat. It was cold, and the barbecue was very comforting to eat hot off the grill.Isabella smiled and said, “All you two think about is eating. Well, the meat and vegetables are all cooked, so we can start eating now.”As she spoke, she grabbed some meat, shrimp, and vegetables for her baby brothers. Then, she began eating, and everyone followed suit.Ruth too
After Austin left, Isabella asked her friend, "Ruth, do you know the Wiltspoon Yorks? Is Austin really one of them?"“You’ve never been to Wiltspoon, Isabella, and it's so far away. Plus your family doesn't have business there, so it's normal you don't know much about them. I was there for half a month for a trip, and my in-laws have business there.“Last time, when I went on a business trip with my husband, we heard a lot of gossip and rumors related to the York family.“In Wiltspoon, there are several prominent families, but the wealthiest and most powerful is the York family. York Corporation holds the same status in the business world of Wiltspoon as your family does here.”Ruth was introducing the York family to everyone, giving them a preliminary understanding of the family. After that explanation, Ruth added, “The York family has a great family culture to boot. The men in their family are all very loyal. Once they marry, they will remain loyal to their wife and family for
“Your family? As in, Wiltspoon’s York Corporation? Is that your family’s company?” Ruth asked in shock. She looked at Austin, disbelief written all over her face. The members of the O'Connor family were all watching the two of them.“Yeah, that’s my family's company. Our ancestors were good enough to build a strong foundation my elder brother now manages.”“Where do you fall in the order of your siblings and cousins?” Ruth had once traveled to Wiltspoon with her husband for a business trip and had spent half a month there, so she knew a bit about the most prominent family in Wiltspoon. She had also been deeply impressed by the good values the Yorks had. She had heard that the York sons were all exceptional, talented individuals, and indeed, Austin was exceptionally handsome—so much so that it could even incur a god’s jealousy. But how did a young master of the York family end up working as a chef for the O'Connor family?Though York Corporation was based in Wiltspoon, its fina
Austin slept for an hour and then got up. He had to prepare the barbecue ingredients for Isabella, and the marinade was very important. If the O'Connor family was having a barbecue, Austin would actually have it quite easy. He just needed to prepare the marinade whereas the actual ingredients would be prepared by someone else, so he did not need to do everything himself. Of course, if he wanted to take charge and do it all, that was fine too.While Austin was busy in the kitchen, he heard a crisp voice coming from the hall, laughing while asking, “Isabella, where’s that handsome chef of yours? Can I take a look at him? I made sure not to bring my husband along just to see him, so he wouldn’t get jealous.”Austin was speechless. Being handsome could be troublesome too; everyone treated him like a circus monkey. He was not even the most handsome among his brothers. Zachary was the most good-looking and charismatic. If these women saw him, would they go crazy?He heard Isabella sa
As for their future partners, they also had certain requirements. First, their family background should be comparable to the O’Connors, and secondly, they should be from this city or a nearby city—wherever it was, it could not be too far away.Austin had been working for Isabella for some time and had secretly figured out her requirements for a husband. He thought it would be easy when his nana had chosen Isabella for him, but he now understood that it was not as simple as he had assumed.Not only was it hard for Isabella to fall in love, but her refusal to move far from home would also be an obstacle in their relationship. Would he have to marry into her family?Hayden was also in charge of her family company, but she had a twin brother who was just as capable as her. After marrying into the York family, the company could be handed over to her brother to manage.Isabella’s brother had only just started elementary school, so it would take at least another twenty years before Loui
Soon, even Tati ran out and joined the others.Only Isabella remained seated in the gazebo, sipping her tea while watching the younger ones play joyfully. Her personality made it difficult for her to indulge in carefree fun like the rest. However, seeing them so happy lifted her own spirits, and she felt content.She found the tea Austin made to her liking. In the past, she rarely drank tea, as she mostly drank coffee. She would have two cups of coffee every day to keep herself going.After returning to his dorm, Austin lay on his bed but did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, he picked up his phone and chatted with his cousins. He was closest to Peter and River, given their close age gap, and they often chatted the most. At this moment, he was on a call with River.He asked about the situation at home and whether their nana was mad at him for not coming home for Christmas.River replied, “Everything’s fine at home. Nana’s not mad that you’re not coming home. In fact, she’s