Even if outsiders saw them, they would not know they were the young scions of the O'Connor family. Satbury was so large, and there were many people with the last name O'Connor. Besides, most people did not have bad intentions. Even kidnappers would need to scout the area, to make sure they did not kidnap the wrong person before making a move. The streets were crowded with people, and police officers patrolled from time to time, so it was relatively safe.Isabella’s instinct was to refuse, but the words caught in her throat. After a brief hesitation, she said, “If you can guarantee their safety, then you can take them out shopping.”Austin promised, “I’ll make sure they get back home safely.”“Don’t stay out too late. It’s especially cold in the evening.” With that, Isabella had agreed.“Alright. Thank you, Ms. Isabella, for your trust.”After giving a few more instructions, Isabella hung up. She looked at Tati and said, “Louis and Phillip want Austin to take them shopping. I jus
Louis was worried that Austin might not have enough money, so he would check in occasionally, “Austin, do you have enough money? If not, you can call my mom and have her transfer some money to you.”Austin laughed and replied, “I have enough. I can afford it even if you buy two more sets of clothes for your big sister.”The clothes they bought for Isabella were first picked out by Austin before Louis approved and agreed to buy them as a gift for his sister.“Isa has a lot of clothes, but she rarely wears jewelry. How about I buy her some jewelry? Austin, do you have enough money?”Already carrying several bags, Austin still lovingly said, “As long as it’s for your big sister, I have enough money to pay for it no matter how much you buy.”The little boy was very happy and asked Austin to take them to a jewelry store to buy what he thought were beautiful pieces for Isabella.It was already dark when Austin finally took the little ones back home. They had spent so much time shopping
The people gathered to dance were the staff’s family members. The staff and their families were considerate of each other because they were neighbors and co-workers. The dancing ladies would not be selfish and draw hate just because they wanted to dance. Austin smiled. “That’s great. It’s fun and a great use of spare time.”He knew his nana was a playful old lady. In the past, she had been busy searching for suitable partners for the York brothers. Now, even he already had a target to pursue. Although River and Alex were adults, they were still young. It had not even been two years since they started working. Therefore, Grandma May was not anxious about their marriage. Rowan was off limits because he was still studying in high school. Grandma May had nothing to do, and she could not travel because it was the end of the year. Hence, she would talk to her friends or join their dance sessions. “Of course. I’m enjoying myself before your nephew is born. I won’t have time to ha
Grandma May was confident in the grandsons she had raised with her husband. Her grandsons were definitely not petty people. They were broad-minded, ambitious, and big-hearted. The more tolerant a person was, the more fortunate he would be. Therefore, her grandsons were very fortunate people. “I made some desserts and brought them to Isabella this evening. I suddenly missed you when you were mentioned in our conversation.”Grandma May chuckled. “If that’s the case, why are you calling me now? Shouldn’t you have called me right away if you missed me?“No wonder I kept sneezing this evening. I thought I caught a cold and was about to make myself some ginger tea. Turns out you were missing me.”Austin was used to his nana’s way of speaking. He simply moved on and said, “I brought my future brothers-in-law shopping afterward. Their energy just wouldn’t run out. I got tired before they did. We bought a lot of stuff. With the number of bags I carried and the two boys following me
“I won’t. You can have a daughter with Isabella as soon as possible to test me.”Austin was speechless.He had not even held Isabella’s hand yet. Having a child would have to wait. Isabella was still unaware that she was his target. “You should urge my older brothers to give you a great-granddaughter instead. Isabella’s not even my girlfriend yet. Us having a daughter isn’t within the foreseeable future.”“You want me to miss you when you aren’t giving me a great-granddaughter? You’re a little shameless, Austin. I’m hanging up now. I don’t want to spoil my mood. Why am I in a family filled with men? Hah!”After complaining, Grandma May hung up before Austin could speak. He could not help but laugh. His nana must have known that he was making good progress, so she was not worried about him. Besides, he would be turning twenty-seven next year, which was not too old. Compared to Zachary, who had only married in his thirties, he was considered young. Also, Dylan and Peter h
Sonny replied, “I’m happy. Why do you have to work somewhere far away, Uncle Austin? Why isn’t your boss letting you rest? Doesn’t everyone rest for Christmas? Even my mom is coming back.”To Sonny, Liberty was the busiest person he knew. If his mother could be back for the holidays, he would think everyone could do the same. Little did he know that not everyone could enjoy holidays. “I have to earn money for my future wife, so I came to work at a faraway place. My boss pays me well. My salary is triple if I work on public holidays. I’m not resting because I can get good money.”Sonny hummed. He probably did not understand what Austin said. “You can talk to Uncle Zak. Aunt Ser is asking me to go to bed. Good night, Uncle Austin.”After bidding Austin goodbye, Serenity took Sonny away. Austin continued chatting with Zachary. Half an hour later, he heard someone knock on the door. He stayed on the call while opening the door. It was Dominic. “Ms. Isabella is back, Austin.
“Thanks, Ms. Isabella, but I prefer standing.”Austin was not being formal but simply aware of his identity. He would not relax before his identity in the O’Connor family changed or Isabella fell in love with him. He did not want to ruin Isabella's impression of him. “Sit. If you continue standing, I’d have to raise my head to talk to you. My neck will get tired.”Since she said so, Austin immediately sat with an upright posture.Isabella looked at him for a moment and smiled. “You sit like a soldier.”Austin also resembled an elementary school student who sat straight in class out of fear of getting scolded by a teacher. He did not reply to her comment. “I love the things Louis bought for me. You must’ve been tired after shopping with them for the entire afternoon. How much did you spend in total? I’ll return the money to you.”Austin said, “Mr. Louis and Mr. Philip are shopping experts. I got tired, but they seemed fine throughout. Nevertheless, I enjoyed taking them sho
The ones Phillip bought for Isabella and Tati would also be in the correct sizes. Austin rarely met the other O’Connor sisters or had not seen them before, so he would not know their clothing sizes. Therefore, the two boys were in charge of buying their clothes. The other O’Connor young ladies could probably get an exchange in the store if their clothes were of the wrong sizes. “Mr. Louis is clever. He has a good memory too.”Isabella said, “Louis is smart but too playful.”After a pause, she added, “However, he’s still young. Kids that age love to have fun.”“Playing is a child’s nature. There’s no need for him to take up heavy family responsibilities yet. He should enjoy his playtime to the fullest and study hard when needed. Studying shouldn’t take up his entire childhood. It’s okay to have fun when he’s young.”Isabella agreed. She taught Louis the same thing. She told him to have all the fun he wanted when he could. However, he also needed to work hard when it was
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