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
“What do you know?” Grandma May had her reasons. It then hit Callum. He asked with a smile, “Nana, are you putting one over Zachary?” Giving him a side glance, Grandma York murmured, “One more question, and you’re next.” That shut Callum up. Although Callum felt sorry for Zachary, it was best he stayed out of it for his own safety. Better Zachary than him. Grandma May was a child trapped in an adult’s body. Having found her inner child, Grandma May was on the prowl for setting her grandchildren up. Meanwhile, Serenity closed the shop and took the helmet from her best friend to put on. She also took the keys and said, “I’ll do it.” Sitting at the back, Jasmine wrapped her arms around Serenity’s waist. “If only you’re a man, Serenity. I’ll marry you right now, and that would get my mom off my back.” “Hold still! Keep your hands to yourself or I’ll throw you off the bike.” Serenity warned her best friend before starting the engine. Although Serenity often passed by B
“Ms. Sox, don’t leave so soon.” Not done flexing his superiority, Mr. Bill was reluctant to let Jasmine go. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bill. I don’t think we’re a good match. See you never.” Jasmine came clean about her thoughts before dragging Serenity away. They strutted on until Serenity came to a sudden stop. “What’s wrong, Seren?” “My husband.” “What?” Before Jasmine understood the meaning behind Serenity’s words, Zachary had drawn close. His profound eyes were fixated on Serenity as his lips curled into a smirk. Serenity could feel his sarcasm without him saying a word. What was he being sarcastic about? Serenity got her answer when she turned around and caught sight of Mr. Bill on their tail. Serenity explained, “I’m only tagging along my friend, Jasmine’s, date.” She was not in a rush to find the next sugar daddy. Zachary remained without a word. Jasmine got a look at her best friend’s husband at last! The man was a dreamboat! Afraid Zachary might take it the w
Austin said, “He’s definitely here to discuss a potential partnership with your company.“He's just the acting head of the Longbottoms. He doesn’t truly control the family. If the real head returns, everything he’s worked for will go to someone else.“The downfall of Belinda Fisher probably gave him a wake-up call and he doesn’t want to end up like that.“He’s definitely seeking to cooperate with you regarding his personal business. He’s just using the Longbottoms’ name, since their influence in Windermere is enormous.”In terms of wealth, the O'Connors and the Longbottoms were on equal footing, but the O'Connors had fewer members and did not have the same level of influence in Windermere as the Longbottoms.Isabella said, “He’s very ambitious. A partnership would only just be the beginning. Once it’s established, he’ll start thinking about how to cheat us and steal our business.“Plus, he’s very lecherous. Nobody can put a number to how many women he’s toyed with. Some even lost
Tony was aware that whenever his wife had to play the villain, it was always to protect him. He said, “You're right, I misspoke. Your mother isn’t that kind of person.”“Manny, I’ll be leaving soon. You stay here, and I’ll leave half of my men with you. If anything comes up that you can't handle, contact me. I’ll be waiting to hear good news from you.” Tony decided to fly to Wiltspoon in the afternoon. He would only stay for two or three days before returning to Havenmill to handle business.However, as he thought about how he was working like a horse for Longbottom Corporation when many of the benefits did not even belong to him personally, Tony felt a bit disgruntled.“Got it.” Manny did not reject his father’s arrangement.As the Longbottom father and son were discussing how to deal with the O’Connors, Austin entered Isabella’s office.Isabella was busy, so Austin did not disturb her. He quietly sat at the tea table and made some tea.“It seems you’ve learned the art of tea-
Manny had never been to Wiltspoon, but he knew from his father that several prominent families in Wiltspoon had close ties with the Johnsons from Annenburg. It was possible that the child adopted by the Johnsons’ young missus was Laurence. Unfortunately, he could not meet that child, so he could not be a hundred percent certain. The child was currently out of sight and well-protected, hidden so effectively that even the Longbottoms’ information network could not find anything. The other prominent families in Wiltspoon were also helping to keep the child hidden, so Manny deeply disliked the people from these families. Even though they were thousands of miles away, they were still an obstacle to him and his father in their pursuit of becoming the true head of the family.“That's right. If we can conquer the O’Connors, we’ll have a backup plan,” his father said. “You must put your all into it, son. If you need help, just let me know, though this is also an opportunity for you to ge
Tony Longbottom was the only person who would put on such a parade. The big shots in Satbury usually had entourages of their own, but none would put on a spectacle as big as Tony would.As they departed in their car, Tony’s gracious demeanor utterly shattered.His face twisted into an ugly, cruel expression as he said, “I’ve never been treated like this before, even when the legitimate branch of the family still lived, and those two ignorant little girls actually refused to see me multiple times.”Manny was very angry too and he said, “Pops, since they refuse to go about this the easy way, we’ll have to show them the hard way. We can approach it from other angles, and once they’re completely out of business and they have nowhere else to turn to, they’ll be at our mercy.“Won’t they have to do as we please then? I want to marry them, they’ll have to marry me, and if I don’t, I’ll just make them my mistresses. Don’t the O’Connors have plenty of daughters? I’ll fuck every one of them
“Isabella O’Connor is so outstanding, so why are you asking me to go for Tati O’Connor instead?” Manny said under his breath in puzzlement.He had seen photos of the two ladies and Isabella’s appearance was more striking. She had a cold and aloof aura that easily triggered his desire to conquer her, and after just a few glances, he was captivated.If it were up to him, Manny would choose Isabella.Tony looked at his son, smiled, and said, “You can’t control her. Of course, if you manage to make her fall for you, we can talk about switching. But for now, focus on Tati O’Connor.”Tati was also beautiful. However, she did not have Isabella’s cold demeanor. She seemed much gentler, like she smiled often.“Marrying Tati O’Connor would be a big advantage for both you and our family.”Manny thought for a moment and then nodded in understanding. “Got it, Dad.”Manny’s good looks, wealth, honeyed tongue, and generosity toward girls made him good at winning them over. Pursuing a rich youn
After testing the O’Connor sisters and realizing they were not like other women, Mr. Longbottom thought of having his son marry Tati.He knew that his son would not be able to handle or control Isabella, so he set his sights on Tati. Tati probably did not realize she was considered an easy target. Most people underestimated her because she had always kept a low profile.At that moment, a young man got out from the other side of the Rolls-Royce. He resembled Mr. Longbottom. Indeed, he was Mr. Longbotton’s eldest son, Manny.“Dad.”Manny went to his father’s side and glanced at the building before him. He asked, “Aren’t we driving inside?”In Havenmill, Manny could do whatever he wished because his father was the interim head of the Longbottom family. While he had no respect for ordinary people at all, he was clever enough not to offend people he should not.He never parked his car outside the places he wanted to go and simply drove his car through the gates. However, Manny
Meanwhile in Satbury, a few luxury cars stopped at the entrance of Costa Corporation. The door of the first car, a Rolls-Royce, opened. A bodyguard came out of the car.He waited for his boss, who was sitting in the backseat to exit.Mr. Longbottom got out of the car. Although he was over fifty years old, he looked like he was in his forties as he maintained his appearance well.He wore a white tailored suit with a tie, which made him look more youthful.The bodyguards in the other cars alighted as well.They quickly stood behind Mr. Longbottom to protect him. It was also his display of power.A few bodyguards grabbed many gift boxes from the trunks. Mr. Longbottom stood in front of the company and raised his head to look at the sixty-eight-storey office building. It was a symbol of the O’Connor family’s abilities.Costa Corporation was not the family’s only business. They were involved in many industries and were successful in all of them.The O’Connors were wealthy and powe
Jasmine added, “In some cases, the divorced women can get married to a better man, while the divorced men can’t even find a new wife. There are many single men now.“Isn’t there a saying nowadays that men who have wives are extremely lucky?”When Jasmine was at the bookstore, she would also visit the neighboring stores to listen to juicy gossip. Many of the store owners were not locals and they had many stories to tell. Someone said there was an evil mother-in-law in a rural area who looked down on her daughter-in-law. She would egg her son on to abuse his wife and get a divorce. She would also tell her son that she could find a better and younger wife for him. However, once the divorce went through, news of the mother-in-law’s evil deeds and the son’s domestic abuse spread far and wide. Who would dare marry off their daughters to a man like that?Besides, holding another wedding would require a lot of money. The cost of a wedding had increased a lot compared to the past.Whe
“Sonny’s fine. He has recovered. You want to get Sonny from school?”After thinking about it, Serenity agreed and said, “Okay. I’ll message Sonny’s teacher later to tell her you’ll be taking him.”“Okay, Serenity. Thank you.”Hank was thankful that Serenity did not make things difficult for him. Serenity and Liberty had great character. Liberty had a new relationship and already let go of her resentment for Hank. She could coexist with him peacefully. On the other hand, Serenity still held grudges against Hank. However, since he and Liberty had divorced, he could no longer hurt her. He was also Sonny’s father. Serenity was willing to tolerate him for Sonny’s sake. Therefore, she always said yes whenever Hank requested to meet his son. “You’ll be taking Sonny out to eat after picking him up, right? Remember not to let him eat too much fried food, especially fried chicken and fries. He’ll get a sore throat.“He got a fever that day due to a throat inflammation.”“Got it. I’ll