By the time Zachary woke up, Serenity was gone. Looking rather upset, he mumbled to himself, “You slipped away and didn’t even wait for me to wake up after sleeping with me.” Serenity would be telling Zachary to watch his mouth if she was here. Sure, she slept with him but only in the same bed minus the hanky-panky. Zachary would be rendered speechless. He walked out of his room to find the three ladies missing. Only the pets were around. Needless to say, the women must be getting groceries at the market. Zachary sat down on the swing on the balcony. He relived the beautiful moment of sharing a bed with his wife. In short, Zachary was not used to it, but he did look forward to doing it again. It did not take long before Serenity and the other ladies returned. Apart from groceries, Serenity also bought bed linens. Since the furniture shops were not open this early, she had not gotten a bed frame picked out. She was going to head back out later to get a new bed to set u
Serenity was startled. There were too many cases of one party moving their wealth elsewhere during a divorce. In light of the Browns’ character, Hank was likely to transfer his assets away. “Nana, I’ll tell my sister about it.” Grandma May replied, “Good. Let Zack know if you need help. He’ll get someone to investigate it.” “I won’t hesitate to look for Zachary when the time comes, Nana.” The old lady was pleased with Serenity’s readiness to seek help from Zachary. Zachary had smiling eyes, but he put on a straight face when Grandma May looked at him. Grandma May criticized him in her mind, ‘Go on. Go on with your act! We’ll see how long you can keep up with it.’After breakfast, the group went to Bright Boulevard. Liberty was already waiting with her son at the neighborhood gate. Sonny had adapted to the new routine after going with his aunt in the past few days. He did not kick up a fuss today. “Nana.” Seeing that Grandma May was around too, Liberty said hello to
Liberty did not say much to her sister. After handing her son to Serenity, she waved to her brother-in-law and the old lady before quickly riding away.She arrived at the office fifteen minutes before working hours started.In the beginning, it took her twenty minutes to run five laps. Now that she had gotten used to running, her speed increased slightly.She could still make it.After parking the bike, she locked it and started running.Liberty ran five laps around the small garden in front of the office building before going to work every day. Everyone in Lewis & Co. knew about it. At first, they watched Liberty like they were watching a show.Not two days later, some people joined the run. Sitting in the office every day with minimal exercise made it easy for them to get out of shape, too.Liberty spent fourteen minutes running five laps, and the last minute was spent sprinting to clock in.She went out late today, so she got a little stuck. Fortunately, she was not late.“
Duncan’s words made Liberty’s face burn red.Her being out of shape was a result of being a glutton and neglecting exercise."I will, Mr. Lewis. I promise I'll get into shape during the probation period."In fact, Liberty planned to run not only in the morning but also at night. She firmly believed that she could shed the excess weight, regain muscle mass and be healthy again."Good. Your probation period is now reduced to one month. Good luck."Duncan offered a few encouraging words before leaving Liberty and heading towards his private elevator. In the blink of an eye, his robust figure vanished inside the elevator.When Liberty could not see him anymore, she finally looked away and turned her head to find that her boss was glaring at her with displeasure.She pursed her lips and silently returned to the finance department office.Liberty used to be a CFO. Although she was now a small clerk in the finance department, everyone tacitly agreed that there was something going on b
On the way to Westyard Resort, Serenity called Jasmine. “Jas, I’m going out with Nana for a walk today and can’t go back to the store. I’ll leave the store to you.”Jasmine laughed. “No problem. You can stay with Grandma May and take a break. I’ll take care of the store. Everything will be fine.”It was the weekend tomorrow anyway.The store was usually closed during weekends. If they did open, it would only be Serenity inside, rushing her orders.After ending the call, Jasmine muttered to herself, “Seren’s life after marriage is getting more and more exciting.”“Jas.”The familiar voice made Jasmine’s pretty face turn cloudy.She looked at Shawn as he walked in, and said to him unpleasantly, “Shawn, are you ignoring what I said to you last time? Don’t come here again. There’s no chance between Seren and you!”It had just been a few days, but Shawn looked haggard. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his stubble grew out. At that moment, he did not look like a young man
The Lowe family was the in-laws to Jasmine’s aunt, and she grew up witnessing how hard it was for her aunt to live in that family. The Lowe family became tycoons by demolishing buildings and relocating their inhabitants. They had many houses and shops for rent and possessed assets worth nearly a hundred million.Her aunt had it hard even after marrying into a wealthy family, let alone Serenity.Jasmine was not trying to belittle Serenity. She was just telling the truth.“Serenity—”“Serenity went on a date with her husband.”Shawn’s face instantly turned pale.He quickly searched for Serenity in the store, and Jasmine let him search every corner of the shop.He only believed his cousin’s words when he could not find Serenity. She really was not in the store.He left, dispirited.Jasmine sighed.She hoped that Shawn would get over it sooner and not do something extreme and stupid because of love.As someone caught in the middle, she was in a dilemma.She was heartbroken for
Serenity stuffed the phone back into her pants pocket and instinctively pulled Zachary along with her.This was the best chance.Zachary immediately held her hand and let her pull him along.As they walked, he interlocked their fingers.‘Yeah, it feels so good to hold my wife’s small hand!’Zachary was an arrogant man who had no romantic experience. Now that he had succeeded in holding his wife’s hand, his heart melted like butter in the sun.Serenity noticed him clasping her hand and looked down to see their interlocked fingers. It was he who was holding onto her.She secretly glanced at Zachary. When she saw that his face was still arrogant and cold, she cursed in her heart, ‘He’s taking advantage of me while putting on such a serious face.’Thus, she drew a few strokes on his palm with her thumb. When he looked over, she turned to look ahead with a serious expression.When it came to taking advantage of the situation while acting decent, she would not lose.Zachary’s lips
Serenity was aware of Elisa’s deep affection for Mr. York and did not want to linger on this topic lest Elisa felt upset. Thus, she quickly changed the subject.As they chatted, Elisa talked about what she was up to now. She said, “My brother was worried that I’d think of Mr. York when I’m bored and become upset, so he gave me a task. He wants me to find my aunt.”“Your aunt?”Serenity did not know anything about the Stone family. She only knew that they were a family second only to the Yorks.The only Stone family member she knew was Elisa.“Speaking of which, my mom’s story was quite similar to your sister and you. My grandparents died early too, and no relatives were willing to take my mom and her sister in. In the end, they were sent to an orphanage where they stayed for a while. My aunt was still young, but she was cute, so she got adopted by a rich couple who weren’t able to have a child even after many years of marriage.“My mom was left in the orphanage, but she had alway
However, Remy felt that his niece, Chloe, seemed even more outstanding than her brother. Perhaps in the future, it would be Chloe who would take charge of the family.“I miss Clo-clo so much. I don’t know why, but lately, whenever I see little babies, I feel especially fond of them. Maybe it’s because as I get older, I’m becoming more maternal.”“You’re not old at all. I’m older than you, so don’t talk about being old in front of me.”Remy did not like hearing her say she was getting old. If she was old, then he was even older. Remy felt that he was still in his prime, especially since he had not even married Elisa yet.“I’m older than Seren, and her baby is due in two months.“Oh, by the way, earlier, besides complaining that I was making you cook and worrying that I was tiring you out, my mom also suggested that we start preparing for pregnancy. She said that by the time we hold the wedding in the fall, it could be a double celebration.”Remy turned to look at her, his eyes bur
“Just like how Grandma May taught Zachary and the others, being able to cook isn’t just about earning points when looking for a wife—it’s also about rewarding your own stomach.” His own grandmother had not said anything like that. All she said was that flowers did not stay in bloom forever. Although the Johnsons were currently at their peak and were wealthy beyond measure, the world was unpredictable. Who knew in which generation the family might decline?Having more skills never hurt. Learning an extra skill meant that if the family ever fell on hard times, they would at least have the ability to support themselves.That was why their family elders encouraged them to develop a wide range of skills. They did not need to master everything, but they should at least have a basic understanding of many things. In truth, his cooking skills used to be quite average.It was only after he developed feelings for Elisa and learned that she had once had a crush on Zachary, who was skille
Audrey heard the cry of her precious grandson and immediately forgot about her daughter. She called out loudly, “You two enjoy your time together then. My grandson is crying, so I’m heading back inside.“You and Remy can start preparing for pregnancy too. When it’s time for the wedding, it’ll be a double celebration.”Hearing someone else’s daughter had given birth, Audrey was eager for her daughter to do so too. Though she was already a grandmother, she wanted to be a grandmother to her daughter’s child too. That was simply how elderly people with both sons and daughters were.Elisa was speechless. She heard the hurried footsteps of her mother heading back into the house, calling out before even entering, “Darling, don’t cry. Grandma’s back.”Elisa muttered, “Now that she has a grandson, even I, this precious daughter of hers, have been pushed aside. When I give her a grandson, I doubt there’ll be any room left for me.”She and Remy would definitely have children, but they were n
“Remy, Remy!” a voice called from outside. It sounded like Audrey. Remy came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.“You keep at it, I’ll go out. My mom must have seen the lights and knew you were back, so she’s calling you over for dinner at our house.”At this time, her family was probably halfway through their meal.Elisa put down the remote control and walked out of the house with a packet of snacks in hand, munching as she went.“Mom.” Elisa walked to the fence and responded to her mother.“Elisa? You’re back too? You came back and didn’t even come home for dinner? We’re eating right now. Hurry up and bring Remy over. Grandpa True was just saying that Remy hasn’t come over for dinner in a few days.”Remy had been busy entertaining clients lately, so he had not had time to join his in-laws for meals.Elisa replied, “Mom, I feel like eating Remy’s cooking tonight, so we won’t be coming over. You guys go ahead.”“Oh, you. It’s so late already, and you’re still making Remy c
Elisa said, “Although cousins can be as close as siblings, it’s still better to have another child. After all, we won’t be living at your family home permanently, and our children might not have much time to bond with their cousins in the future.“I have two older brothers, and the three of us have always been close. My brothers have always doted on me, and I can always talk about things with them. My sister-in-law has been very kind to me even after they got married too.“I’m used to having siblings around. It’s lively, and no matter what happens, we can always talk things through. It’s nice not having to face everything alone. I don’t want my children to feel lonely in the future.”Elisa continued, “Most importantly, I love children. If you could be the one to carry and give birth, sparing me the exhaustion of pregnancy, I’d even consider having three kids. But unfortunately, you can’t.“If I have to carry the baby myself, even though I love children, I’d only have two—preferably
Jasmine smiled. “I can’t tell. He’s so tiny. I’m scared when I have to carry him. I’m afraid of hurting him. What if he slips from my arms?”As a first-time mother, Jasmine was inexperienced. She was not like Serenity, who had raised a baby before. Josh and Zachary had secretly taken classes on how to look after a baby. The way Josh held the baby was more accurate than hers. “You’ll get better at it after learning slowly. I didn’t dare to carry my nephew either because I was scared of hurting him, but I’m an expert now.”Elisa could not resist touching the baby’s face again. She really liked babies.“Has the baby been fed?”Camila replied, “He was fed an hour ago.”The baby had been ravenous. Everyone was relieved when they saw the baby could feed normally. The doctor said the baby might experience jaundice a few days later and that premature babies should be monitored closely. Jaundice usually appeared when the baby was a few days old. It would reach its peak after
Remy gave it some thought. If he were to become a father, he would also be extremely happy, to the point that he would forget about posting on social media.They were usually busy people and did not have the habit of posting regularly anyway. Josh only started sharing a lot on Facebook after he got married. He simply wanted to show off his life after marriage and irritate his friends who were still single. Even Zachary would post about his love life on Facebook occasionally. Remy suddenly felt he had to keep up with the trend and post something on Facebook during his free time. Remy and Elisa went to buy some supplements before heading to the hospital. There were still many people in Jasmine’s ward. Most of the men were sitting in the small living area while the women were chatting with Jasmine or looking at the baby in the room. The baby boy was already fed and in fresh diapers. He was sleeping soundly. “Jasmine.”Elisa walked over with the supplements she had brought.
The secretary wished she could skip work and visit Jasmine at the hospital with Elisa. However, that could never happen. She was simply an employee, while Elisa was her boss. The only alternative was if Elisa invited her along. Nevertheless, the employees could meet Jasmine during their break or visit her at her house. Elisa left excitedly. A Maybach was parked at the entrance of the company. When Remy spotted Elisa exiting, he stuck his head out and waved at her. Upon seeing him, she was no longer in a hurry to get to her car. She quickly walked over. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you go inside?”Elisa was beaming. As she had received good news, she had a smiling face regardless of who she met.“I just arrived. I didn’t drive inside when I saw you coming out. Where are you going?”Remy got out of the car.“Jasmine gave birth. I want to go to the hospital to visit her and her baby. You came at the right time. We can head over together, but let’s get some supplemen
“Yes. Health is the most important thing. Everything else is secondary. With the York family’s wealth and numbers, they won’t have to worry about not having a successor even if your child is slightly more ordinary.”Of course, Elisa personally hoped the next successor of the York family would be her nephew.The Stones and the Yorks could be considered relatives because Elisa and Serenity were cousins.The successor of the Stone family was most likely Clive’s son. If the York family’s heir was not Serenity’s child, would the two families’ relationship that was finally mended become strained again?After all, the head of the York family would no longer be a relative of the Stones if that were the case. However, Elisa did not voice her thoughts. She did not want Serenity to feel pressured. As an aunt, she also thought her nephew’s health was more important than anything else.“You must be busy, Elisa. You should go on with your work. I shall not disturb you. I appreciate your