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
“When my mom and her sister were separated, they took a photo. They had a copy each so they could use it to find each other, but my aunt’s photo was burned by the first couple who adopted her.“My mom kept the photo too, but it’s been several decades since. Even if she kept it in good condition, it’s not easy to find someone using it. My brother also posted the photo on the internet, but there was no news. The only way to find my aunt is if her children look like her, and my mom sees them by chance.”Otherwise, it would be utterly difficult to find.Even then, the chances were almost zero.“God helps those who help themselves. Elisa, you’ll be able to find your aunt one day.”Serenity could not help much except to cheer Elisa on.The Stone family had money, power, and connections, but they were unable to find her aunt even after searching for years. Someone like Serenity who had no power or connections had no way of helping.“I hope we find her sooner than later and reunite my m
Elisa said gratefully, “Serenity, if you help us find my aunt, you’ll be our family’s benefactor. We won’t treat you badly.”“We’re friends, so don’t be such a stranger. I’m also thinking of my mom. If she were still alive, my sister and I would also do our best to help her find her family.”Serenity’s mother passed away more than ten years ago, so she did not have a deep impression of her mother. Fortunately, her sister looked like her mother, so she could remember her late mother by looking at her sister.“I won’t disturb your date with your husband. Have fun and tell me when’s the wedding. I’ll be your bridesmaid,” Elisa teased Serenity a little and ended the call.“Was it Ms. Stone again?” Zachary asked nonchalantly.“Yes. She wanted to come over to meet us, but she changed her mind when she heard that I was with you.”Zachary snorted coldly in his heart. ‘Good!’“Elisa is really a good girl, but your boss...” Thinking of Mr. York wearing a wedding ring, Serenity sighed. “I
“Isa has a networking event tonight, so she’ll be working overtime. You should bring her dinner.”“Sure.” Austin was here precisely to do that.Tati entered the elevator. When she turned around, she saw that Austin had already walked off.Tati chuckled to herself, “When will it be my turn to meet a good man who only has eyes for me?”Isabella had Austin now. Even though they had not officially started dating, they were clearly interested in each other. In the near future, they would definitely become a couple, and if both sides’ parents had no objection to it, they would eventually be a loving husband and wife.Though, at the thought of her family circumstances, Tati was still a little worried that Isabella and Austin might not get to that point.Isabella could not move far away after getting married as she still had to manage the family business. Her husband and her in-laws had to be understanding and tolerant of the fact that she would be very, very busy.They had all heard th
Isabella wanted to say something but ultimately decided against it. Tati had a point. She could push the boys too hard. They were still young, and they deserved a carefree and happy childhood. She had already put too much pressure on Louis and Phillip. “Austin accompanies the boys when he’s free. I think he’s great with kids. Maybe he has experience from babysitting in his family.”The York family had nine sons in their youngest generation and no daughters. Austin was the sixth in line with three younger brothers. Rowan was the youngest and still a minor. Thinking about it, he must have been raised by all his older cousins and brothers. No one understood how much pressure Rowan was under as he grew up. His older brothers were outstanding individuals. He would not have been that stressed if any of them were mediocre. He kept chasing after his brothers’ footsteps. He did not know when he could ever catch up to River and Austin. He would have to live with that pressure fo
“Isa, do you know many hotels and restaurants are waiting for you to switch Austin out? That way, they can snatch him away and make him their star chef.”With Austin’s culinary skills, he could be the head chef at any hotel.Isabella smiled. She said, “It depends on how much they can offer him. He already has his own hotels and restaurants. He’s already successful in the F&B industry.“How can they possibly hire him to be their chef? That’s unless Austin buys their hotel.“Besides, I haven’t gotten bored of Austin’s food. They’ll have to wait. “You can make a bet on whether Austin can last a full year as my private chef. I think you might win, but there’s always the possibility of losing.”There would always be wins and losses in a bet. Tati smiled. “Some people already made their bets. However, they betted on whether Austin could last for three months first. I guess those who put their money on him leaving before three months are up will lose.“For the second round, they’re
Knowledge of Mr. Longbottom’s philandering was not restricted to Havenmill. Even people in Annenburg knew about it. He switched lovers as quickly as he changed clothes. Many of his mistresses accidentally got pregnant and thought they could replace Mrs. Longbottom because of their children. However, Mr. Longbottom was a heartless man outside of bed. While most of his mistresses had gotten pregnant, only those who were honest and without ambitions were allowed to give birth. Even if those women gave birth, the child would not bear the Longbottom surname and only take their mother’s surname. However, Mr. Longbottom would buy that mistress and her children a townhouse and hire two nannies to look after them. There would also be a sum of money deposited into their account monthly to provide for the child. On the other hand, most of Mr. Longbottom’s mistresses who were not allowed to give birth were ordered to get an abortion. If they refused, Mrs. Longbottom would intervene and f
Tati did not care what Manny would do. She had no feelings for him. Not only did she know he was ambitious, but he also wanted her family’s wealth. Only a few men deserved Tati’s praise in her entire life. Austin was one of them. Even so, she simply admired him and did not view him as a romantic partner. Tati could sense that Austin’s eyes were always on Isabella. It had nothing to do with him being her private chef. He was dedicated to Isabella. When Isabella and Tati were unaware of Austin’s true identity, they admired him a lot. Isabella even teased Tati about it. Later, they discovered he was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon.His family background and qualifications made Austin worthy of being the partner of an elite daughter of the O’Connors. Although Isabella refused to admit it, Tati knew Austin would eventually be her brother-in-law. However, he probably had to sacrifice a lot to be with Isabella. After all, Isabella was the head of the
Once Manny left, Costa Corporation entrance resumed its peace. Manny had bought a villa in Satbury. He was determined to woo Tati and would not leave until he succeeded. Besides, he would be doing business in Satbury and needed a place to live. He did not want to stay at a hotel every day. The villa he bought was only a ten-minute drive away from Dunboy Manor. On his way back, he received a call from his momma asking about his situation in Satbury. After speaking about business, his momma said, “Don’t be like your dad, Manny. If you really like Ms. Tati, you should treat her well.“Your dad is too flirty. Marrying him was the unluckiest thing in my life. I had no choice. I’ve been his wife for decades and even gave birth to you all. He got me involved in too many things.“He forced me to be in the same boat as him. I’m forced to stick with him for your sake and our family’s benefit. However, if I could turn back time, I’d rather stay single than get married to your dad.“Y
“I’m sorry. I have a business appointment tonight.”Tati rejected Manny’s invitation without hesitation. Manny had been pursuing her relentlessly. If she were to have a meal with him, the paparazzi stalking them would take pictures and she would be on the local entertainment headlines the next day. She would not give Manny any chances to advertise false information about their relationship. Manny looked disappointed. “Another day then.“By the way, you’ll be attending a banquet two days later, right? Can I be your escort?”Tati and Isabella would not attend just any banquet. Families who could invite them were wealthy and close to the O’Connors. Ordinary banquets could never have Tati and Isabella as guests. Manny had gathered information for two days. He heard that one of the wealthy families in Satbury would be holding a banquet to celebrate their old missus’s eightieth birthday, and many guests were invited to liven up the celebration. A missus of that family was clos
“My family isn’t inferior to yours, sweet Tati. The Longbottoms even surpass the O’Connors. As a young master of the Longbottoms, why will I go after your family’s money?“Money has never been a problem for the Longbottom family. In fact, you and I are the best match for each other. Our families are equally rich. If we get together, it’ll be a joining of two strong forces.”Tati wanted to say that while the Longbottom family surpassed the O’Connors, Manny was not the true person in power within his family. Even his father was not the legitimate head. The power and wealth of the Longbottom family belonged to the true head of the family. Tony and Manny Longbottom were simply managing the family in the interim. Did they think the family had become theirs?If the son of the previous Longbottom family head grew up and returned to take charge of the family, Tony and Manny would no longer have any influence. They would only receive some compensation for their hard work. Without the L
Tati looked toward Manny and said in a serious tone, “If you love someone, you’d be considerate of her and do what’s best for her.“Meanwhile, you’re disregarding any inconvenience this might cause me just to appear romantic. You know I’m busy, yet you put flowers here and blocked my way, wasting my time.“Do your actions truly reflect your love for me? Are you being considerate of me?”Tati would not have said a word if Manny had asked his people to place the flowers in an empty spot. However, he just had to do it at the entrance of the company, attracting many people. Her company security team could not even chase them away. They knew Manny’s identity and that he was pursuing her. If the security chased him away, the Longbottom and O’Connor families could end up enemies. Secondly, they were worried about getting fired if Tati were to accept Manny’s feelings one day and decide to punish them. Tati would not blame the security for failing to execute their duty. After Manny s