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
“That’s for sure. I’ll go to court with them to get my parents’ house back!”“Since you have such confidence, don’t feel depressed any more. We’re out to have fun today, so we should be happy. We’ll deal with the unresolved matters from the past one by one and solve them eventually.”He took Serenity into his arms, squeezed her, and said gently, “You still have me. Even if the sky falls, you don’t have to worry. I’ll hold it up for you.”Serenity did not struggle and quietly snuggled against his chest. Only after a few moments did she leave his embrace.Her face was a little weird.“There are many people around us.”Zachary took her hand casually and led her forward. “We’re husband and wife, not having an affair. What are we afraid of?”Serenity was speechless.“It’s no wonder my sister always tells me to be nice to you.” He had already completely won over her sister.After their sudden marriage, as the couple got along, Serenity realized that although this man had shortcoming
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h
Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no
After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even
Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w
Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus
Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m
The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa