Zachary was silent and let his brothers make way for Hank.Hank immediately took his parents into the ward.Liberty hugged Sonny, removed the ice pack, and let Hank take a look at Sonny’s face. Sonny’s face was still red and swollen even after having applied ice for some time now.A child’s skin was tender, so it would not heal so soon after being beaten, especially when Matthew pounded him so cruelly.Seeing his son’s swollen small face and fearful eyes that used to be clear and bright, Hank was so distressed that he cursed Matthew. Hank had rarely spent time with his son, but he was heartbroken at the sight of this.“How could Matthew do this?! I really wasted my time raising him.”Mrs. Brown wanted to touch Sonny’s face, but Sonny was so frightened that he immediately turned around and buried his head in his mother’s arms. He clutched his mother’s shirt tightly with both hands and screamed in fear. “Mommy! Mommy!”Liberty slapped away her mother-in-law’s hand and said coldly,
Sonny did not want Hank to touch him and firmly grabbed onto Liberty’s clothes.Liberty hugged Sonny and avoided Hank’s outstretched hands.“Hank, if you still feel sorry for your son, please take your parents and leave now! I don’t expect you to stand up for Sonny, but don’t scare him anymore. He’s frightened enough…”Liberty choked up again.Hank looked at his son.Mrs. Brown wanted to say something but was held down by her husband. She looked at her husband and saw that his face was gloomy, so she shut her mouth.After a long time, Hank said, “We’ll go back then. Liberty, take good care of Sonny. I promise that I won’t take Sonny away again before his custody is decided.”Even if Hank took Sonny, he had no time to take care of his son. He could not rest assured even if he handed Sonny over to his parents either, not unless his parents moved in with him.However, Jessica said she did not wish to live with her in-laws in the future.Although Hank and Liberty did not agree on
Hank said, “Chelsea, you’re…”Before Hank could finish, his father, who was sitting in the passenger seat, reached out and snatched Hank’s phone.“Hank, focus on driving.”Mr. Brown instructed his son in a deep voice before he said to his daughter over the phone, “How dare you ask Serenity for compensation?!”Chelsea heard her father’s voice and shouted aggrievedly, “Dad, George was forced to beat up Matthew.”“Your son made a mistake. So what if his father beat him up? I hit you too when you were young and disobedient.”Chelsea said, “Dad, are you alright? Why does it sound like you’re siding with Liberty and her sister? I’m your daughter!“Even if Matthew made a mistake, he’s still a child. How bad of a mistake can he make? He didn’t kill or rob anyone. He just hit Sonny a few times. Matthew said that Lucas was crying because Sonny beat him. He was standing up for his younger brother and kicked Sonny a few times. How could Sonny end up in the hospital? I think they’re just mak
Mr. Brown added, “So what if they trashed your house? I want to thank Serenity for venting anger on my behalf as well. Chelsea, if you dare ask Serenity for compensation, your mother and I will cut all ties with you. Also, I’ve kept a tab of all the expenses your mother and I have spent on your family, so you have to pay me back!“Since your younger brother had a job, he gave us monthly living expenses that we spent on your household. But look what he got in return! His son was sent to the hospital because of your son!“Don’t accuse Serenity for making a fuss. I’ve asked around myself. Sonny was sent to the emergency room and was treated for a long time. The doctors were cursing the abuser for being ruthless, and I saw how badly Sonny was injured!“We just came out of the hospital. We’re going back to your house to pack our things. Your mom and I will stay in our own home from now on and will no longer babysit your children. Ask your in-laws to babysit them. If not, you can take car
Serenity and Liberty were unaware of the rare occasion that Mr. Brown sided with Sonny. Sonny’s swollen face subsided slightly after applying the ice pack.He kept crying and wanting to go home.Serenity asked the doctor if they could leave, and the doctor said he could be discharged from the hospital. However, they had to be careful because Sonny might get a fever at night.In the evening, Zachary and his brothers sent Liberty and Sonny home.Serenity was still worried about Sonny, so she brought Zachary to the balcony and said, “Can I stay over with my sister and nephew tonight?”Zachary was reluctant to part with Serenity as he started to have feelings for her and wanted to cling to her 24/7 if he could.However, Serenity was Sonny’s aunt, so he understood that she would want to stay back with Sonny at this time.“Zachary?”Serenity saw his deep eyes that were staring straight at hers. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and he did not speak. Thus, she asked c
Zachary gently let go of Serenity, bowed his head, and looked at her.Serenity gulped.Every time she looked at him, she could not overlook his attractiveness and always wanted to take advantage of him.If he had always been so gentle, she would have jumped him in less than a week.If she was more courageous, she could even try different moves every day.When Serenity was thinking about various ways to sleep with Zachary, Zachary’s deep voice resounded in her ears. He asked, “When did we sign an agreement?”Serenity was speechless.She looked dumbfounded as she was in disbelief that Zachary would say such a thing.“Back when we got our marriage license, you drafted the agreement and asked me to sign it. The contract period was half a year.”Zachary looked calm and said blankly, “Why don’t you recite the content of the agreement for me?”Serenity opened her mouth but could not say a word.After so long, she could not remember much about the contents of the agreement. She only
The eight York brothers surrounded their grandmother and left.The group went to the Wiltspoon Hotel for dinner.When the lobby manager at Wiltspoon Hotel saw the York brothers coming in with Old Mrs. York but without their bodyguards, he was a little lost.Should he greet them respectfully?However, Mr. Callum said that as long as Mr. Zachary did not bring his bodyguard, he should treat them as regular hotel guests and pretend not to know them.While the lobby manager was deliberating on what to do, Zachary and his family had already entered the hotel and walked past the manager.All eight of them York brothers were extraordinary. When they walked into the hotel together, they instantly attracted the attention of countless people.The passersby heard the brothers talking to the old lady softly and heard them address her as their grandmother.They gave the old lady envious looks. This old lady was so blessed to have eight extraordinarily handsome grandsons. Their eyes were gree
Josh was talking to Julian. Although they were second cousins, it did not prevent them from being close-knit brothers.A bodyguard in a black uniform entered the room while walking in front of the two men, and said respectfully, “Mr. Julian, Mr. Josh. Mr. Zachary York is here.”“Let him in.”The bodyguard responded respectfully and turned to leave.Josh pointed to the yellow envelope on the table. “Zachary’s here to collect that.”“He came in person because he wants to meet me.”Julian instructed the butler to make tea and serve some fruit to the guest.Julian often used his family’s influence to help Josh. In fact, it was to help Zachary. Zachary knew that very well, so he came in person to thank Julian.“Zachary wanted to come and see you long ago, but you’ve been busy and you’re always away from home, so he hasn’t had the chance.”“Since he’s your friend, he’s also my friend. Friends help each other, so he doesn’t have to stand on ceremony. I’m glad that you’ve proven your
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