“Have you met Serenity’s husband before?” Mrs. Stone asked her daughter. If Serenity and her sister turned out to be her nieces, Mrs. Stone, as the aunt, should assess the men for her nieces. “I’ve never met him before. He seems to be busy at work. You know only elites could join York Corporation, and work can get busy. I think her husband’s working in higher management, so work must take up a lot of his time.“Serenity’s expression started to soften when she talked about him. I think they’re developing feelings for each other.” Elisa did not pay an awful lot of attention to Serenity's marriage. As she had loved before, Elisa could tell the subtle changes in Serenity toward her husband. After much thought, Elisa added, “But they have not become a real couple. Their marriage is only in name at present.” “They entered the marriage without any feelings for one another. Everything should fall into place since they’re keeping the marriage in name while nurturing their relations
“My breakfast’s probably not warm anymore. I’ll go heat it up in the kitchen. Elisa, you’re a regular here. Please keep Mrs. Stone entertained.” Elisa replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. My mom and I won’t be strangers. Your shop is home to me.” Serenity thought to herself, ‘My shop is not up to your standard with the wealth your family owns.’She took the breakfast packed by Zachary to the kitchen and heated it up before enjoying her meal in the kitchen. Zachary made her hot cocoa. Thanks to the insulated cup, the drink was still warm. Her arms and legs were feeling cold since the weather turned chilly, and her Aunt Flo came to visit as well. Cupping the insulated cup, Serenity felt the warmth in her belly after taking a sip of hot cocoa. Ring, ring, ring…Her phone rang. While sipping on her hot cocoa, she pulled out her phone for a look. It was Zachary. She took the call. “Are you at the shop?” Zachary looked at the time before calling. “Yes, I’m at the shop.”
“Is Shawn gone?” Zachary had not forgotten about his love rival. “I didn’t see him when I came back. Are you still jealous?” Zachary fell silent for a while before replying, “Well, you said that’s how I am. I guess jealousy might become a habit of mine.” Josh and Grandma May would be throwing shade at him if they were around. Serenity chuckled. “I should make you eat your greens every day then.” Since he enjoyed turning green with envy, she might as well serve up all the greens he could eat. “I love to eat whatever you make me.” “Zachary, you sure have honeyed lips. What’s up with all the sweet talk recently?” Zachary twitched by the corner of his lips. Nana often complained about his lack of sweet nothings to Serenity. Now that he had given it a go, Serenity fussed about his honeyed lips. She probably did not like sweet talk. “I don’t want to take up more of your time.” “Okay.” Serenity was the first to end the call. Zachary moved the phone away from his ear
With tears running down Mrs. Stone’s face, Serenity handed her a tissue and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Stone.” “Serenity.” Mrs. Stone held her hands, choking in sobs. “I’m sorry about your childhood. I didn’t find you quick enough. Maybe your mom wouldn’t have died if I tracked you down sooner.” Had her sister been located sooner, Mrs. Stone would have brought her to live in the city. Then, her sister would never have lost her life, together with her husband, in a tragic car accident in the little town. Although the DNA test had not been done, Serenity felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welling up after listening to what Mrs. Stone had to say. It would be great if her mom was still alive. “Stop crying, Mom. Dad told me to keep an eye on you and not to let you cry. You had been crying all day yesterday.”Elisa took the tissue from Serenity and patted her mother’s tears dry while consoling her, “Mom, you can take the DNA test with Serenity. If it comes back po
While on the way to the DNA testing center, Serenity received a wired transfer from Zachary for fifty thousand dollars. Afraid that she might not accept the money, Zachary included a text message to her. “Seren, I’ll take it as you don’t see me as your husband if you don’t accept the money. The husband is supposed to make money for the wife to spend.” Serenity read the text message and had a big smile on her face. Zachary had learned to guilt her into accepting things. She was not in a hurry to accept the transaction. Once at the DNA testing center, she waited until Mrs. Stone’s and her blood were drawn before accepting the fifty thousand dollars. With the money her husband gave, Serenity generously took Mrs. Stone and her daughter to have lunch at a five-star hotel. The five-star hotel Serenity was most familiar with in all of Wiltspoon was the Wiltspoon Hotel. The Wiltspoon Hotel was a hotel under York Corporation’s flagship. The Yorks and the Stones were not on good
“Alright. I got it. Carry on with your work.” Catching up to the group, Callum approached his cousin and said, “Zack, Mr. Zen told me that he saw your wife with Mrs. Stone and Miss Stone a few minutes ago. They picked the supreme lounge for lunch.” The lounge was the most exclusive private dining room at the Wiltspoon Hotel. Those with thin wallets would not pick the supreme lounge to dine in. Nevertheless, Serenity had to pick the supreme lounge to wine and dine with Mrs. Stone. “Got it.” Zachary was not at all surprised by the news. “We won’t run into each other,” Zachary commented in a husky voice. He would normally take the clients to the presidential suite on the top floor which was on a different floor from the supreme lounge. Zachary had a private lift that was not available to hotel guests unless he brought them in himself. There was no chance for the couple to meet unless it was at the lift. Callum kept his mouth shut, seeing that his cousin was confident.
“Do you think we’d turn out fine if Serenity’s husband was related to the wealthiest Yorks? Your sister-in-law would’ve trampled all over us with the help of Mr. York.” Thinking about the bad things he had done, Hank believed Jessica had a point. Hence, he quickly let go of the matter. Mr. York was way up there while Serenity was not even worth the mention. She was not blessed in life to become Mr. York’s wife. The pair were lovey-dovey as they walked out of the hotel. Hank and Jessica came across Liberty at the hotel entrance. Liberty was alone. While Sonny was asleep, Liberty left Mrs. Lane at home to look after Sonny, so she could wait for Hank and Jessica here. Liberty only lay in wait here for them because she deduced through the information and evidence provided by Zachary that Hank often brought Jessica to dine at the Wiltspoon Hotel. Although she had a falling out with Hank, it still hurt Liberty badly. After tying the knot with Hank, Liberty gave him a son, ran
Jessica gave Hank a tug and asked, “What does the fat cow want to talk to us about?” “She didn’t agree to my terms of the divorce. I guess it’s probably to further talk about the divorce.” The divorce proceedings would take some time. Liberty probably did not want to wait for another second after what happened to Sonny. Hank took Jessica to his car. Once they got into the car, Hank leaned over and heartbrokenly caressed Jessica’s face. “Does it hurt?” “What about you?” Hank felt his own cheek. “It hurts, but the thing with Sonny got her riled up. I can take a slap from her so she could let off steam.” Jessica touched where she was slapped and said, “Hank, since she’s in a rush to finalize the divorce, the odds are in your favor to name your terms. It’d be best if she gets nothing.“Let her go to court to file for divorce if she’s not willing to accept your terms. We have the time and money to drag this out.” Hank answered, “Sure. Let’s go see what she wants to talk abo
Liberty did not need them to push her husband. She continued to push Duncan toward the car, and only then did the bodyguards help him into the vehicle. Soon, the luxurious car carrying the family of three drove away from the city hall and merged into the street traffic, gradually disappearing into the distance.It was not until the car was out of sight that the car parked not far from the city hall slowly began to move.The driver was Hank.He would not stop Liberty and Duncan from registering their marriage and neither did he have the right nor the standing to do so. He had intended to take customers but had not received any orders, and without any particular destination in mind, he ended up at the city hall by chance, arriving before Liberty and Duncan.However, his car was parked farther away, and many other cars were occupying spaces near the city hall. After the divorce, Liberty no longer paid much attention to him and did not notice that Hank’s car was already there, waiting.
Liberty was his wife now.Sonny was completely confused. He had come here with his mother and Dunc. Everyone here was so friendly and smiled at them as they congratulated Liberty and Duncan. Why, though, did they not congratulate him?“Mom, Dunc is smiling so brightly. What’s so special about that paper? Mom, can I see it?” Sonny asked, looking up at Liberty, curious about what was so interesting about the marriage license that made Dunc smile so widely.Liberty glanced at Duncan and teased him, “Duncan, the corners of your mouth are almost reaching your ears.”“I’m happy. Very happy,” Duncan responded with an even brighter smile.The weather today was cloudy, though occasionally, the sun took a peek while sometimes it became overcast. Still, the power of the sun today certainly could not compare to the beam of Duncan’s smile.Liberty handed the marriage license to Sonny to view.Sonny eagerly took it and started reading it. Some of the words he recognized, but overall, he did n
“That brat is already at that age and still doesn’t think about settling down. Every time we pressure him, he hides away.” When Audrey talked about Anthony, who did not want to get married, she could not help but feel a headache coming. Out of her three children, the one who worried her the most was Anthony.Serenity walked over to Audrey and affectionately linked arms with her, smiling, “Aunt Audrey, you don’t need to worry. Anthony’s a good man. When the right person comes along, he’ll get married.”“Let’s hope so—he’s not young anymore. Children are always a worry, aren’t they? There’s always something to be concerned about. What about Sonny? Why didn’t he come along?” Audrey asked. “Didn’t you come from your sister’s place?” “Sonny went with my sister and Duncan to the city hall. They said they wanted to go as a family of three,” Serenity replied.Audrey laughed, “Duncan doesn’t mind bringing along a little third wheel, huh? Well, that’s fine. They’re going to be a family, aft
Zachary said those words, but in his heart, he was thinking that he had to keep an eye on the younger generations of the major families in Wiltspoon, particularly those who stood out. He would make note of any promising boys, so that when he had a daughter, he could arrange for that boy to grow up alongside her. If they became childhood sweethearts, she would not have to marry far away. Of course, once he had a daughter, he would not want her to get married too early. He would still be fine even if she was unmarried at thirty.Zachary drove his beloved wife to the Stone residence. Audrey was walking in the yard with Patrick. The weather was nice today, and the temperature had risen a few degrees. Patrick had been ordered by Audrey to stay inside and avoid the cold wind, but he was now finally able to get out and walk around.Elisa had gone to Annenburg with Remy to celebrate Christmas. Anthony, afraid of his parents’ constant nagging to settle down, had bought a plane ticket abroad
“Duncan is a good man. Being with him, you will definitely be happy, Liberty. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, growing old together, and may you have children soon.” After a pause, Hank added, “Or maybe don't have children, I'm afraid that if you have your own kids, you might not love Sonny as much.”He was still quite selfish. He hoped that Sonny would be Liberty’s only child. As long as Liberty and Duncan did not have children, the fortune and empire Duncan built would eventually become his son's legacy. Then again, thinking about Liberty’s current status, Hank sighed quietly, knowing that his selfish prayer would never come true. Liberty would definitely have another child. She would need a daughter to take her place and eventually take over the Fisher matriarchy in Jensburg.What if Duncan had a biological child? Would he still treat Sonny well?Hank was actually quite worried that if Duncan had his own child, he might not treat Sonny well. That was why, when he last s
“Go cook some food. It's rare for Hank to be resting at home, so don't say those unpleasant things in front of him. Honestly, if he hadn’t gone after Jessica, she wouldn't have ended up like this. As a married man, Hank shouldn't have pursued a young, innocent girl in the first place. Everything that happened to him is his own fault—it’s all self-inflicted.”Ever since Hank divorced Liberty, and after seeing how Liberty had turned her life around and was living a better life, Luke had changed a lot because of regret. It made him realize many things and change a lot.Olivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing in the end. After a heavy sigh, she stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare food for her husband and son.In the past, when Liberty was still part of the Brown family, every time Olivia came to her son’s house, she never had to cook. She only had to mention what she wanted to eat, and Liberty would prepare it for her. All she had to do was eat and still
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo