Putting down his pen, Josh got up and drew near the window to look down. He looked at the paparazzi standing firmly outside the company entrance and murmured, “They sure have the patience to stay from last night until now. Seriously, Zachary. All it takes is for Zachary to show off his relationship and boom, the community’s rocked to the core.” Well, it only shook the community. All was calm with the missus. Zachary shielded the missus well. Everybody in the office had seen Serenity, but no one had the guts to blab it out. The York family kept mum, refusing to let a word out despite the reporters’ incessant inquiries. “Do you know who Mr. York’s wife is?” was the first thing that popped out of everyone in the upper crust’s mouth today.Business clients would join in on the gossip after closing deals, snooping on the identity of Mr. York’s bride. Josh was annoyed. Since he was best buddies with Zachary, many tried to pry information from him. Josh knew the most but cou
“I wonder who the lucky lady is.” Although Clive knew his question would come to naught, he still had to ask. His sister wanted to know who defeated her. Zachary’s eyes were fixated on Clive for a while before he answered, “Mr. Stone, I’d ask for privacy, so I’m not going to answer that question.” Clive had foreseen getting nothing from Zachary. Accepting the result, Clive graciously smiled. “You have your wife well protected, Mr. York.”“I promised to love, protect, and cherish her forever when I married her.” Clive replied with a little surprise, “You’re an affectionate man, Mr. York.” His sister and Zachary were not meant to be. Clive had talked his sister into letting Zachary go, but his sister refused to listen. Now, she was devastated. He sighed in his mind. Clive would support his sister to be with Zachary and ease the tension between the rivaling York Corporation and Stone Group if Zachary had fallen in love with Elisa. This was because Zachary only had ey
After listening to a day of gossip about Mr. York’s marriage and wife-doting tendencies, Serenity applied a facial mask in front of the dressing table at night and said to Zachary, “All I hear is stories about your boss today.” With his game face on, Zachary asked, “Oh. What about?” “You don’t know?” Serenity turned over to look at him. “Your boss made a public announcement that he’s married, but no one knows who his wife is. Elisa said that caused quite a stir among the higher society.“Zachary, you work at York Corporation. Do you have any firsthand news about the identity of your boss’s wife?“I heard the press waited in front of your office building for a long time but had to leave with nothing.” Pulling a chair over, Zachary sat next to his wife and watched as Serenity put on the facial mask. He grabbed the mask packing for a look at the brand. It was a good and expensive brand. “Elisa gave it to me. I hardly apply facial masks, but I thought I should try it out tonigh
“Seren, are Mrs. Stone’s and your DNA test results nearly out?” Zachary decisively changed the subject to end the gossip about himself. He was only flaunting his relationship to announce his marriage on Facebook. It never crossed his mind that it would bring about a stir that occupied his wife’s day with gossip. “Elisa said they’ll collect the results tomorrow.” “Oh.” Zachary quickly added, “You’ll meet them again if the results show you’re related to Mrs. Stone. I might not be able to go with you to the Stones’ house. I’m going away on business tomorrow.” Serenity picked her head up to meet his eyes. “I thought you didn’t have to do business trips.” Zachary stared at her in silence. He knew it; she looked forward to him leaving soon. Zachary was scared that she would forget who he was when he returned from his trip. “Have you booked the flight yet? What time is the flight? I’ll drive you to the airport. “I’ll get up early tomorrow to pack for you.” Serenity belie
Unexpectedly, the Soxes had many buildings up for lease and they received a boatload of rental fees.That was how the Sox family turned wealthy.“Let Jasmine and Mr. Bucham develop on their own. I think a spark will ignite between them when they’re familiar with each other.”Ever since Serenity heard some stuff about Josh from Jasmine, she felt that Jasmine and Josh were two peas in a pod. They both liked lively places, and Josh was able to experience tons of drama firsthand.“I asked Mr. Bucham. He is quite impressed by Ms. Sox, so give him a little time and he’ll make more initiative. It’s almost New Year, and everyone in our company will be busier than usual, let alone people in positions like Mr. Bucham. He’ll have time to deal with his private and emotional affairs during the holidays.”During Zachary’s business trip, Josh and Callum would have to run the company, so they would undoubtedly be busy.Serenity hummed. She also did not want Jasmine to marry far away. If Jasmine
“My memory isn’t that poor. It’s not like we just only got our marriage license.”Serenity yawned and added, “Go to sleep, Zachary. You have to travel tomorrow. Rest well so you’ll feel energized.”She then leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.“Good night, Honey.”Zachary’s gaze became intense all of a sudden. He wrapped his arms around her waist, not letting her leave after that peck on the lips she gave him.His dark eyes burned and locked on her pretty face.She was usually barefaced without makeup, but she took great care of her skin, so her face was still looking radiant and smooth, making it pleasant to the touch.She was a natural beauty through and through.Zacahry was already attracted to her the first time they met.However, he had come across plenty of beauties before, so he did not feel anything for Serenity at first sight.“Seren, what did you just call me?”She did not react the first time he called her Honey.It was a little depressing when he thoug
“Serenity, where’s your sister? Tell her to answer her phone!”Olivia was blunt and it was clear that she was livid.“Why are you looking for my sister?The last I checked, my sister has nothing to do with your family anymore. What do you want?” Serenity spoke casually.She guessed Olivia called because the latter found out that the renovations to the house were smashed and wanted to settle the score with Liberty in a fit of anger.Their reaction was actually rather slow.It was no wonder Olivia did not know about it until now.On the day Liberty and Hank divorced, the old couple took a taxi home after the formalities were done.They wanted to move into Hank’s house the next day.Chelsea’s children had to go back to school to get their report cards, so they waited an extra day.Today, the elementary school was officially out.Olivia and her husband brought Chelsea’s family, driving two cars carrying large bags into the city, intending to stay there for the New Year’s.As for
Serenity laughed and said, “Chelsea, you should go to the bathroom and wash your face at the sink. Oh, wait, there’s no faucet anymore. My sister paid for all the water pipes, so we sawed them all off. I guess you’ll just have to take a piss and see your reflection in it. Look at how big your face is.“My sister and your brother are divorced. They have nothing to do with each other whatsoever. How do you get off telling my sister to find a house for you to stay? Was it my sister’s fault that you don’t have a house to live in now? You were the ones who brought this upon yourselves.“If you guys had gone along and compensated my sister for her loss, you would have a place to stay now. Alas, it’s really cold today. I wonder if you’ll be able to sleep in a house full of holes.“But you have thick skin and flesh. If all of you huddle together, you’ll be able to withstand the bitter cold wind.“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now. It’s very warm under the covers, so I’m going to
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