“Aunt Audrey...”Audrey raised her hand and motioned for Liberty not to speak.She gazed coldly at Jessica.Jessica cowered. “M-Mrs. Stone.”Audrey turned to her daughter and said, “Elisa, call and inform our family bodyguards to drive over all the luxury cars in our garage so your cousin can ride in all of them one by one. Each of our cars costs at least a million.”“Mrs. Stone, it’s a misunderstanding.”Hank hurriedly tried to smooth things over.“We won’t shop here anymore, Mrs. Stone. We’ll leave right away.”Hank was reminded of the difficulties he was facing at work now and did not dare to confront Audrey head-on.He took away the clothes in Jessica’s hand and passed them to the clerk. He quickly pulled Jessica and left despondently.Jessica did not dare to do anything in front of Audrey, but as soon as she left the shop, she shook off Hank’s hand and stormed forward angrily. “What were you doing just now? You didn’t say a word when you saw me being bullied by those sis
“Even if I give her more than a million dollars, she’ll probably end up spending all of it buying a house, but she still won’t be able to find a job. Unless her aunt keeps supporting her, she won’t be as happy as we are.”Sure enough, Jessica’s mood improved.“A million isn’t even enough for the down payment for a house in downtown Wiltspoon. A friend of mine bought a second-hand apartment in the busiest part of the city a while ago. It’s near a school district and is only seven hundred square feet, but it cost her five million. I was really shocked.”If she had not snatched Hank away, she could not have afforded to buy a house in downtown Wiltspoon with her income.Hank was cognizant that housing prices were exorbitant now.Fortunately, he struck early. If he only bought a house now, he would not be able to buy one in a good location, let alone a school district.“I asked around and heard that Mrs. Stone is a very strong woman. She dislikes weak and incompetent people the most.
Serenity first took out the small note.The note read: These two are recorder pens. Listen to the recordings when no one is around. Josh Bucham.It was sent to her by Josh.Recorder pen?What was on the recorder pens that could not be heard by other people?Serenity’s curiosity was killing her.Josh told her to listen to the recording alone, so she could only wait until she returned to her room after dinner.“What is that, Seren? Who sent it to you?” Audrey asked with concern.Serenity put the note back into the bag and said, “It’s a pen I want to use. Mrs. Lane had someone send it over to me.”Audrey hummed and did not ask more.Curiosity piqued, Serenity finished eating dinner and followed her sister upstairs, saying she was going to help her sister bathe Sonny.The sisters’ rooms were next to each other.Audrey made the arrangement so the two sisters could rely on each other even in an unfamiliar environment.Serenity went back to her room, closed the door behind her, t
Zachary forced a laugh and said, “Is my wife taking control of me now? I don’t have an appetite and don’t want to eat. I’m working so hard now because I want to finish work early and go back to you.”“Even if you want to come back soon, you have to take care of your health. Are you staying at a hotel now? If you don’t have an appetite, then just eat something light.“Pick up your phone, Zachary. I want to see you.”Zachary did not move.Serenity got angry. “Zachary York, I’ll give you till the count of three. If you don’t let me see you, I won’t talk to you for the rest of the year. I won’t answer your calls or reply to your texts either. One...”As soon as she started counting, Zachary’s face appeared on the screen.He looked miserable. His usually cold and indifferent face was flushed an abnormal red. Serenity was startled and asked, “Didn’t you go see a doctor? You must be running a high fever now. Are you trying to worry me to death?!”Zachary propped his head up with his ha
Josh looked solemn. “Zachary has always been as fit as a fiddle though. I don’t think he has the flu and fever. Take it easy. I’ll contact someone to drive him to the hospital and make travel arrangements for you to get there. Pack up. You can leave in half an hour.” Now that Zachary was ill and Serenity was worried sick, it was the perfect chance for the couple to bond. While feeling concerned about Zachary’s well-being, Josh secretly moaned about Zachary’s timing to be sick. “Thank you, Mr. Bucham.” Serenity was grateful for Josh’s help to get her to Zachary. Josh uttered in a gentle voice, “Zachary is my colleague. I’m worried that he’s sick, and he can be stubborn. He won’t say a word when he’s sick. The bosses and I will feel better if you head there and take care of him.“You might want to get ready now. I’ll give the colleagues there a call to send Zachary to the hospital.” “Sure.” After the phone call, Serenity got up and picked up the bag with two sets of fresh
Alice’s uncle was a doctor who specialized in alternative medicine. Whenever a family member was not feeling well, Alice would go to her uncle and ask for a remedy. Clive really could not stand the awful taste of alternative medicine. Hence, he looked after himself and tried not to get sick. He would hide from his wife if he had the occasional sniffles. Serenity’s worry for Zachary was like Alice’s worry for him. Clive soothed Serenity, “Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. You want to get to the Buchams’ residence? I’ll drive you there.” “Thank you, Clive.” Tilting his head, Clive told his wife, “Wait for me at home, Alice. I’ll drive Serenity to the Buchams’. I don’t feel good getting someone else to drive her.” Alice replied, “Sure. Go ahead.” “Clive, Alice, the chauffeur can drive me if you have something to do.” “What’s the matter?” Liberty had just gotten her son out of the shower when she heard her sister talking in the hallway. With Sonny in her arms,
“His boss made arrangements for me to get there. I need to rush there now,” Serenity replied. “You should hurry there then. His boss will probably have a private plane ready for you if he approves the arrangement. You’ll get there quicker. Clive, you should take Seren there.”Mrs. Stone thought the boss Serenity mentioned was Zachary. Knowing that the Yorks had a private jet, she felt assured enough to let Serenity go. Several minutes later, Clive drove Serenity out of the Stones’ residence. While on the way, Clive said to Serenity, “I have a somewhat unreasonable request to ask of you, Serenity.” “Do say, Clive.” While behind the wheel, Clive said, “You must know that Elisa was in love with Mr. York. Although she said she would let go of her feelings for him, you can’t stop loving someone after going at it for years. It would take some time before she could embrace reality wholeheartedly.” Serenity’s mind harked back to Shawn. This was the case with Shawn toward her as
The only person that Serenity was wrong about was Zachary. Then again, Serenity was fooled by Zachary’s whole family. The cousins shared a pleasant conversation along the way that the journey felt short to Serenity. Soon, they arrived at the Buchams’ residence. Josh was not back. He was still having dinner with Jasmine and her brother. Jasmine was concerned about her best friend, but her mind was at ease since Josh had everything sorted out. Serenity had just arrived at the Buchams’ residence when Jasmine gave her a call. Jasmine felt better after confirming Serenity was at the residence. “Thank goodness Mr. Bucham stepped in to help tonight, Jasmine. Please thank him for me. I’ll personally express my gratitude to him when I return.” Sure, Josh was Zachary’s colleague. He could simply do his due and inform a colleague there to send Zachary to the hospital. However, Josh went above and beyond at sorting everything out when Serenity said she wanted to be there. Josh even
Liberty and Sonny had a lot to share with each other. Meanwhile, Caroline had not gone home yet. She told Liberty she was going home after they separated but ended up going shopping instead. It was still early. There were too many cars on the road. Even a fool would not choose that time to make a move. To play along with her brothers’ scheme, she had to go shopping and only head home late at night. That would make it easier for Adrian and his brothers to take action. Darren sent Caroline a message to tell her that the Dott brothers and Clark brothers were waiting to ambush her when she was on her way back. When she approached them, they would hit her car with theirs. Her dying on the spot would be the best-case scenario. If she did not die, they would kidnap her. Adrian was already waiting in a deserted place by the sea. They planned to chop her up and throw her body into the sea. The fish in the sea would eat her up. The Clark brothers were cruel. Caroline wa
Sonny himself needed taking care of. Duncan said, “Summer vacation, then. Since it’s a long holiday, you can be in Jensburg for two months.“Once you graduate from preschool and come over to Jensburg for elementary school, you’ll be able to see your mom every day. I’ll also move my business to Jensburg. That way, the three of us can reunite as a family.”While Lewis & Co. had businesses in Jensburg, there were not many. Since Liberty would be living in Jensburg permanently, Duncan increased his investments there to expand into a new market. Therefore, he had to be in Jensburg as the CEO. It also presented him with the opportunity to accompany Liberty and Sonny there. Sonny pouted. “Okay.“Mom, you haven’t answered my questions.”Sonny turned his attention back to Liberty. Liberty smiled. “I’m not as busy tonight, so I don’t have to work till late. I’m on my way home now. I called you because I knew you’d be going to bed soon.“Do you miss me, Sonny? I miss you so much.”“
Serenity shouted from the stairs, “Sonny, your mom’s on the phone.”Sonny was concentrating on his game of chess with Liam. Naturally, he was not as good as Grandpa Liam. He lost most of the time, aside from the few games Grandpa Liam let him win. However, even if Sonny always ended up losing, he was determined. Liam realized Sonny would change his strategy after every loss. He would learn from his mistakes and even emulate Liam’s playstyle. Sonny had a versatile mind. He was clever. Liam thought, ‘Maybe this is why our family loves Sonny.’Sonny was intelligent, studious, and thoughtful. Serenity was about to give birth. If Liam’s grandson would be as adorable as Sonny, he would not mind having a few more. “Let’s pause this round for now, Grandpa Liam. We can continue after I talk to Mom on the phone.”Liam smiled. “You should go to bed soon, Sonny. You still have to go to school tomorrow. We can leave this here and continue tomorrow evening. I promise not to move the
After the divorce, her life went on an upward trajectory.Hank’s, on the other hand, went on a downward spiral, although that was due to Zachary. He had orchestrated Hank’s downfall behind the scenes, causing him to lose his job. No other employer dared to hire him either.Initially, Hank hoped to join Stone Group, as the Stones and the Yorks were sworn rivals.He thought that if he could make a name for himself within Stone Group, he could wield its influence to take revenge on Zachary.However, who could have expected that Audrey Stone was actually Liberty and Serenity’s biological aunt?Audrey had spent decades searching for her sister, only to find just her two nieces in the end. She doted on them as if they were her own daughters.Elisa and Serenity, who could have been considered love rivals, unexpectedly became close friends. Instead of fighting, they became as close as sisters, and Elisa even gave up on Zachary, whom she had admired for years.Now, she had found her own
Duncan held his wife’s hand and said, “Don’t worry about her. Fletcher’s secretly protecting her and she won’t be in any life-threatening danger.“You’ve been working all day. You must be tired.” Duncan patted his shoulder. “Lean on me.”Liberty smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as he immediately wrapped his arm around hers.“Duncan.”“Hmm?”“It’s wonderful to have you. I finally have someone to rely on too.”In the past, she had been the one her sister and son relied on. Now, she had someone to lean on as well.Duncan said affectionately, “It’s even more wonderful to have you. You’re my support too, my pillar of strength. I really thank God for bringing us together.”He thanked God that they met, got to know each other, fell in love, and would spend the rest of their lives together.“Do you remember the first time we met?”Duncan chuckled. “How could I forget? You were pushing a stroller with Sonny in it, and you accidentally bumped into my car.“My brand-new car g
It would prevent them from ending up with nothing.“Mr. Lewis is coming over. You should go to him.”As they entered the hotel, they saw Duncan slowly walking over. His two bodyguards followed behind him, pushing a wheelchair. People coming in and out of the hotel could not help but glance at Duncan. The hotel manager wanted to help him, but Duncan declined.Liberty took a deep breath and said to Caroline, “Call me if anything happens. Good luck.”“Thank you!” Caroline said and smiled. “We’ll both have good luck.”Liberty walked over to Duncan.Caroline, on the other hand, turned and walked out.“Duncan.” Liberty stepped forward to support him. “Let’s go home.”Duncan let her help him, and the couple slowly made their way out.“Ms. Fisher left.”“Yes, she didn’t tell me, but I think it’s probably happening tonight. Adrian Clark and his brothers left work on time this evening instead of staying late, and they’ve finished everything assigned to them.”Duncan whispered, “They h
Meanwhile, in a private room at Fortress Hotel in Jensburg, Caroline and Liberty stood up together and shook hands with their client, having successfully closed a business deal.The two of them escorted the client downstairs.After the client got into their car and left, Caroline turned to Liberty and said, “Liberty, it's getting late. Mr. Lewis is still waiting for you inside, so go get him and head home early to rest. The weather is really cold.“He still has trouble with his legs and isn’t used to the cold here, after all.”Duncan had caught a cold on his third day here.After seeing a doctor and taking medication, he was still coughing a little.Liberty did not move. Instead, she asked Caroline, “Are they making their move tonight?”“How would I know? They’ll act whenever they want. I’m just waiting. It’s likely to be soon, though. I’ve spread the word that Darren is on a business trip for half a month.”She did not want Liberty to worry, so she did not tell her that her fi
How long had it been since she last truly appreciated the night view of Satbury?Every day, she left home early and returned late, rushing from one place to another, with endless meetings, piles of documents to process, and countless business deals to negotiate.It always felt like there was not enough time.Before she knew it, time had flown by.It seemed just yesterday she had taken over the family business, but in the blink of an eye, several years had passed.Back when she first took over, many people had looked down on her, doubting her ability to manage the O'Connors’ vast empire. Many had wanted to devour the O'Connor family, to carve it up and take a share for themselves.Her parents’ generation was utterly mediocre, and after her grandparents passed away, they could not hold things together.As a result, the O'Connors’ family business declined and they lost a significant amount of money.On top of that, their extended relatives tried to exploit the situation, digging p
Isabella smiled, “Every time I hear you talk about your family, my heart gets restless, and I feel like going to meet them myself.”She even felt the urge to join their family, but she could not bring herself to say that out loud.Austin treated her very well. Tati said that when Austin looked at her, there was a sparkle in his eyes, and she kept saying that Austin had come here for her.Technically, Austin could indeed be considered to have come here for her, but it was really because of her picky palate and because she was hiring a private chef.To put it bluntly, Austin had come for the sake of culinary art.Sometimes, when Isabella locked eyes with Austin and saw him looking at her so intently, she could not help but wonder if he felt something for her.However, such thoughts were always quickly brushed aside.She and Austin were simply employer and employee.Austin treated her well because she was his employer. If there were any issues with the dishes he prepared, she coul