A silver sedan stopped right outside the villa, and a person stood at the gate. Through the gate, Serenity looked at the figure and thought it looked familiar. At closer inspection, she recognized that it was not the delivery person but her mother-in-law who she had met a few times. “Mom.”Serenity took a moment to take in the surprise before rushing to open the gate. It was then she realized she did not have a key to unlock the gate. Serenity apologetically said to her mother-in-law who was on the other side of the gate, “I didn’t know I needed a key to open the gate, Mom. Hang on for a second. I’ll get the key from Zachary.” “Okay,” Tania faintly replied and stopped pressing on the doorbell. Serenity rushed back into the house, running into the kitchen. She told Zachary, “Your mom is here, Zachary. I tried to open the gate, but I couldn’t without a key. Give me a key. I’ll unlock the gate now.“Didn’t you say your mother was going to drop by two days later? Why doesn’t she
Zachary’s loving statement gave Serenity assurance. She uttered with a smile, “I’ll open the gate for your mom now. Don’t come at me if I fight your mom for accusing me of skipping on house chores.” Serenity was a firm believer that all household tasks should not fall on the married women’s shoulders. She would argue with her mother-in-law if the latter started criticizing her as Mrs. Brown did to her sister. Zachary smiled. “Alright. I won’t come at you, but I trust my mom won’t say that to you.”Even if Mom had a problem with Serenity, she would only mention it to Zachary. Mom would only tell it to Serenity’s face when she felt Serenity had crossed the line. Serenity went to unlock the gate for her mother-in-law. Tania was getting impatient from waiting, but she did not show it on her face. While opening the gate, Serenity apologetically said, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mom.” Tania tenderly asked, “Have you and Zachary eaten?” “Not yet. Zachary’s cooking in the kitc
Zachary was worried at first that his mother would give Serenity an attitude. He quickly whipped up the last dish and hurried out of the kitchen. He was about to head out the door when his mom and wife waltzed in, sharing a talk and laugh. He stopped as his handsome face wrinkled in smiles. Zachary knew he had nothing to worry about. Serenity had the knack of setting the tone that his mother would have nothing to pick at. “Mom.” Zachary tenderly called his mom. “I got a good whiff of the delicious aroma the moment I came in. I guess your cooking hasn’t digressed.” Tania complimented her son before turning to Serenity. “You gotta keep it up, Serenity. Don’t let him beat you.” “Mom, you haven’t even tried his cooking yet. Zachary’s food might not taste as good as it smells. He should be the cook every day to refine his skills if he loses to me. He should be put in charge of the family dinner during New Year.” With her beautiful eyes sparkling, Tania responded with a gri
Tania’s husband had been treating her like a princess since she married him, and it had been going on for over three decades. To her husband, Tania was the most important person in his life. After a brief silence, Tania said to her son, “What? Are you afraid I’ll criticize your wife for leaving the cooking to you while she does nothing? I mean, you just got back from a business trip, and you just got better from a long cold. She shouldn’t have let you work in the kitchen.“I’m not saying you can’t dote on your wife, but don’t do it excessively and spoil her. She’ll become egoistic and willful. What if it gives her a reason to do as she pleases and stir trouble for you?” Zachary’s face fell. “Fine, fine. I won’t talk ill about Serenity. Look at you. I’m just bringing a few points to your attention. It’s not like I’m saying she’s acting this way now, but you’re already giving me an attitude. Look at your long face.” Serenity would be thrilled to find out she was living a real Ci
It did not sit well with Tania that her son was so thoughtful toward her daughter-in-law. It was a good thing her daughter-in-law showed more consideration than her son. “Let me try.”Tania took a bite out of the food Serenity served her. After getting a taste, Tania wanted to say that her son was a better cook than Serenity, but it was not something she could say in good conscience. Tania debated in her mind for a while before deciding to go for the truth. “Zack can’t beat Serenity. You should spend some time in the kitchen and cook for Serenity more often.” It could help the couple to bond too. Tania trailed on, “But you usually are busy at work…” “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t let Zachary into the kitchen during workdays.” Mrs. Lane was part of the family now. Tania was pleased with Serenity’s stance. “Do you want the shrimp, Mom?” Zachary asked his mother. “I had dinner, but Serenity asked me to be the judge of who is the better cook between you two. That’s why I t
After dinner, Zachary cleared the table while Serenity wiped and tidied the place. She then ventured out of the dining room to take a seat opposite her mother-in-law. Serenity looked at the time and said, “Mom, why don’t you drive the car into the driveway and stay the night?” “It’s okay. I’ll head back in a bit. Your father-in-law doesn’t feel comfortable if I’m not at home with him.” After her son took over the company, her husband retired and had not left Tania’s side since. Her husband could not get used to Tania staying away from home. Serenity was envious of her parents-in-law’s relationship. They had been together for decades and were still faithful to each other into their golden years. “Mom, I didn’t know Zachary bought this villa. He never told me. I only heard about it now. The place is bigger than the apartment in Brynfield. It feels empty that it’s just the two of us here. How about you move in with Dad?” Tania was taken aback. “You want to live with your in-
Tania stared intently at her son for a while before breaking the silence. “You call the shots for your own affairs. I can only give you some advice. I’m going back before your dad gets worried. Are you and your wife coming home for New Year?” “Didn’t Nana tell you? I’ll be back with Seren to the old residence for New Year.” “The old residence. Oh, you’re referring to that mansion. No wonder your nana has been going there lately.” It turned out her son wanted to take Serenity back to Whitmore Mansion to celebrate New Year’s holiday. The place had been through the vicissitude of life and reflected the former glory of the Yorks’ ancestors. “How long are you planning to keep up with the act?” “I got it thought out, Mom. I know what I’m doing. I’ll let the whole of Wiltspoon know about my marriage to Seren when the time comes.” He could get a start on wedding planning. Zachary envisioned a beautiful ending, but only God knew how reality would pan out. Tania replied, “Sure. I
On the other end of the line, Clive curtly said, “I’ll reveal to Serenity who you are if I don’t see you there. She might not be angry about the other things you hide from her, but the fact that you’re the great Mr. York will rub her the wrong way because of Elisa.” Black in the face, Zachary snapped back, “I said I’ll be there. Just wait for me.” The nerve of Clive to threaten him! “I’m the older cousin. Shouldn’t you be the one to wait for me?” Zachary coldly uttered, “The Grand Hotel belongs to you. You can be there any time. If you change the location to the Wiltspoon Hotel, I’ll arrive early and welcome you in the presidential suite.” “Is something riding on your guilty conscience? Are you scared? Is that why you’re making me wait for you?” “Clive, cut the crap.” Clive chuckled. “I’m older than you. You can’t change the fact that Serenity is my cousin. You don’t have to acknowledge me as the older figure if you don’t want to be Serenity’s husband. It’s rude that you
Chelsea muttered, “Even if you do that, Sonny isn’t close to you, Mom.”Olivia was speechless for a second. She said, “Even if we aren’t close, he’ll call me grandmom when he sees me. He doesn’t even greet me now.“Sonny may be young, but he’ll be four years old next year. He knows everything he needs to and is clever. He must’ve inherited Hank and Liberty’s best genes because they used to be smart people.”Liberty was not stupid. She even had a better career than Hank before she got married. What were they thinking back then?The Browns wanted to suppress Liberty to ensure she was less dominant than Hank. Therefore, Liberty was persuaded to leave her job after marriage to stay home throughout her pregnancy. She ended up becoming a housewife and lost the sharp edge she had in her workplace. Her world only revolved around her husband and son, causing her to lose her identity gradually. The Browns were changing Liberty bit by bit, yet they were not treating her well. Ultimately
“I’m not using Sonny. Since Hank and I are siblings and he only has one son, Sonny and Lucas can get along as cousins. If Sonny hangs out with his cousins more often, he’ll have brothers who have his back in the future.“If he runs into any problems, we can help him. He won’t be alone.”Chelsea guessed Hank must have told their parents something to have caused the change in their mother’s attitude. Olivia favored Sonny and no longer wished to work toward the future of Chelsea’s children.Olivia glanced at her daughter and chuckled. Then, she looked toward Lucas, the grandson she raised. Lucas was a naughty boy. He would never stay still and had already made a mess of the house in a short period. “Look at how Lucas behaves now and compare it to Sonny’s personality. Although Sonny can get mischievous sometimes, he’s more mature and sensible despite his young age. He’ll only be more composed in the future.“Even if he does run into trouble, he won’t require your help. You guys
“Even if my husband and I work tirelessly for another decade, we can never achieve the wealth of the Lewises.”Chelsea was mentally cursing Hank for being ignorant and not mending his relationship with Sonny. He even brainwashed their parents until they stopped siding with her. She could only imagine Sonny’s bright future, where he would be living in a large villa, driving luxury cars, and inheriting a megacorporation. Meanwhile, her children could only get a decent nine-to-five job. Their monthly salary could even be lower than the price of one of Sonny’s meals.Chelsea was jealous. She was anxious about getting her son to build a close relationship with Sonny.“Why don’t we file a case to regain Sonny’s custody, Mom? Liberty and Serenity won’t ignore us so long Sonny is in our house. They’ll help us so that Sonny lives a good life too.“That way, Sonny will have a deeper connection with us. He won’t forget us when he becomes a capable person.”Chelsea had a pipe dream. O
Hank’s parents had always been biased toward his sister, Chelsea. It would be difficult to change them. Their father, Luke, was a slightly better case because he had felt regretful ever since knowing Serenity was the York family’s missus. He regretted letting Hank date Jessica. After going through so much, he was more convinced that Liberty suited Hank better. Unfortunately, it was already too late. Hank could no longer return to the past. On the day Serenity and Zachary brought Sonny to the Browns’ place for a meal, Chelsea also brought Lucas back to visit her family. When Chelsea entered the house, Olivia was sitting on the sofa watching TV. She said, “I heard Liberty and Duncan getting married soon, Mom. The Lewises are preparing for the wedding. The couple will most likely get their marriage license after she returns from Jensburg.”Olivia looked indifferent. “That’s bound to happen sooner or later. Why are we still talking about her?“Even if she gets a boost in her
Next, she posted the pictures on social media. Many of her followers were her students’ parents. Only a minority of them were her friends or ex-classmates. She was flooded with blessings from them as well. One of Zoey Crawford’s worries was finally resolved. Since her daughter had gotten married, she would continue urging her sons to do the same. Zoey had been anxious that Quinn could never find a suitable partner because of her easy-going personality and proficiency in martial arts. Although she was introduced to a few men through matchmaking services, the men usually refused to show up. They were scared of the potential domestic abuse they could face since Quinn was good at fighting. They had heard of her countless accomplishments as well. Therefore, no one was interested in Quinn despite her decent figure, looks, and family background. This was where Zoey’s constant urging for her to find a life partner came from. Quinn had felt frustrated about Zoey’s nagging. She did not
Julian said gently, “You can meet Serenity, Jasmine, and Elisa often in the future.“By the way, don’t trust anything Elisa says. Take her words with a grain of salt.”Quinn asked, “What will Ms. Stone say to me? Why are you specifically asking me not to listen to her?”Julian cleared his throat. As he drove, he said embarrassedly, “I pretended to pursue Elisa for some time to help Remy back then.”Quinn said, “I didn’t know I had a love rival.”“Elisa isn’t your love rival. She and her family don’t fancy me anyway. When they knew I was pursuing her, Mrs. Stone immediately changed her mind and agreed to Remy and Elisa’s marriage. To her, I’m like a fierce beast unsuited for her baby daughter.”Quinn got invested and asked, “Why did helping Remy involve pursuing Elisa?”Julian came clean and recounted everything to Quinn. He did not want her to misunderstand.“Even your parents fell for your acting. I didn’t think you’d do such a thing.”“Don’t misunderstand, honey.”Quinn smi
Fortunately, Quinn herself was strong, and her family was not pushovers either. She turned to look at Julian.Without asking, Julian knew exactly what she was thinking, and he quickly reassured her, “Quinn, you don’t have to worry. That kind of thing won’t happen to us. I’m your rock. As long as I’m around, no one can bully you. In my family, apart from my parents, everyone else has to accede to me, and you know how my parents feel about you. They’re so grateful to you that they practically worship you like a goddess.“You’re familiar with the York family now and have seen the way they operate, right? Well, my family and the Yorks are old family friends. Birds of a feather flock together. The reason our two families are so close is we have similar family values.“Setting aside the fact that your family is powerful enough and supportive of you—even if you were like Serenity in the beginning, my family would never look down on you or mistreat you. They would only love and cherish you.
Stacy was actually hoping that Julian and Quinn could get their marriage license today and hold the wedding right away. However, the date they had picked was after Christmas and they still had to wait over a month for the actual wedding. At least once they signed the papers, there was no need to worry about Quinn changing her mind. Stacy was afraid that Quinn and her family might have second thoughts, especially since her son was afflicted with a disorder.“Hey, sweetie.”When Stacy addressed Quinn, her tone was very gentle. Quinn thought that her future mother-in-law was even kinder and more considerate than her own mother. Her father had looked into the Buchams' character and knew that Stacy was actually quite formidable. To Quinn though, Stacy appeared so gentle and kind that she did not seem like the kind of person who would be overly strict or tough. Of course, anyone who could hold fast the position of the Buchams’ head missus and secure her husband’s love for decades as if
Quinn could not stop laughing when she saw him.Julian blushed a little in response. He asked, “What are you laughing at? Is my outfit ugly? Does it not look good?”He was used to wearing black clothes all the time. Although he had a white suit, he rarely wore it. Today, for the special occasion of legally getting married to Quinn, he had specifically chosen to wear white, a color symbolizing purity, to proclaim how his feelings were as pure as snow.“It’s not ugly, it looks great! You look even more handsome than usual. I’m just not used to seeing you in a white suit. Now, you look like a prince from a fairy tale—my prince.”Julian smiled indulgently. “That’s right. I’m your prince charming and yours alone. You look great in white, too, my dear wife.”It was Quinn’s turn to blush slightly. She was not used to being called his wife, especially since they had not even registered yet. Since they were about to go get their marriage license though, she might as well start getting used