“What time is it already? And he’s still not up?”“Zachary is always busy and has to work overtime for social engagements. Let him sleep a little longer.”Tania said, “It’s typical for him to work until midnight before coming home, and he still gets up early the next day for his morning run. He’s only lazy now because you’re here. Serenity, you shouldn’t spoil him. Whether it’s men or women, you’ll be the one suffering if you spoil them rotten.”“Mom, are you badmouthing me behind my back?”Zachary came out of the room dressed in a suit. He exuded a certain glow and looked dashing.However, he did not put on his suit jacket and his tie was not worn.He carried those in his hands.Tania got up and walked over. “You came out just as I called you lazy. It’s fortunate I wasn’t scolding you.“The weather has warmed up a bit these two days, but it’s still cold in the morning. Hurry up and put your jacket on so you don’t catch another cold, lest you tire out Serenity again.”Tania wa
Zachary’s words instantly ignited his mother’s anger.“Who said that a wife has to get up early to make breakfast for you? Who said that a wife has to clean up the house? It’s not natural at all. She doesn’t owe you anything and doesn’t need to serve you like a king. Zack, you said you learned from your father, but you couldn’t be more wrong about that.“You better correct yourself right now. Where did you learn those ideas from? All women who married into our family are spoiled by their husbands. You’re the only one who treats Serenity like a servant, and you dare say it’s only natural? Thank goodness I was the one coming over today. If your nana heard what you just said, she’ll knock you over with her cane and beat you half to death.“Serenity, Serenity!”After Tania scolded her son, she called out to Serenity, who was busy in the kitchen.Serenity quickly came out of the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”“Come here.”When Serenity approached Tania, the latter pulled off Serenity’s apr
Tania, who felt cheated by her son, deliberately treated Serenity well during breakfast. Her son got jealous and said bitterly, “Mom, was I adopted?”She gave him a sidelong glance and said, “This is how I treat my daughter and my son.”It was the brat’s fault for tricking her.Zachary was speechless.After the meal, Serenity sent Zachary off downstairs.“I actually have an evening dress, so there’s no need to buy a new one.”Serenity said to her husband, “Evening dresses are a little expensive, and I only wear one once a year. If I buy another, it’s just going to stay untouched at home. It’ll be a waste if I can’t wear it anymore. I think having one dress is enough, so there’s no need to buy a new one. We still need a lot of money to buy Christmas gifts.“You didn’t tell me about this earlier, and now you had Mom come over.”Zachary listened to his wife’s complaints. Before getting in the car, he gently brushed Serenity’s pretty nose and said, “Seren, I told you before that we
Tania had the intention to make her daughter-in-law the most dazzling woman in the room at the company’s annual dinner. The evening gown she selected for Serenity was the most beautiful one. Thanks to Serenity’s mien, she was able to flaunt the selling points of the dress.Tania stared at Serenity, who looked like a different person when she changed into the evening dress. She commented, “Seren, you bear a pretty decent aura. You’ll definitely become a celebrity if you’re willing to learn etiquette.”“Mom, my goal is to earn more money to buy a house. I’m not interested in becoming a celebrity. Celebrities have strong family backgrounds whereas I’m just a small bookseller who relies on collaboration with a school to earn a living. How would I dare dream of something that impossible?”“Zack already has two houses...”Honestly, Tania wanted to say but kept it to herself, ‘My son doesn’t have much of anything but money and houses.’“I want to buy a house in a school district in advan
Serenity and Tania got into the car with bags large and small before Serenity drove her mother-in-law home.Unbeknownst to Serenity, a luxury car came to a stop. The person in the car wound down the window to look at Serenity’s car in the distance now, and asked her daughter-in-law who was beside her, “Alice, was one of those two women Seren?”Alice nodded affirmatively.“It’s Seren.”“Was that woman with her the wife of the current head of the Yorks, Zachary’s mother?”Audrey’s eyes were very sharp.The York and Stone families did not see eye-to-eye. Audrey and Tania would oppose each other when they met, so Audrey could recognize Tania like the back of her hand.Just now, she saw her niece with Tania in the same car from a distance and urgently asked her daughter-in-law to stop so she could see clearly. It really was Tania!Why was her niece with Tania?“Mom, that person just looks like Mrs. York. She’s not her. I didn’t get a good look at her face since it’s a bit far away.
Tania rarely went out shopping. If she needed something, she would tell the brand to make a delivery straight to her home. However, the one time she came out today, she was seen by Audrey.Zachary could fool Serenity, but he could not fool Audrey.Serenity was still in the dark about these things and laughed when she heard Audrey’s words. “Could you give me a moment? I’m with my mother-in-law now. I’m sending her home first.”Audrey said, “You can ask your mother-in-law to join us since we haven’t met yet. Let’s get acquainted and have a meal together.”“I’ll ask what she thinks.”Serenity also felt that it was time to let her aunt and mother-in-law meet. The elder in her family who treated Serenity and her sister the best was their aunt.Tania kept an ear out for Serenity and her aunt’s conversation. Before Serenity could ask, she said, “Seren, it’s been a while since I shopped and we had a long day shopping today. My feet are sore from walking. I don’t want to stroll anymore. S
Audrey was silent throughout the journey to the company. No one knew what she was thinking.Alice was a little worried that her mother-in-law would do something to Serenity because of Elisa.After all, as a niece, Serenity’s relationship with Audrey did not run that deep. Audrey would naturally favor Elisa, her own daughter.When they arrived at Stone Group, Audrey walked straight into the office building while Alice deliberately trailed behind. She called Clive.“Clive, Mom is here. She’ll be in your office soon.”After a moment of silence, Clive said, “All right. Don’t worry. Mom is angry, but she won’t do anything.”She might even think that Zachary was blind.Elisa was worthy of Zachary in every way, but of all the people Zachary fell in love with, he had to fall for Serenity.To aggravate the situation, Serenity had become their cousin now.If only they were not related by blood...Clive was also stumped about what to do. Most likely, they would not let Serenity off easy
“Not yet. The beans will have to be sun-dried before being pickled.”Serenity stayed away from the kitchen because it was too spicy. She glanced around the house once but did not see Sonny or Mrs. Lane, and asked, “Did Mrs. Lane take Sonny out?”“Yeah, Sonny doesn’t like the spiciness and told Mrs. Lane to take him out for a walk. They’ll be back later for dinner. Seren, why did you come at this time? Don’t you need to cook for Zachary? You also mentioned that you were out to get an evening dress. Have you bought one?”Serenity walked into her sister’s small kitchen and helped to wash the vegetables while replying, “I bought a few dresses. My mother-in-law helped me choose. She has really good taste. The gowns she selected were all really beautiful.”However, they cost a bomb.She secretly asked the clerk and found out that if she were to buy the dresses her mother-in-law had chosen, she would only be able to buy two or three pieces at most.Although it was Zachary’s money, Seren
Trenton was relieved that Dalton was indebted to Camryn. That was why Dalton had been loyal to Newman Enterprise.If Newman Enterprise did not fall into Camryn’s hands, there was no doubt that Dalton would leave the company. If that happened, the company was doomed.When his parents went to prison, he was merely 18, and Carrie only knew how to spend money. Not only that, their relatives were hungry to get a share of the Newman family’s assets. He and Carrie could not have protected their family’s wealth alone.After Camryn regained her sight, she still could not strain her eyes for long hours. Therefore, Dalton remained in charge of the company.Luckily, they had Callum as well. Even if anything were to happen, Callum would not leave Newman Enterprise to fall because many of the Newman family’s assets belonged to Camryn.He would not let Camryn lose anything.“You’ve been brainwashed by Dalton after working with him. Our dad treated him well and trusted him, yet Dalton betrayed
Camryn said, “She’s just using her lack of money as an excuse to start a fight with me.“Do you really think she has no money?”Carrie had somehow become Mrs. Longbottom yet she was still hiding her identity. Camryn had not understood the entire situation yet.Nevertheless, she was certain that Carrie did not need money.After she spoke, a familiar car arrived.It was the car Carrie had always used in the past.When she returned to the Newman family’s villa after getting out of prison, she only drove that car. She could not take other cars. The cars were still parked in the garage. “Come out, Camryn.”Carrie had gotten out of the car and started shouting for Camryn.When the York family’s bodyguards saw her, they simply glanced at her and did not stop her from entering the store. They knew Camryn had always been lenient with her younger sister.Since Camryn did not give any orders to stop Carrie from entering, the bodyguards simply kept an eye on Carrie to ensure that sh
“I want to go to Spring Blossoms as Carrie,” she told the bodyguard who was driving. “Your sister’s people are keeping an eye on your apartment. She’ll get suspicious again if you head over in your outfit. Everything Mr. Longbottom arranged will go to waste,” the bodyguard reminded her.Carrie thought it over. “Okay. Let’s head home first. I’ll change my clothes and remove my makeup before heading over.”She would also check if her stand-in had damaged any of her stuff.If she did, Carrie would tell the stand-in to compensate her.The bodyguard remained silent.Once they arrived at Longbottom Villa, Carrie took off her hyper-realistic mask and removed her makeup. After changing her clothes, she returned to being Carrie and went out with her bag.Her two bodyguards did not stop her from leaving.She could do anything as long as it would not rouse Camryn and other people’s suspicions.Besides, Carrie had just gotten scolded by their boss on the phone. Although Mr. Longbottom
Mr. Longbottom thought he was not so inferior to men younger than him.More accurately, he was far superior. He had status, money, and power.Which of the younger men could be on par with him unless they came from a wealthy family?Many sons of wealthy families could not compete with him.“I can’t go over because I’m busy these days. But I do miss you too.“It’s more difficult because of the festive season. There are many events, and I have to accompany my family. My wife doesn't care about me, but her request is that I be with her during the holidays because we have to meet our friends and families. Do you understand?”Mr. Longbottom had a wife and children. Carrie knew about it. He had never hid that fact.Carrie did not know if he was close to his wife. Although he said they no longer had feelings for each other, Carrie dared not believe him because he had never let other women take his wife’s place.He also never allowed other women to become pregnant with his children.Mr
Carrie thought she had matured since she could figure out that much. In the past, she would not have understood a thing. Love was about accepting everything about someone. Most people could tolerate their partner’s shortcomings when they were deeply in love. However, without love, even a person’s strength would seem like a fault. Carrie smiled. “Mr. York is a workaholic. Serenity must’ve gotten the habit from him and turned into one herself. I can’t believe she’s working so hard even though she’s pregnant.”“She’s still in the early stages of pregnancy. Going to work is fine.”“Do you need anything else, Mrs. Longbottom?” Jasmine asked.“No. I shall take my leave now, Mrs. Bucham.”Jasmine was on guard and unwilling to reveal much about Serenity. Therefore, it would be better for Carrie to leave. She was not close to Serenity and her friends yet. “Bye, Mrs. Longbottom.”Jasmine saw Carrie out and watched as she got into her car.Once Carrie got far enough from the booksto
Mr. Longbottom had been surprised by her question. He told her coldly that she should refrain from asking unnecessary questions.One who knew too much would not live long. Carrie got intimidated and dared not ask another question. Although she got more curious, she did not try to gather more information for fear Mr. Longbottom would choke her again if he found out. “Nothing. I just asked because I haven’t seen her in a while.”Of course, Carrie could not reveal that she was looking for Serenity. Jasmine would get suspicious if she did. No one around Serenity was a fool. “Seren is busy with work. I rarely see her these days,” Jasmine said.Carrie knew it was a lie. She was aware that Serenity's closest friends did not trust her yet. It made her feel defeated. It had been months since Mr. Longbottom found her and asked her to approach Serenity. Despite her efforts, she still had not obtained Serenity’s trust, let alone become her friend.However, Jasmine and Serenity go
The day ended peacefully. The following day, Zachary ate breakfast and had Kevin drive him and his bodyguards to the airport. They were taking an airplane to Annenburg. Before boarding, Zachary texted Serenity to tell her he would soon arrive in Annenburg. Serenity would be returning from the Murphys’ place. On the other hand, Liberty brought Duncan to Queen Manor to visit Mr. Donald. They would soon become related to each other. Since Duncan was in the city, it was only proper that he visited the Queens. Meanwhile, in Wiltspoon, Jasmine had returned to the bookstore despite it being the winter holidays. She found it rather dull being at home all the time. At the bookstore, even when there were no customers, she could chat with the owners of the nearby stores. While some had closed their stores to celebrate the festive season, many chose to stay open. Jasmine was a month further into her pregnancy than Serenity. Her bump was huge. Luckily, it did not restrict her moveme
After half an hour, Liberty and Duncan finally arrived at the hotel. They bumped into Zachary and Kevin, who had also just returned.“You’re here, Duncan.”Zachary walked toward them. “Hi, Liberty.”Kevin walked over as well. “I told Zachary that you’d be here in no time. Being apart from your girlfriend isn’t easy, right?” Kevin teased.“You’ve experienced it yourself,” replied Duncan as he laughed. Kevin did not respond. He did miss Hayden a lot in the early stages of their relationship. “You two bought so many things.” Kevin saw the items in Duncan’s arms and on his thighs. They were all toys. “Sonny’s getting new toys again, eh?” “Yeah. We bought him some new clothes and toys. I’ve been giving him windmills all the time. It’s time to change it up.”Even Duncan found it slightly ridiculous. He thought Sonny loved windmills just because he saw Sonny playing with them once. That was why he kept getting more windmills for Sonny.Sonny used to be scared of him, but
She would wear light make-up for work to accentuate her beauty. Sometimes, she could not believe the glowing, confident woman looking back at her in the mirror was herself. She had changed a lot after her divorce two years ago. “I’m letting myself enjoy tonight because I’m with you. I won’t have late-night snacks anymore. Going on a diet is too difficult. I don’t want to do it again.”If she gained too much weight, it would be difficult to get fit again because she was happy and did not lack money. In addition, she had Duncan spoiling her. Since she no longer wanted to go on a weight loss journey, she had no choice but to control her appetite and exercise daily to maintain her figure. “I heard the others saying that you have many admirers here. Although they’ve not said anything, even a fool can tell that they’ve fallen for you just from their gazes.”The men who had a crush on Liberty knew she had a fiance who was the young master of the Lewises from Wiltspoon. While they