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
Before Hank and his wife divorced, Olivia felt that her son had good taste when she saw Jessica. Not only did she not think that Hank was wrong to betray his family, she felt he was still competent to be able to attract a young and lovely girl like Jessica despite already being a husband and father.Only when Olivia and Jessica lived under the same roof did she realize that life with Liberty was better.Jessica was like a pretty vase, and Olivia looked down on her.However, Jessica was exceptionally provocative and knew how to act pampered.Even if Olivia and Chelsea teamed up to deal with Jessica, they were no match for her. That fox would act like a spoiled brat in front of Hank and play the part of a pitiful maiden so he would feel sorry for her.Olivia had chest pains from feeling angry just thinking about that scene.“Where’s your beloved daughter? Don’t you and your daughter love to get together to chitchat? Go complain to your daughter instead.”Olivia was silent for a mo
“That really opened up my eyes. They’re not marrying their daughter off but selling her. If they want us to give so much for the bride price, they should give at least a few hundred thousand as the dowry as well. Instead, they’ll only give us a few bedding sets and an e-bike! An e-bike!“She’s no match for your sister. Your sister shelled out hundreds of thousands for the house renovation. You were still a freshman when your sister and Hank got married, but you used all your assets to buy your sister furniture as her dowry. However, Jessica didn’t pay a penny. She only knows how to spend Hank’s money.”Serenity sneered in her heart. ‘My sister is better than Jessica, but Hank still cheated on her.‘The Brown family deserves someone like Jessica.‘Now that the Browns have met the Yates family, who are even more selfish than they are... Hehe. Their lives will soon be filled with excitement.‘I really want to live near them so I can watch the drama unfold between their families every
After chasing Olivia away, Serenity said to her sister, “If she ever comes again, don’t let her in. Just move a stool and sit at the door, make a pot of tea, and enjoy some snacks.“Think of her chatter as watching a good show.”As Zachary said, there was no need to bother themselves with Olivia if she did not come to take Sonny away. Only by listening to her complaints could they find out how Hank and Jessica were doing.“I don’t even want to listen to her.”Liberty used her actions to prove that she really did not want anything to do with her former mother-in-law.No one knew what Olivia was thinking about coming over once every couple of days to vent to Liberty.By logic, Olivia should be afraid to let Liberty know that their family was in shambles. Yet, she took the initiative to come over and update Liberty about her son and Jessica.Did she think Liberty would change her mind?It was laughable.“What are you cooking, Seren? I smell something burning.”“Oh! My dish!”Se
Jasmine and Drake looked fairly alike with both having attractive physical appearances. Drake was still young and could pass off as a high school student.“That can’t be. At first, everyone thought Mr. York might like men but that was false too. He even has a wife now.”Jasmine whispered, “Maybe it’s because Josh is treating my brother exceptionally well. He basically spoils Drake. He’s even willing to lend Drake his most beloved sports car. You know there are two things in this world that men will never share—his car and his wife.“I just think that, well, Josh has feelings for my brother. Help me ask. If he really swings the other way, I can’t let him approach Drake again in the future.”Serenity was speechless. “Why haven’t you considered that Mr. Bucham carried an ulterior motive? His true target is you.”Josh wanted to appeal to Drake and get him to help.For example, if he invited Drake to dinner, Jasmine might follow because she felt worried.Jasmine was at a loss for wor
“I dare say the whole of Wiltspoon is gossiping about it, wanting to know the true face of Mr. York’s wife and how she won his heart.”Jasmine laughed and added, “I think everyone wants to learn from her on how to conquer men. Mr. York was notoriously difficult to take down, but she succeeded, which means she’s the best among us women. We can learn from her the art of managing our husbands.“Especially you, Seren. You already have a husband, and your man is too handsome. There must be many people outside who adore him. If it weren’t for his long face and serious expression all day, there would be admirers provoking you every day.“You have to learn how to control your husband well from Mrs. York so your husband will only love you in his life and not cheat.”Serenity paused before agreeing, “You’re right. I have to protect my man. I wonder if we’ll be able to meet Mrs. York.”“We should be able to see her if we arrive early. With Mr. Bucham’s status, I think we can ride on his coat
Zachary took Serenity’s hand and said in a low voice, “Seren, you look stunning tonight. Come, I’ll take you inside.”Serenity greeted Josh with a nod before following Zachary into the building.Josh wanted to take the Sox siblings in, but Drake refused and said, “This is your company’s annual dinner. I don’t work here, and I’m not a woman, so I can’t be your companion. I won’t go in.“I’ll return to take my sister home when dinner is over.”Josh did not want Drake to follow, but he was not obvious about it. Instead, he repeatedly persuaded Drake to come in together and was about to reach out to pull him.“Mr. Bucham, since Drake doesn’t want to go in, don’t force him. Drake, you go hang out with your friends and I’ll send you a message when I want you to come over.”Serenity mentioned that Josh approached Drake with an ulterior motive and his real target was her.However, when she saw Josh behaving enthusiastically about her brother, she could not help but still worry if Josh w
“Mom! Mom,” Sonny shouted from the stairs.Both of them looked up at him. “What's wrong?” Liberty asked with concern.“I can't carry so many toys. Can you come up and help me carry some of them?”Liberty smiled. “Okay, you should pick out the gifts for Isaac and the rest first.”“I've already picked them.”Liberty then said to Duncan, “Can you help me out? I'll go upstairs to help him carry the things.”“Sure.”Liberty had several helpers at home who helped look after the house and clean it. Before the mother and son came back, these helpers took turns working. With Christmas approaching, only one couple stayed behind while the others went home for the holiday. Liberty had not told this couple she would be back today and had only sent them a message after they arrived home. The couple was out shopping for Christmas goods, so they had not returned yet. Thus, Sonny had to ask his mom for help.After a while, the two came downstairs, each carrying a lot of items—all toys that So
“Or we could invite Laurence to come visit us in Wiltspoon.” Duncan had already considered the next time the two little ones would meet.Liberty said, “If we invite Laurence over, I’m afraid we won’t be able to protect him. If something happens, we won't be able to bear the consequences. It would be better to send Sonny to Annenburg to play with him. Laurence’s seniors have set up a solid protection network in Annenburg to safeguard him and ensure that his enemies won't even have a chance to find him.” She admitted that she did not have the ability to fully protect Laurence.Laurence was the only one left of his entire family, and it was only thanks to several caretakers who risked their lives that he was able to survive. Now, he lived freely. While his childhood was not without its share of struggles and hardships, everyone tried their best to give him joy. Behind the scenes, there were many people silently watching over him. Once he left that protective circle, there was a risk
“It’s just that we’ve only just come back, and we didn’t prepare any gifts. If we go empty-handed, I’ll feel embarrassed.” Liberty felt that she could not visit the Lewis family without bringing something.“I’ll see what I have at home that I can give. Oh, there are still quite a few bottles of nutritional supplements. I’ll take those to your parents. I’ll also go out and buy gifts for your nieces and nephews, but I’m not sure what to prepare for your brothers. As for your sisters-in-law, I can send them some jewelry and skincare products.”She had some jewelry and skincare items that were new and unused, so she could give those away first. Since it was last-minute, she was worried that going out to buy something might take too much time. Luckily, Serenity often gifted her jewelry and beauty items, and so did Audrey and Elisa. She, on the other hand, rarely bought those things for herself. The jewelry she was currently wearing had been a gift from Duncan, and the skincare products
Audrey and the rest had returned to Wiltspoon before Liberty. Patrick was resting at the Stones’ residence. Liberty wanted to meet him too. Corey said, “Right, she should do that. What about your and Liberty’s marriage?”Duncan looked toward Liberty. He replied, “We can probably make some time to finish the procedures at City Hall tomorrow. Liberty hasn’t said anything yet, but I think we can do it tomorrow.”“Try doing it tomorrow. City Hall will be closed for the holidays too. When you’re back, I’ll let you have a look at the list of wedding gifts we prepared. We can deliver them to Liberty’s house if you're okay with it. As for the wedding date, I’ve asked someone to choose a few dates. We have to discuss this with Audrey and Serenity. “You and Liberty can choose a convenient date for you two. I think we’ll have to look at Liberty’s availability.”Corey knew Liberty was extremely busy. She had a heavy responsibility on her shoulders. Indeed, Liberty had always shouldered
“You can call my mom if you miss me, Great-Nana. Mom and I will visit you. However, I think we’ll come over every day. Aunt Ser is here. We’ll miss her.”Since the new year was approaching, Serenity and Zachary stayed in Wildridge Manor. Other members of the York family were also heading back here. It was a rule set by Grandma May. The others disliked living in the manor because it was far from the city and inconvenient for them to travel to work. Therefore, they bought houses in the city center and lived there. Grandma May did not mind that. However, they had to return to the manor for a family gathering during special occasions, especially Christmas and New Year's Day. Grandma May did not care where the youngsters wanted to be on other days. There was a tradition whereby the daughters-in-law of the Yorks would visit their families the day after the New Year’s. Since Grandma May did not have daughters or granddaughters, she would follow and visit her daughters-in-law’s hous
With the escort of security vehicles, the two luxury cars left the airport parking lot and drove toward the city center. Liberty dropped off her luggage at her home and had a brief rest before going to Wildridge Manor with Serenity and Zachary. She had a meal and talked to Yorks about what happened in Jensburg. With that, half a day had passed. Since Liberty was back, Sonny would be returning home to live with her. After having lunch, he ran to his room and started packing his clothes and toys. While the adults were talking, the boy dragged his luggage downstairs with two stuffed animals in hand. “Are you leaving, Sonny?” Tania asked sadly upon seeing him coming down with all his stuff packed. “Can’t you stay here for a few more days?”She went over to Sonny and asked softly, “Can’t you stay longer? We’ll miss you if you leave.”Having a child in the house had brightened the atmosphere. The York family adored Sonny. Tania took Sonny’s luggage from him and used her oth
“I’ve informed Mrs. Lewis that there was no need to arrange for someone to pick you two up. Zachary and I will do it.”After speaking, she smiled at Duncan and greeted him. Duncan usually gave off a rough demeanor, but he looked gentler after experiencing love. Serenity was glad that her sister was finally back. Liberty put Sonny down but he continued clinging to her after crying. Even Duncan did not get to carry Sonny and could only touch his little face. Sonny was still pouting. With a sulking face, he complained, “You didn’t wait for me to come back before going to look for Mom.”Duncan replied, “You said you’d be away for a long time, so I went ahead. Aren’t your mom and I back now? I’ll invite you before heading out next time, okay? Don’t be angry. I bought many new toys for you.”“Come and give me a hug. I missed you.”“I don’t believe you. You didn’t miss me at all. You only think about Mom. I missed Mom too. I want to be with her.”Sonny had not missed his mother
Everything would be done according to their divorce agreement. The money would be given to his children anyway. Hunter was the one who said to leave the children to Emma. A mother would always love her children. Without his children by his side, it would be more convenient for Adrian to remarry. Adrian’s flirtatious heart was already tempted. He was divorced, and his mother had passed away. No one could control him anymore. He was a free man who could flirt with any woman openly. If he happened to meet someone he liked, he could be a groom again and marry that woman. He could have more children as well. He was rich anyway. Emma stood up. “I’ve told you everything Caroline said. You can make your decision. From now on, don’t disturb me unless you need to. If you want to meet the children, call them and obtain their permission first. Then, you can meet them anytime.”She would not stop the children from meeting Adrian. Adrian nodded and did not ask Emma to stay. Hu
“There’s a cafe outside the hospital. Fancy a cup of coffee, Emma? We can sit and chat.”Emma quickly replied, “No, thank you. I need to return and ensure my kids are doing their homework. They have plenty to finish this winter. They’ll be on their phones or gaming if I don't watch them.”“It’s best if you can keep an eye on them to prevent them from getting addicted to games and doom scrolling. Supervise them if you have the time to do so. Don’t expect them to be disciplined enough because even we adults can’t control ourselves from using our phones.”Children getting addicted to their phones was a bad habit the adults allowed them to develop. Some adults were focused on using their phones instead of spending time with their children. When the kids threw tantrums, their parents would hand them mobile devices to pacify them. That way, they would focus on their screens instead of making noise. However, that would lead to the children getting addicted to these devices. It would