“I’m not getting any younger. I’m living on borrowed time. I hope they’ll have their own family before I kick the bucket.” Grandma May decided to go around Wiltspoon to find potential wives for her remaining grandsons. She would assign the boys to go after the girls she picked out for them. Anyone who was unable to complete the task could forget about attending her birthday celebration at the end of August. “Nana, you’ll live long.” “I hope to live long too, even better if I’m alive to see the birth of my great-granddaughter.” Following the mention of a great-granddaughter, Grandma May’s eyes were glued to Serenity’s belly. Serenity embarrassedly uttered, “Stop looking at my belly, Nana. Aunt Flo just came for a visit today.” Grandma May was speechless. Zachary had been working on it, but there were still no signs of her great-granddaughter. After Callum and the lot slipped back into the city, Zachary and Serenity did not stay long at the old residence. They soon retu
Zachary wore a tender expression. The press was stunned. Mr. York must love his wife very much. The mention of his wife’s name softened his facial muscles. The media captured Mr. York’s gentle side when he was out and about with his wife. In the past, Mr. York would usually be seen with a sour face, giving off the vibe for people to stay away. The power of love could turn an aloof man affectionate. “My wife isn’t some heiress, but she’s the missus of the York family and that makes her royalty. She’s Serenity Hunt and will be twenty-six this year. She hasn’t had her birthday yet. She thinks she’s old when she hits twenty-six.” The reporters wanted to scream. Mr. York turned into a chatterbox when talking about his wife. Hang on. Serenity Hunt? “Mr. York, your wife’s Serenity Hunt?” Shell-shocked, a female reporter sought Zachary for confirmation. Zachary turned to her with chilling eyes. Pulling his usual straight face, he fiercely refuted, “Do you have a problem wit
“I think I’m one lucky man too.” The harsh lines along Zachary’s face softened, replaced with a tender look. His lips curled into a happy smile. Serenity took the night flight to get to Zachary when he had the nasty flu. Although she made him take a daily shot, there was no question he could feel Serenity’s love for him. It was a sweet taste of happiness. “Mr. York, is it true that you married your wife at first sight?” Zachary openly admitted to it. “Yes. I’d never met her before signing the marriage papers, but I know who she was. She saved my nana’s life.” “So Old Mrs. York was the reason you married her?” “Yes, that’s right. We were in a rush to get married because of my nana, but I’m grateful to her now. I would’ve missed out on meeting a great woman like Seren if Nana didn’t push me to get married.” “Oh, wow, Mr. York.” It was hard to believe that a man like Mr. York would rush into marriage. The newfound information took the press by surprise. It was no wonder
“Why thirty jewelry sets, Mr. York? Is there a significance to the number?” Zachary replied, “Not really. I was thinking there are thirty days to a month. With thirty jewelry sets, Seren can wear a different set every day for a month. That’s all.” The world of the rich was not something ordinary people could ever comprehend. They would love to be in Serenity’s shoes; even the male reporters were green with envy. It was a good thing they were not in the same circle as Mr. York. Otherwise, they would play second fiddle to Mr. York and would never be able to find a girlfriend. They would feel under pressure to compete with Mr. York. “Mr. York, your wife is Mrs. Stone’s niece, but you’re at odds with Mr. Stone. Are you open to improving your relationship with Stone Group for your wife? Also, the heiress of Stone Group had once openly declared her love for you and pursued you. Now that she and your wife are cousins, how are you moving forward from there?” Zachary faintly respo
Zachary replied with a question, “Is it weird? The boys in my family can cook. One of my brothers can cook better than the chef at Wiltspoon Hotel.” The female reporters enviously lamented, “Your wife is so lucky.” “I think I’m luckier. My Seren is good to me. She’s a fabulous cook. She always makes my favorite food.” Jealousy would kill everybody before they could ask further questions. The young couple was not in the same room right now, but the way Mr. York talked and the expression on his face explained how happy he was with his married life. The media wrapped up the interview after asking a few more details about his life. “That reminds me. Don’t go hounding my wife. You can come to me with any questions. I’ll make time to take the interview. My wife prefers to live a quiet and mundane life. The people gave their word, “We won’t intrude on the missus without your permission.” The most they would do was snap photos of her in secret. They would not dare to mob Sere
Zachary was speechless. “I’m looking for encouragement and support here, Josh. I’m worried about what Seren’s going to think.” “I support you wholeheartedly and in spirit. No matter what you do, I’ll always support you. Zachary, I’m your No.1 fan! Keep it up, Zachary! Even if your world comes crumbling down, you’re a tall guy. Stand up and hold your world up. It’ll be fine. The worst that can happen is you getting crushed.” Zachary was at a loss for words. “But your wife might stumble upon the truth if you keep up with the secrets. She’ll be angrier than ever and might dump your sorry ass. Prepare to sign the divorce papers, man. “You should prepare for the storm instead of having the storm sneak up behind you and take you by surprise. We have each other if your wife is mad at you and gives you a snub. Haha. I don’t have to watch you act lovey-dovey with one another anymore.” The men could chase after their wives together. Zachary uttered, “I shouldn’t have called you. Yo
It would take a couple of days before their order could be processed. Serenity and Jasmine needed to get all the study materials the students needed for the new school term before the school reopened. They should at least know the materials needed in advance so they could place the order. Putting the mop back into the closet, Jasmine uttered, “I found out last night what we needed and made a list. The list is in my bag. You can check it and phone the supplier to make the delivery in the next few days.” Students would purchase the school materials assigned by the teachers or that were recommended in the first few days of school. It would be the busiest time in the shop. Serenity asked her sister and Mrs. Lane to help out at the shop on the first day of school. Liberty had gotten in touch with a contractor to remodel her restaurant. Now that the price had been agreed upon, the remodeling would begin in a few days. The students would be returning before the restaurant's reno
Jasmine was highly interested in the identity of Mrs. York. She was in awe of Mrs. York’s ability to turn a callous man like Mr. York into an uxorious husband. She had heard a lot about Mr. York adoring his wife lately. Jasmine had asked Josh before to pull some strings and introduce her to Mrs. York. Josh was Mr. York’s most trusted man, so he must be one of the first to know that Mr. York was married. Jasmine bet Josh had met Mrs. York in the flesh. Alas, Josh turned down her request, saying that he could not reveal who Mrs. York was until Mr. York was ready to make the public announcement himself. It got Jasmine down for days. Josh was trying to win her heart right now, but he could not even make her one wish happen. It showed how protective Mr. York was of his wife. Now that some news was finally out, she had to click on it and see what was going on. “What’s there to read? It’s only about his marriage.” Serenity laughed and added, “Why are you people dying to fi
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h
Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no
After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even
Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w
Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus
Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m
The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa