“Mom, you’d better not go to Liberty and pour out your feelings. Don’t wash our dirty linen in public. You’re already so old, yet you’re under the impression that Liberty will take pity on you if you vent to her. All she’ll do is gloat over it.”Hank expressed all his dissatisfaction in one go.His words made Olivia grimace, and she was at a loss for words.“Mom, think about it.”With that, Hank turned around and walked away.“Where are you going?”Seeing that her son was about to go out, Olivia asked him.“You stomped on the flowers that I planned to give to my wife. I’m going out to buy a new bouquet of flowers.”Olivia was speechless.Hank left without looking back. He went out to buy Jessica another bouquet of flowers.When he returned, he saw his mother weeping on the couch. Distressed, he ignored his mother. He entered his room with the new bouquet of flowers.Jessica was watching a video using her phone on the bed. She would chortle from time to time.At the sight of
Upon hearing Jessica’s words, Hank hugged her. He lowered his head and kissed her on the face. “Darling, thank you for being considerate.”“We’re a married couple. I just want us to live much better than you and Liberty did.”At the mention of Liberty, Hank clearly stiffened. Nevertheless, he did not say anything. He soon carried Jessica to bed.Every moment of the wedding night was precious indeed.On the other hand, Serenity strolled outside the hilltop villa. Only when her legs were tired did she return to the house.Zachary silently followed behind her.Every time he wanted to speak to her, she would say, “You liar, stay away from me. I don’t want to talk to you now.”This caused Zachary to become submissive. All he could do was silently follow behind her.By the time Serenity returned to the house, her phone was already fully charged.She unplugged the charger and picked up her phone, only to see many incoming missed calls and WhatsApp messages. There were also text messa
Serenity was not just mad at Zachary but also the Yorks. Serenity replied to her sister’s message first before calling Jasmine.“Serenity.”Jasmine answered her call shortly. “Serenity, how are you now? Your phone had been turned off during the day. I called you numerous times when your phone was off. When I could finally get through at night, you didn’t pick up my call.”Serenity pretended to be fine in front of her good friend and said, “My phone ran out of battery, so it automatically turned off. That’s why you couldn’t get through. Later, I borrowed the liar’s charger to have my phone fully charged.”Liar…Jasmine could sense the fury in her words. She knew Serenity was still mad.It was hard for Serenity to cool down, considering that she was deceived by the person whom she shared her bed with.“So it turned out that your phone ran out of battery. You gave me a fright. Are you okay?”Serenity fell quiet for some time before she forced a laugh and said, “It’d be a lie to
“To buy cows and pigs, you need to go all the way to the countryside, right? That’s too far. You don’t need to. I want big-sized chickens and ducks. Buy more roosters that can already crow. With the roosters crowing at dawn every day, I’m sure it’ll annoy him.” Jasmine replied, “Alright. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it well.”It was not known whether Zachary would compromise after Serenity turned his villa into a zoo.“But Seren, will Mr. Zachary, I mean, the liar compromise? What’s more, he must have other villas too. Will he bring you to another villa?”Serenity paused for a moment before she responded, “I have no idea how he’ll react either. Anyhow, since he’s making things difficult for me, I’ll cause him trouble as well.”“It appears that the two of you are now enemies.”Glum, Serenity did not say anything.“I’ve told Josh to advise Mr. Zachary, yet Josh told me to advise you. He said Mr. Zachary had his reasons for deceiving you. Given that he’s the eldest grandson of the
“Honey.”Once the door was opened, Serenity looked at Zachary’s handsome face. He instantly wore a flattering smile.However, on other typical days, he would pull a long face, showing a stern expression. He would hardly smile. At that moment, Serenity felt that the smile was fake.“Honey, I’ve brought over your changing clothes.”Zachary handed her two sets of clothes. One set was pajamas, whereas the other was her outfit for tomorrow.“Let me bring them inside for you, okay?”Serenity forbade him to enter the room. After taking her clothes, she retreated and slammed the door shut. Then, she locked the door from the inside once again.Zachary was speechless.He did not walk away and stood at the door instead. At the same time, he was wondering when Seren would open the door and look for him.Sure enough, he heard the sound of the door being unlocked in two minutes. He immediately straightened his body and wore a smile on his handsome face.The moment Serenity pulled open the
Zachary’s handsome face turned grim. “Serenity, I’m not lying at all. Some of my words are sincere. I love you, and this is definitely true.”“Yes. You love me. You love lying to me, right? Are you going to get out? If you’re not, I’ll crush your leg!”After speaking frostily, Serenity forcefully shut the door.Zachary dared not feign pity and obediently withdrew his leg. Then, he watched Serenity shut the door and lock it.Only after some time did Zachary return to his room. After taking a bath, he moved a single-seater couch and placed it outside Serenity’s room. Then, he brought over a blanket. He sat on the couch with the blanket wrapping him and slept at the door to block her way.He was worried Serenity would sneak out of the room and climb the wall to leave the house after he fell asleep. In fact, Serenity did have such an idea.In the dead of night, she secretly walked to the door and opened the door gently. She pulled the door slightly open, only to see Zachary sleepin
It was impossible Zachary would allow Clive to come over.Clive was unaware that Zachary had restricted Serenity’s freedom. Serenity did not think about asking for Clive’s help either. If Clive came over to look for Zachary, he was bound to learn it.Zachary had no regard for other people.However, he must not hold Clive and his mother with contempt.Furthermore, Mrs. Stone was Serenity’s aunt and elder.She had the right to stand up for Serenity.“Alright. I’ll let Clive know.”With that, Josh promptly ended the call. If he had ended it any later, Zachary might ask him for a solution again.Zachary rejected his suggestions, so what could he do?Zachary soon left the villa. He told Brandt to remind Serenity to have her breakfast.He had half the group of security guards to watch the villa in case Serenity escaped when he was away.Forty minutes later at the CEO’s office in York Corporation.Zachary and Clive entered the office practically one after another.Zachary walked
After a while, Clive asked, “How did Serenity react after she learned of your identity? Her phone has been off, so I can’t get through.”Zachary said sarcastically, “You’re not close with your cousin because you haven’t spent much time bonding with her, huh? I could already get through Seren’s phone last night. You claimed that her phone had been off, but how many times have you tried to call her?“Why should I tell you her reaction? That’s our business. It has nothing to do with you.”Even though Mrs. Stone was Serenity’s aunt, they had not spent much time bonding with each other. Their relationship was new.To him, only his sister-in-law had the right to tell him off.The Stones had no right to do so.Clive was at a loss for words.After being quiet for a while, Clive continued, “Zachary, sorry to bother you today. I might sound selfish for considering Elisa’s feelings and not Serenity’s.“You know Serenity better than I do. You should know her temper. After she learned of yo
Isabella could not find anyone who suited her tastes in Satbury. She knew the city was filled with talented young men, but none made her heart race. Their goal was usually the O’Connor family business. The men knew Louis was young and that Isabella was the head of the family. If they could win her heart, it would be equivalent to conquering the O’Connor family. From there, they could gradually swallow the family whole. Isabella dared not date anyone. She was scared of falling into someone’s trap. She would not let her feelings show, even if she had a crush on someone.“Many people are aiming for my family’s status and wealth. I dare not date or get married for fear that I’d destroy the family once and for all. Those people will go to great lengths for money and power.”Isabella was even wary of young masters of wealthy families, let alone ambitious men from inferior backgrounds. “I know Nana is doing this for us. She had chosen our wives. Our parents didn’t need to worry
Isabella knew it would not be that quick. By the time Louis could take over, which would be twenty years later, she would already be close to fifty years old. If she got married and had children within the next two years, her children could inherit her businesses a few years after Louis took over the family business. That way, she could finally retire for good. “Austin, you’re aware that I sent someone to Wiltspoon to investigate your background, right? There was no information about you being a young master of the Yorks. Was it because you didn’t want me to know about it?”“No.”Austin said honestly, “I wasn’t aware. Zachary was the one who told me that you investigated me twice. You couldn’t find the connection between me and York Corporation because Zachary covered it up for me.“He knew that I was here to cook and improve my skills. If you knew I was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon, you might not have hired me as your private chef. If so, I wouldn’t be
Isabella smiled and said, “If the person taking over the family business doesn’t have true ability, they won’t be able to bear the responsibility. In this way, they can still prove themselves. Of course, starting a business from scratch and inheriting from a generation or two back is different.“For those who are supported by their family, no matter how many achievements they have, others will say they relied on their family’s support. If they fail, people will call them useless and a waste, and that family wealth will never last more than three generations. They’ll just wait for your family to go bankrupt.“So, without real ability, no one can take over the family business.”Austin was silent for a moment before responding, “What you say is true. My eldest brother, for example, is very capable. Although we could all take on the responsibility, none of us is as steady as he is. He’s the real anchor of our family. With him around, we don’t have to worry even if the sky falls.“Becau
Oh, right. Ruth mentioned that the York family elders were very open-minded.Open-minded elders and a good family culture were what cultivated outstanding children. It was little wonder that Austin was exceptional and bore such an impressive demeanor. It turned out that he was from a prestigious family.“Isa, what's wrong with Austin? Can we start eating now?”Louis and Phillip were completely confused. All they knew was Austin was not from a simple family, and that he was very capable. Even Ruth had shaken hands with him.The two boys were too young to understand anything besides that. They were just hungry and wanted to eat. It was cold, and the barbecue was very comforting to eat hot off the grill.Isabella smiled and said, “All you two think about is eating. Well, the meat and vegetables are all cooked, so we can start eating now.”As she spoke, she grabbed some meat, shrimp, and vegetables for her baby brothers. Then, she began eating, and everyone followed suit.Ruth too
After Austin left, Isabella asked her friend, "Ruth, do you know the Wiltspoon Yorks? Is Austin really one of them?"“You’ve never been to Wiltspoon, Isabella, and it's so far away. Plus your family doesn't have business there, so it's normal you don't know much about them. I was there for half a month for a trip, and my in-laws have business there.“Last time, when I went on a business trip with my husband, we heard a lot of gossip and rumors related to the York family.“In Wiltspoon, there are several prominent families, but the wealthiest and most powerful is the York family. York Corporation holds the same status in the business world of Wiltspoon as your family does here.”Ruth was introducing the York family to everyone, giving them a preliminary understanding of the family. After that explanation, Ruth added, “The York family has a great family culture to boot. The men in their family are all very loyal. Once they marry, they will remain loyal to their wife and family for
“Your family? As in, Wiltspoon’s York Corporation? Is that your family’s company?” Ruth asked in shock. She looked at Austin, disbelief written all over her face. The members of the O'Connor family were all watching the two of them.“Yeah, that’s my family's company. Our ancestors were good enough to build a strong foundation my elder brother now manages.”“Where do you fall in the order of your siblings and cousins?” Ruth had once traveled to Wiltspoon with her husband for a business trip and had spent half a month there, so she knew a bit about the most prominent family in Wiltspoon. She had also been deeply impressed by the good values the Yorks had. She had heard that the York sons were all exceptional, talented individuals, and indeed, Austin was exceptionally handsome—so much so that it could even incur a god’s jealousy. But how did a young master of the York family end up working as a chef for the O'Connor family?Though York Corporation was based in Wiltspoon, its fina
Austin slept for an hour and then got up. He had to prepare the barbecue ingredients for Isabella, and the marinade was very important. If the O'Connor family was having a barbecue, Austin would actually have it quite easy. He just needed to prepare the marinade whereas the actual ingredients would be prepared by someone else, so he did not need to do everything himself. Of course, if he wanted to take charge and do it all, that was fine too.While Austin was busy in the kitchen, he heard a crisp voice coming from the hall, laughing while asking, “Isabella, where’s that handsome chef of yours? Can I take a look at him? I made sure not to bring my husband along just to see him, so he wouldn’t get jealous.”Austin was speechless. Being handsome could be troublesome too; everyone treated him like a circus monkey. He was not even the most handsome among his brothers. Zachary was the most good-looking and charismatic. If these women saw him, would they go crazy?He heard Isabella sa
As for their future partners, they also had certain requirements. First, their family background should be comparable to the O’Connors, and secondly, they should be from this city or a nearby city—wherever it was, it could not be too far away.Austin had been working for Isabella for some time and had secretly figured out her requirements for a husband. He thought it would be easy when his nana had chosen Isabella for him, but he now understood that it was not as simple as he had assumed.Not only was it hard for Isabella to fall in love, but her refusal to move far from home would also be an obstacle in their relationship. Would he have to marry into her family?Hayden was also in charge of her family company, but she had a twin brother who was just as capable as her. After marrying into the York family, the company could be handed over to her brother to manage.Isabella’s brother had only just started elementary school, so it would take at least another twenty years before Loui
Soon, even Tati ran out and joined the others.Only Isabella remained seated in the gazebo, sipping her tea while watching the younger ones play joyfully. Her personality made it difficult for her to indulge in carefree fun like the rest. However, seeing them so happy lifted her own spirits, and she felt content.She found the tea Austin made to her liking. In the past, she rarely drank tea, as she mostly drank coffee. She would have two cups of coffee every day to keep herself going.After returning to his dorm, Austin lay on his bed but did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, he picked up his phone and chatted with his cousins. He was closest to Peter and River, given their close age gap, and they often chatted the most. At this moment, he was on a call with River.He asked about the situation at home and whether their nana was mad at him for not coming home for Christmas.River replied, “Everything’s fine at home. Nana’s not mad that you’re not coming home. In fact, she’s