Zachary glanced at the stack of documents held by Mr. Chaplin and said, “Send them to Callum and tell him to take care of it. If he doesn’t dare make a decision, then tell him to ask Nana.“Also, tell him that I might only come back to the company occasionally these days. He’s also a man from the York family, so he should help share the burden of the family business.”Mr. Chaplin nodded and agreed.Was the boss going to put aside his work and devote himself to coaxing his wife?Zachary took large strides to the elevator after instructing Mr. Chaplin.A few minutes later, he left York Corporation in his car.At the same time, Mr. Chaplin knocked on Callum’s office door and relayed what Zachary said to him.Callum’s face fell when he looked at the pile of documents that Mr. Chaplin was holding. Then, he said, “Leave them here. I’ll tell you to get them when I’m done.”“Thank you, Mr. Callum.“By the way, Mr. Zachary said he might only occasionally come to the office these days.
Zachary’s eyes flashed with hurt, but he did not react as fiercely as he did yesterday.He said gently, “Seren, do you really want to keep those little animals? If you do, I’ll tell Brandt to lead the way. Ms. Sox and you can go see our family orchard. If you think it’s suitable to rear chickens there, you can keep them there. You can take care of them yourself if you want or let the workers do it.”Serenity frowned. “I didn’t see an orchard at your house when you brought me over during the holidays.”“The hills planted with fruit trees next to Wildridge Manor is the orchard. It’s the York family’s ancestral manor.”Serenity was not surprised that her in-laws had a manor.They were rich.They were involved in all sorts of industries as long as there was money to be earned.“Are you willing to let me out of this villa?”Serenity captured the key points of Zachary’s remarks.Zachary looked at her, and she met his gaze. When the couple looked at each other, Serenity finally saw t
Serenity felt like she could go crazy if she was kept under house arrest.Fortunately, Zachary came around and was willing to return her freedom.“Uncle Zack.”Sonny saw Zachary as Serenity picked him up, and he happily stretched his arms out to Zachary, wanting the latter to carry him.Zachary satisfied the little one and carried him.“Higher, Uncle Zack. Go higher!”Zachary laughed and lifted Sonny up in the sky, generating streams of laughter from the little boy.“That truck...”Not waiting for Liberty to finish her question, Zachary said, “Seren said she wanted to eat chickens that she raised herself, so Ms. Sox helped to buy these chickens. I’m planning to ask Brandt to take Seren to my orchard to see if we can move and breed these chickens there.”Liberty looked at her sister and asked suspiciously, “Why do you want to raise chickens all of a sudden?”Seren paused and said, “Since we already bought them, we need a place to keep them.”Liberty looked at Serenity and the
Everyone sighed in relief at Zachary’s words.They thought he was going back on his word.Fortunately, he was not.Liberty quickly said, “Don’t worry, Zachary. I’ll look after Seren these days. I won’t let her drive fast or drink alcohol!”Then, she added, “If she really wants to drink, I’ll let her drink a few cans with me at home. I won’t let her go to the bar again.”“I’ll leave her in your care.”Zachary said to Serenity, “Seren, stay at your sister’s place for a few days and tell me when you want to come home. I’ll come pick you up. If you don’t want to live with me, you can stay at the house in Brynfield while I move back here.”Serenity looked at him for a long time and said, “Take care.”She got into the car.“Look after yourself, Zachary. I’ll take care of Seren. I’ll make sure she’s hale and hearty when you pick her up.”Serenity was speechless.Was her sister raising her like a pig?After Liberty spoke to her brother-in-law, she got in the car. She fastened her s
Brandt responded respectfully, then said in concern, “It’s cold and windy outside, sir. Let’s go back inside. You haven’t eaten anything since you got up today.”Zachary did not move and asked Brandt, “Will she come back if I faint from hunger?”Brandt was speechless.Zachary smiled wryly. “I was just asking. I won’t neglect my own health. I still want to have a lot of children and grandchildren with Seren and live with her until our hair turns gray. I won’t live to have gray hair if I starve myself.”Brandt quickly said, “The missus eats and drinks well. I think this mentality of hers is commendable.”He was terrified that Zachary would deliberately starve to the point of fainting. If the missus did not come back, then he would starve to death.“She... She doesn’t love me as much as I love her.”That was why she could be a little more ruthless.“Jim,” Zachary shouted in a low voice.Jim hurriedly trotted over.“Get the car. I want to go back to the manor for a few days.”“Y
Grandma May choked and said sheepishly, “I thought that would come naturally and didn’t have to be taught.”She added to herself, “A couple only learns to cherish each other by experiencing ups and downs together.”Tania was speechless.A maid entered.“Old Mrs. York and Mrs. York, Mr. Zachary is back.”Upon hearing that, Grandma May scurried away like a startled bird. Her movements were so agile that they were not befitting of her age.“Tania, I’ll go back to my room and lie down. If Zack asks, tell him that I’ve fallen ill because I was too worried about him and Serenity.”Tania was speechless. “Don’t blame me if Zack sends you to the hospital.”“I’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t send me to the crematorium.”Grandma May hid in her room as fast as possible. She lay on the bed and pretended to be sick.After lying down for a while, she did not hear a knock on the door.She thought to herself, ‘Is that brat so angry that he doesn’t even care about my so-called illness? So th
“Mom.”If Zachary did not explain clearly, his mother would actually arrange a blind date for him and cause misunderstandings.He said in a low voice, “When I said Serenity left with her sister, I meant she went back for a small period of time to calm down. She’s not leaving forever. I won’t allow her to not come back either.”God knew how difficult it was for him to let go and allow her to follow her sister home.“I also need time to calm down, but it’s hard for me, so I want to jump into the pool and take a dip. Maybe that will help cool me down. I’m not trying to harm myself to gain her sympathy.”Tania blinked and asked, “You’re not divorced yet?”“Do you want me to get a divorce?”“Yes and no. I’ve always felt that you two weren’t compatible. Your social circles are completely different. It’ll be very hard for Serenity to squeeze in. Perhaps you two can’t understand that now and don’t know what it feels like, so you’re able to get along well in the beginning. However, you’l
“Tania, get someone to cook ginger soup for that boy. Add more ginger so that it’s spicier.”Grandma May came out of the room and instructed her daughter-in-law as she walked outside.Tania agreed and instructed the maid accordingly.When the two women arrived at the pool, Zachary was still swimming around in the water like a fish.“Zachary York,” Grandma May shouted angrily.Zachary glanced at his nana before swimming to the edge of the pool. Then, he climbed up and sat there.Grandma May walked around the pool and went to him, saying in distress, “What are you still doing sitting here? Hurry back into the house.”“I want to relax and calm down, Nana.”Grandma May scolded him. “If you want to calm down, you can lock yourself in your room. I can assure you that no one will bother you. Why do you need to jump into the pool to do so?”“It’s quite effective.”Zachary added indifferently, “The cold water cleared my mind and calmed my irritability.”He was telling the truth.Gra
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