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
Fortunately, Quinn herself was strong, and her family was not pushovers either. She turned to look at Julian.Without asking, Julian knew exactly what she was thinking, and he quickly reassured her, “Quinn, you don’t have to worry. That kind of thing won’t happen to us. I’m your rock. As long as I’m around, no one can bully you. In my family, apart from my parents, everyone else has to accede to me, and you know how my parents feel about you. They’re so grateful to you that they practically worship you like a goddess.“You’re familiar with the York family now and have seen the way they operate, right? Well, my family and the Yorks are old family friends. Birds of a feather flock together. The reason our two families are so close is we have similar family values.“Setting aside the fact that your family is powerful enough and supportive of you—even if you were like Serenity in the beginning, my family would never look down on you or mistreat you. They would only love and cherish you.
Stacy was actually hoping that Julian and Quinn could get their marriage license today and hold the wedding right away. However, the date they had picked was after Christmas and they still had to wait over a month for the actual wedding. At least once they signed the papers, there was no need to worry about Quinn changing her mind. Stacy was afraid that Quinn and her family might have second thoughts, especially since her son was afflicted with a disorder.“Hey, sweetie.”When Stacy addressed Quinn, her tone was very gentle. Quinn thought that her future mother-in-law was even kinder and more considerate than her own mother. Her father had looked into the Buchams' character and knew that Stacy was actually quite formidable. To Quinn though, Stacy appeared so gentle and kind that she did not seem like the kind of person who would be overly strict or tough. Of course, anyone who could hold fast the position of the Buchams’ head missus and secure her husband’s love for decades as if
Quinn could not stop laughing when she saw him.Julian blushed a little in response. He asked, “What are you laughing at? Is my outfit ugly? Does it not look good?”He was used to wearing black clothes all the time. Although he had a white suit, he rarely wore it. Today, for the special occasion of legally getting married to Quinn, he had specifically chosen to wear white, a color symbolizing purity, to proclaim how his feelings were as pure as snow.“It’s not ugly, it looks great! You look even more handsome than usual. I’m just not used to seeing you in a white suit. Now, you look like a prince from a fairy tale—my prince.”Julian smiled indulgently. “That’s right. I’m your prince charming and yours alone. You look great in white, too, my dear wife.”It was Quinn’s turn to blush slightly. She was not used to being called his wife, especially since they had not even registered yet. Since they were about to go get their marriage license though, she might as well start getting used
Serenity laughed and said, “I hope I’ll be toasting at your wedding soon.”Peter replied, “I think I'll get married before Dylan does.”Dylan’s romantic path had been much more complicated because he had not wanted to follow the smooth, well-paved road that Grandma May had arranged for him.“We have lots of happy occasions lined up after Christmas, then,” Camryn remarked.“Yes, lots,” Serenity agreed.The courtyard was lively, with the elders occasionally joining in on the fun. Meanwhile, inside the house, Dylan was thinking about what Serenity had told him. She had repeatedly said that the person Grandma May picked for him would definitely be the right one, someone who would suit him well.She also suggested that he look into Imogen and that there might be a pleasant surprise in store for him, but that he was not to let Imogen know. The implication in Serenity’s words was that Imogen might be Fox and that Fox’s real identity was Imogen Doyle herself.After understanding Serenit
Dylan frowned as he pondered deeply.“The scent from outside is wafting in. I think the food’s ready. I’m going out to have a couple of skewers to satisfy my cravings. You can stay here and think things through.”Seeing that Dylan had finally grasped the main point, Serenity stopped the conversation and went out to have some barbecue. It had been a long time since she had eaten barbecue.After getting pregnant, although she was not as strictly monitored as Jasmine was, she still paid close attention to her diet and would do her best to avoid things she could not eat or had to limit. Liberty called her every few days to remind her to be careful.When Zachary saw Serenity come out of the house, he immediately picked up a plate of freshly grilled skewers to his beloved wife, saying, “I deliberately used less seasoning on these for you, so you can eat them with peace of mind. Sonny’s asleep now, right?” “He fell asleep long ago, after playing so hard today,” Serenity replied, then gr
In that case, Grandma May would not even need to step in to teach him a lesson. His older brothers would beat him up multiple times for tarnishing the York family’s reputation and dragging their names in the mud with his own.“Dylan, I told you that if you didn’t trust Nana, you’d face the consequences. Look, you’re starting to suffer now, aren’t you?” Serenity said. Who was Grandma May? She was a kind-hearted but cunning old fox who could sell someone out and still make them feel grateful for it as they counted the money she made for her. How could she pick a bad match for her grandsons? There was no way they would be unsuitable. “Serenity, it’s not that I don’t trust Nana, it’s just that I really couldn’t fall in love with Imogen. I feel like if I couldn’t fall for her in almost three months then I just won’t. And I always thought about Fox when I was with Imogen. I’m not some naïve kid who doesn’t understand what that means.” Dylan smiled bitterly. His family always compla
“Callum and Camryn came with Trenton, so they’re all having a barbecue together.”Serenity hummed in response. She closed the door to Sonny's room and said to Dylan, “Is it something you don’t want Zachary to know? If so, let’s go to his study to talk." “It’s not that. It’s fine if he knows, but I’ve talked to him, and he couldn’t be bothered. Then I asked Julian, but he said he was busy. He’s taking Ms. Crawford to register their marriage tomorrow. I just wanted a little help from him; I didn’t need him to do it personally.” Dylan grumbled a little about Julian being unhelpful.If Julian could hear this, he would retort, “Why should I help you? Even Zachary isn’t that demanding.”If it were not for the fact that Zachary and his cousin, Josh, were best buddies, Julian would not be so obliging either. Among the Yorks, Grandma May was the person the Buchams most respected. Of course, if it were something important, the Bucham family would definitely help, but Dylan’s request se
“I haven’t felt like snacking lately.”“Is the stuff made at home not to your taste anymore?” Whenever Serenity said she did not want to eat something she usually loved, Zachary would wonder if it was because the chef’s skills had declined, causing his beloved wife to lose her appetite. “It’s not that, I just don’t feel like eating them. I think maybe the baby is like you and doesn’t like sweets.”Zachary smiled. “If our son is like me, that’s fine. He’ll be steady, and in the future, the two of us will protect you.” If they had a daughter, he hoped she would be like Serenity. If she had his personality… Well, it would not be the most charming. Zachary wanted his daughter to be very likable. “I don’t need you guys to protect me, I can protect myself.”“Honey, don’t say that. I’m your husband, your man. You have to give me a chance to show off, or else people will say you married a useless husband. That would be so unfair to me.”Serenity chuckled.“Do you want to go watch So
“I can be just as considerate and attentive to you.”Quinn looked at him and could not help but laugh. “I don't mean anything else by that, you don’t need to be so defensive.”“You envy Serenity,” Julian said. “I don't want you to envy anyone. I want you to be someone others envy.”Uh, this sounded exactly like something Zachary would say. It looked like, occasionally, he really had learned a thing or two from Zachary.Quinn instantly felt smitten. She looped her arm through Julian's and whispered, “I already am someone others envy. I’m not envious of Serenity—I was just making an observation. They say Mr. Zachary dotes on his wife, and Serenity is very lucky. Now that I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes, I believe it. So, I genuinely sighed with admiration. I know I’m very lucky as well. You treat me so well, and I am content. I really don’t envy anyone.”The young couple’s conversation went unnoticed by Zachary. He waited for his wife to settle before answering a call from Dylan.