She had deliberately prepared many kinds of food for her own breakfast to make him drool.“I’m going to dinner tonight with my aunt, so I won’t be eating with you. If you’re not going to the hotel to eat, I’ve prepared dinner in the shop. You can get Jim to go over and pick it up,” Serenity said to the man sitting opposite her as she ate her bountiful and nutritious meal.“Want me to go with you? Which family is hosting the dinner you guys are attending?”“You don’t have to. Aunt Audrey is bringing Elisa and I. Which family? I’ve forgotten. There were too many invitations—I can’t remember them all.”Zachary said regretfully, “I don’t have to worry if your aunt and cousin will be with you. Then I’ll work overtime. Just get Jim to send the food over to me.”His wife was willing to cook for him now—no way he was going to eat at the hotel.“You can work overtime, but not too late. I’ll be back before 11 pm. If I don’t see you at home when I get back, I’m locking the door. You can spe
Grandma May said, “They don’t know what car I use, but they stopped your mother-in-law once, as well as your second aunt-in-law.”Seeing Serenity’s dark expression, she quickly comforted her. “We all know what kind of people they are. They’re asking for a bride price now, but their true intention is to disgust us with you so you’d have a bad time in our family.“We can still see through those little plans of theirs. Don’t worry, Seren. We didn’t let them get any benefits. When they intercepted your mother-in-law’s car, she called the police directly and said someone was blocking the road and trying to rob her.”“That granddad of yours is really shameless. He lay on the ground saying that he was hit, but he didn’t expect the road to be monitored by surveillance. The police came and checked the surveillance, then found out that he lay on the ground himself. They criticized him and lectured him, then ordered his children and grandchildren to take him away.“The most hateful thing was
Since Serenity and Zachary lived separately, Mrs. Lane went back to Brynfield daily to clean up and water the flowers on the balcony. She was no longer staying there and instead went back to the manor, the place she originally lived.Sam, the housekeeper who had returned from his leave, gave Mrs. Lane a car for her convenience.“Missus.”Mrs. Lane had just finished mopping the floor when she saw Serenity coming. She greeted the latter respectfully.“You can just call me Ms. Hunt like before, Mrs. Lane. Don’t call me Missus. It sounds weird to me.”She did not put on airs in front of Mrs. Lane.Mrs. Lane did not think it was appropriate and said, “Mr. Zachary will deduct my bonus if he finds out.“You’ll get used to it after hearing it more on a daily basis.”Serenity was speechless. All Zachary knew was how to threaten people.She entered the store.Jasmine saw her enter and checked her out from top to bottom.“What? Don’t you recognize me?”Jasmine laughed. “You look good
Serenity smiled. “Mrs. Lane and I should be enough.”The store her sister rented was not large. If too many people went to help, it would look crowded with the customers coming in to have breakfast.While the two friends chatted, two—no, three people walked inOne of them was Noah, Serenity’s youngest cousin. He tried stopping Serenity’s car in the middle of the night last year and wanted to teach her a lesson, but she sent him to the police station.He was released after fifteen days of detention, but he did not repent and instead hated Serenity with a passion.He dropped out of school and stopped studying. His parents spoiled him and felt that his grades were not good enough to get him accepted into a university anyway, so they let him do as he pleased.After dropping out of school, Noah did nothing except play games.He came along the last time his grandfather visited the store to cause trouble, but Serenity did not notice him because there were too many people.“Let me go!
Serenity did not know which car Noah used at first, but since he volunteered the information, she managed to find John’s car. After all, out of all of the cousins, John’s car was the best.Serenity walked over, raised the knife, and slashed all four tires of John’s car.The tires were punctured and deflated. Soon, all four tires were flat.“Oh no, oh no.”Noah looked at the flat tires and seemed frightened. “I don’t have enough money to get new tires for him. Serenity!”He shouted at her, “You need to pay for it!”Serenity looked at him coldly.She walked over while playing with the knife.Noah’s yelling became quiet.Standing in front of him, Serenity patted his face with the knife.Noah was so scared that he did not dare breathe. His eyes were filled with fear.He was terrified that this damned woman would slash his face and disfigure him.He did not have a wife yet.“Whose idea was this?”“W-What idea?”“Following me, taking pictures of me, and slashing my tires. Whos
“Noah Hunt, you know me, right? If you don’t talk, I’ll slash a few lines across your face. You’re already ugly enough with pimples all over your face. It’ll be horrid if I add some blade scars to that. You’ll never get a wife and have to stay single all your life.”Noah visibly blanched and stammered, “I-I can’t say...”With just that, Serenity knew that her relatives were planning something big to deal with her.She said to the two bodyguards, “Bring him in for me. I’ll take good care of my little cousin.”“W-Wait, I’ll go by myself. Don’t let them touch me. They’re too rough.”Noah jumped and followed Serenity into the store.He knew how to behave himself after falling into Serenity’s hands. She would beat him into a pulp if she did not get what she wanted.Back in the store, he moved a stool for Serenity and poured water for her to drink.“Talk. Why did they ask you to follow me? It’s fine if you don’t tell me. You know my identity now. As long as I give the command, I’ll s
However, Liberty was not as valuable as Serenity in the eyes of Old Mr. Hunt and the others.One was a pitiful woman who divorced and lived alone with a child, whereas the other was the eldest missus of the York family, the richest family in the city. Even a three-year-old would know who was more valuable.“Get out!”Noah stammered, “My fare...”As soon as Serenity glared, Noah scampered out.She went back on her word!She tricked him!How could he have a cousin like Serenity?Noah scolded Serenity all the way back to John’s rented house.As for John’s luxury car, he could not drive it back because all four tires were slashed. He could only let John think of a way himself. Fortunately, he brought back the car keys.When John found out that his little cousin not only failed and was discovered, but also left his car in front of Serenity’s shop, he was furious.He kicked Noah and yelled, “Even if you got scared and ran away, you should have run away with the car! How could you
After Noah ran away, Jasmine said to her friend, “Seren, those guys might be trying to replace you.”“It’s not that they ‘might’ but rather they’re already planning it.”Serenity sat down behind the cash register looking slightly exhausted.Her sister and she were really unlucky to have been born into that family.To think they were related by blood!“Is that Harriet whom Noah mentioned older or younger than you?”“We’re the same age. I’m a week older than her.”Serenity thought about her cousin who was only one week younger than her. She had not seen Harriet for more than ten years and had little memory of her. Did Harriet and her look similar?When her parents were alive, she and Harriet went to school together and were in the same class. She seemed to remember her classmates mentioning that they looked alike.Even if they did, they would only look somewhat similar. Did Harriet think she could replace Serenity by just impersonation?Did they think Zachary was stupid?Unles
“Isa has a networking event tonight, so she’ll be working overtime. You should bring her dinner.”“Sure.” Austin was here precisely to do that.Tati entered the elevator. When she turned around, she saw that Austin had already walked off.Tati chuckled to herself, “When will it be my turn to meet a good man who only has eyes for me?”Isabella had Austin now. Even though they had not officially started dating, they were clearly interested in each other. In the near future, they would definitely become a couple, and if both sides’ parents had no objection to it, they would eventually be a loving husband and wife.Though, at the thought of her family circumstances, Tati was still a little worried that Isabella and Austin might not get to that point.Isabella could not move far away after getting married as she still had to manage the family business. Her husband and her in-laws had to be understanding and tolerant of the fact that she would be very, very busy.They had all heard th
Isabella wanted to say something but ultimately decided against it. Tati had a point. She could push the boys too hard. They were still young, and they deserved a carefree and happy childhood. She had already put too much pressure on Louis and Phillip. “Austin accompanies the boys when he’s free. I think he’s great with kids. Maybe he has experience from babysitting in his family.”The York family had nine sons in their youngest generation and no daughters. Austin was the sixth in line with three younger brothers. Rowan was the youngest and still a minor. Thinking about it, he must have been raised by all his older cousins and brothers. No one understood how much pressure Rowan was under as he grew up. His older brothers were outstanding individuals. He would not have been that stressed if any of them were mediocre. He kept chasing after his brothers’ footsteps. He did not know when he could ever catch up to River and Austin. He would have to live with that pressure fo
“Isa, do you know many hotels and restaurants are waiting for you to switch Austin out? That way, they can snatch him away and make him their star chef.”With Austin’s culinary skills, he could be the head chef at any hotel.Isabella smiled. She said, “It depends on how much they can offer him. He already has his own hotels and restaurants. He’s already successful in the F&B industry.“How can they possibly hire him to be their chef? That’s unless Austin buys their hotel.“Besides, I haven’t gotten bored of Austin’s food. They’ll have to wait. “You can make a bet on whether Austin can last a full year as my private chef. I think you might win, but there’s always the possibility of losing.”There would always be wins and losses in a bet. Tati smiled. “Some people already made their bets. However, they betted on whether Austin could last for three months first. I guess those who put their money on him leaving before three months are up will lose.“For the second round, they’re
Knowledge of Mr. Longbottom’s philandering was not restricted to Havenmill. Even people in Annenburg knew about it. He switched lovers as quickly as he changed clothes. Many of his mistresses accidentally got pregnant and thought they could replace Mrs. Longbottom because of their children. However, Mr. Longbottom was a heartless man outside of bed. While most of his mistresses had gotten pregnant, only those who were honest and without ambitions were allowed to give birth. Even if those women gave birth, the child would not bear the Longbottom surname and only take their mother’s surname. However, Mr. Longbottom would buy that mistress and her children a townhouse and hire two nannies to look after them. There would also be a sum of money deposited into their account monthly to provide for the child. On the other hand, most of Mr. Longbottom’s mistresses who were not allowed to give birth were ordered to get an abortion. If they refused, Mrs. Longbottom would intervene and f
Tati did not care what Manny would do. She had no feelings for him. Not only did she know he was ambitious, but he also wanted her family’s wealth. Only a few men deserved Tati’s praise in her entire life. Austin was one of them. Even so, she simply admired him and did not view him as a romantic partner. Tati could sense that Austin’s eyes were always on Isabella. It had nothing to do with him being her private chef. He was dedicated to Isabella. When Isabella and Tati were unaware of Austin’s true identity, they admired him a lot. Isabella even teased Tati about it. Later, they discovered he was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon.His family background and qualifications made Austin worthy of being the partner of an elite daughter of the O’Connors. Although Isabella refused to admit it, Tati knew Austin would eventually be her brother-in-law. However, he probably had to sacrifice a lot to be with Isabella. After all, Isabella was the head of the
Once Manny left, Costa Corporation entrance resumed its peace. Manny had bought a villa in Satbury. He was determined to woo Tati and would not leave until he succeeded. Besides, he would be doing business in Satbury and needed a place to live. He did not want to stay at a hotel every day. The villa he bought was only a ten-minute drive away from Dunboy Manor. On his way back, he received a call from his momma asking about his situation in Satbury. After speaking about business, his momma said, “Don’t be like your dad, Manny. If you really like Ms. Tati, you should treat her well.“Your dad is too flirty. Marrying him was the unluckiest thing in my life. I had no choice. I’ve been his wife for decades and even gave birth to you all. He got me involved in too many things.“He forced me to be in the same boat as him. I’m forced to stick with him for your sake and our family’s benefit. However, if I could turn back time, I’d rather stay single than get married to your dad.“Y
“I’m sorry. I have a business appointment tonight.”Tati rejected Manny’s invitation without hesitation. Manny had been pursuing her relentlessly. If she were to have a meal with him, the paparazzi stalking them would take pictures and she would be on the local entertainment headlines the next day. She would not give Manny any chances to advertise false information about their relationship. Manny looked disappointed. “Another day then.“By the way, you’ll be attending a banquet two days later, right? Can I be your escort?”Tati and Isabella would not attend just any banquet. Families who could invite them were wealthy and close to the O’Connors. Ordinary banquets could never have Tati and Isabella as guests. Manny had gathered information for two days. He heard that one of the wealthy families in Satbury would be holding a banquet to celebrate their old missus’s eightieth birthday, and many guests were invited to liven up the celebration. A missus of that family was clos
“My family isn’t inferior to yours, sweet Tati. The Longbottoms even surpass the O’Connors. As a young master of the Longbottoms, why will I go after your family’s money?“Money has never been a problem for the Longbottom family. In fact, you and I are the best match for each other. Our families are equally rich. If we get together, it’ll be a joining of two strong forces.”Tati wanted to say that while the Longbottom family surpassed the O’Connors, Manny was not the true person in power within his family. Even his father was not the legitimate head. The power and wealth of the Longbottom family belonged to the true head of the family. Tony and Manny Longbottom were simply managing the family in the interim. Did they think the family had become theirs?If the son of the previous Longbottom family head grew up and returned to take charge of the family, Tony and Manny would no longer have any influence. They would only receive some compensation for their hard work. Without the L
Tati looked toward Manny and said in a serious tone, “If you love someone, you’d be considerate of her and do what’s best for her.“Meanwhile, you’re disregarding any inconvenience this might cause me just to appear romantic. You know I’m busy, yet you put flowers here and blocked my way, wasting my time.“Do your actions truly reflect your love for me? Are you being considerate of me?”Tati would not have said a word if Manny had asked his people to place the flowers in an empty spot. However, he just had to do it at the entrance of the company, attracting many people. Her company security team could not even chase them away. They knew Manny’s identity and that he was pursuing her. If the security chased him away, the Longbottom and O’Connor families could end up enemies. Secondly, they were worried about getting fired if Tati were to accept Manny’s feelings one day and decide to punish them. Tati would not blame the security for failing to execute their duty. After Manny s