Duncan replied nonplussed, “What’s your nana trying to do, Zachary? Does she think that I have feelings for Liberty? I honestly am fond of Sonny. That’s all.” Zachary believed his best friend’s eagerness to explain was a dead giveaway. His nana had a good eye for this kind of stuff. Nana would not put the feelers out to Duncan if Duncan was not interested in his sister-in-law that way. In the past, Zachary noticed that fate tended to draw Duncan and Liberty together. Wiltspoon was a bustling major city. Yet, the pair kept bumping into each other. If that was not fate, then what was it? “Hmmm… I adore Sonny too. It’s your business whether you like my sister-in-law or not. It’s not my problem either, but I hope you only take a liking to Sonny. I don’t want you hanging around the diner because of Sonny’s mother.” Since Duncan was Zachary’s best friend, Zachary knew him well. Duncan would not make a good couple with his sister-in-law, mainly because of Mrs. Lewis. Liberty w
Zachary did not have mixed feelings about it. Sure, Elisa was younger than him by a few years, but she was Serenity’s older cousin, so he should not be awkward about acknowledging Elisa as the older cousin-in-law. “Yeah, I came to pick Seren up. Did you skip work to come here?” Zachary replied in a husky voice, “I left early after finishing my work. No one will say anything.” Elisa pursed her lips. Zachary was the boss of York Corporation, so whatever he said goes. No one would say anything even if he skipped out on work for a whole month, much less the occasional early dismissals. “Mr. York is a busy, busy man, but he has nothing to do when Seren is at stake,” Elisa teased.Zachary never had time to meet Elisa in the past. Now Elisa found out that it was not that he did not have the time—he simply was not interested in her. He would make time for Elisa no matter how busy Zachary was if he truly liked her. With that registering in her mind, Elisa saw the light. Zacha
Elisa found it a shame that she could not become the love of Zachary’s life. However, she was comfortable with Zachary being her cousin-in-law and wished Serenity nothing but happiness. Judging by the shimmer in his dark eyes, Zachary was taken by surprise. He thought Elisa would take the chance to discredit him in front of Serenity. Poor Elisa. Zachary totally had her misjudged. “Is the car outside with the flat tires John’s?” “Yes.” Pulling out his phone, Zachary said, “I’ll call the traffic police to tow the car. It’s parked there, obstructing traffic.” “He secretly came by twice to check on the car. I guess he’s waiting until I’m not around to get the tow truck to come around.” There was sarcasm in Serenity’s tone. “He’s acting like a thief.” “That reminds me. I need to tell you that your cousin has made an appointment for surgery with a plastic surgeon. What looks do you think she should go by?” Serenity wickedly uttered, “She wants to resemble me and take my pla
The Hunts had moved the graves of Zachary’s parents-in-law elsewhere, and Serenity and her sister had no idea of the location. The Hunt family’s intention was to stop the sisters from visiting the graves while pushing John to pay respects to Serenity’s parents as their son. John could then inherit the property from Serenity’s parents. The mention of her parents put Serenity in low spirits. Holding her hands, Zachary soothed Serenity, “Your parents in heaven will be happy to see you and your sister doing well in life.” “I’ll take back everything that belongs to my parents!” “You got me. Go and get them. I will hire the best lawyers to fight the case. We won’t let them win!”Serenity gave a firm nod. “Ahem.” Clearing her throat, Elisa interrupted the couple. Elisa drew close as the couple watched on. “Seren, my mom called and told you to come home with me. We can start getting ourselves ready for the event.” She then turned to Zachary. “Seren made you an early dinner.
Serenity chuckled and went ahead to give Elisa a hug. She settled Elisa down, “Don’t be mad, Elisa. I won’t let you miss out on the next fun.” “Don’t hold me. Your man is glaring at me.” Nudging Serenity away, Elisa teased her before turning around to bring the food out of the kitchen. With Serenity looking at her man, Zachary answered in a stiff voice, “Even if she’s a woman, I mind that you hug her. You can hold me if you want to hold anyone.” Leaning in, Serenity quickly gave him a smooch on the face and pinched his cheek. “Alright, alright. I’ll only cuddle with you from now on. Go and wash your hands. I have to get to my aunt’s place once you’re well-fed.” Zachary whined like a man who was not getting any action. “I have nothing to do, and yet you won’t let me go with you. We have not attended an event together since we got married.” Serenity looked askance at him and asked, “And whose fault is that?” Zachary shut up right away. It was his fault and his problem. Th
Serenity thought she could just put on whatever. However, Audrey said they had to dress for the occasion. Tonight’s event was for the upper middle class. Audrey initially had no intention of attending the social meeting, but since Serenity asked for a favor, she thought it would be perfect for Serenity to start off with. Hence, she told the host that she would be attending for Serenity to ease into the circle. Since it was not an event among the upper crust, there was no need to be overly dressy. Audrey did not pick out the fanciest gown for Serenity. Serenity had a slim figure and a great face. She carried herself with grace too. Any gown would bring out her natural beauty. With Serenity coming out in the gown, Audrey complimented, “Seren, you just have that refined air about you. You have a great figure that works nicely with the dress. It would be perfect if you don’t walk too quickly.” Serenity was trained in the art of self-defense. Although she was endowed with natura
Going down to the first floor, Serenity walked extra carefully because she was worried the floor was slippery.Clive and Alice just came in from the outside. Alice was pregnant, so she went back to her maiden home for dinner, and Clive went to pick her up after work.The couple was stunned when they saw Serenity’s cautious look.“What’s wrong, Seren? Are your legs uncomfortable?” Alice asked with concern as she approached.Elisa laughed. “Look at her shoes, Alice. She’s not used to wearing high heels, so Mom told her to walk outside in these shoes for a while so she can walk more naturally before we go.”Alice looked at the pair of stilettos on Serenity’s feet, then at her face. She patted Serenity’s shoulder with a smile and said, “It’s tough, but if you think of Mr. York, you can overcome everything.”Serenity had a long way to go. If she wanted to join Zachary’s social circle, she had to work hard for it.Clive also walked over and glanced at his cousin’s legs but said nothin
All the villas in this area were large units. They were most likely built by wealthy people who seized the chance to get a good section of land in Wiltspoon when it had just started developing.Rich people who could not buy a good section of the land but wanted to live in larger villas usually bought a few small villas, then connected and renovated them into one large villa.Elisa was silent, then said, “That’s true. That’s why many people wanted to buy that villa when word got out that my neighbor wanted to sell it.”A group of people came out of the villa.“It’s him!”Elisa was sharp-eyed and recognized at a glance that the person who came out while being flanked by several men in black was Remy.Serenity looked over again before finally remembering. “Isn’t that Mr. Johnson from Annenburg?”“He already has a house in Wiltspoon. Why did he buy another? He even spent so much money to buy my neighbor’s villa. Most importantly, he was quicker than us and bought the villa before we
“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