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
Remy’s eyes looked deeply at Elisa, and he said, “Buying a house is an important matter and has to be taken seriously. I spent a lot of money buying the villa, so of course I have to change it to fit my tastes. I’ll only be able to live comfortably here if I like the design.”Elisa remembered that her family also hired a famous interior designer to come over and tailor the villa according to their tastes. Thus, her family lived here happily over the years.She said in understanding, “You’re right. Since we’ll be neighbors in the future, why don’t you come in for a cup of tea?”Remy did not refuse Elisa’s offer and followed her and Serenity into the house.Clive and his wife were still sitting on the sofa in the living hall. Audrey was there too, concernedly asking her daughter-in-law about something. When she heard the sound of her daughter talking with an unfamiliar man, she looked at the door and saw her daughter and niece inviting a young man inside.Clive saw Remy and stood up
“Mom, Clive, do you feel that Elisa and Mr. Johnson are familiar with each other?”Alice spoke a little earlier. She was just listening and observing.Her little sister-in-law was proud and arrogant, and very few men were able to catch her attention.She was infatuated with Zachary for many years to the point where her eyes and heart were filled with him. It was Alice’s first time seeing Elisa treat a man who was not Zachary so well.Serenity explained, “Elisa and Mr. Johnson met several times. She said that the first time they met was on the road. She blocked his way, but he gave way out of courtesy.”Audrey said faintly, “Mr. Johnson is an exceptional man. The men from his family are as good as the men from the York family. They just live too far away.”Everyone fell silent.Serenity also thought about whether Elisa and Remy would become a couple. Then, she remembered that Remy lived in Annenburg. Audrey only had one daughter and could not bear to let Elisa marry somewhere far
It was fine for Old Mr. Hunt and his wife to live in Serenity’s house, but they wanted to give John the house left behind to the sisters by their parents. That was why Serenity and her sister decided to go to court.The house was built by their parents, and the name on the land deed was their father’s name. According to inheritance law, John had no right to inherit the house.The two sisters were still alive!“Do you know where to buy bricks and gravel?” Audrey asked with concern.“I got in touch with Ms. Deli the last time I went back. I called her to ask. Her family just rebuilt their house last year, so I got the number of a contractor who transports bricks for her. I can get a truckload of bricks sent to me this weekend itself.”Serenity always thought of getting her parents’ house back.In the past, her sister and she did not have the ability.Now that they did, they naturally wanted to take action. At first, the sisters thought that if their grandparents wanted to live in
Zachary: [So late? Did you manage to walk in the stilettos?]Serenity was stunned and asked: [How did you know I was wearing stilettos?]She was wearing flats when she left the bookstore.Zachary replied honestly: [Elisa took a video of you walking and sent it to me. Thank you, Seren. You’re really working hard.][Thank you for willing to try to fit into my circle for my sake.]Serenity was a laid-back person and usually dressed for comfort. However, she was changing for him. The hardships she had to face broke his heart, yet he was grateful for it. He vowed to spoil her for the rest of his life.Serenity: [So Elisa betrayed me. I must have looked funny walking in heels. I keep wanting to throw them away. Sandals are way more comfortable.]The people in Wiltspoon usually walked around in sandals.[We met Mr. Johnson and invited him to sit down, so we left a little later.]Serenity answered her husband’s earlier question.Zachary was a little surprised and asked: [How did you
Hank’s parents had always been biased toward his sister, Chelsea. It would be difficult to change them. Their father, Luke, was a slightly better case because he had felt regretful ever since knowing Serenity was the York family’s missus. He regretted letting Hank date Jessica. After going through so much, he was more convinced that Liberty suited Hank better. Unfortunately, it was already too late. Hank could no longer return to the past. On the day Serenity and Zachary brought Sonny to the Browns’ place for a meal, Chelsea also brought Lucas back to visit her family. When Chelsea entered the house, Olivia was sitting on the sofa watching TV. She said, “I heard Liberty and Duncan getting married soon, Mom. The Lewises are preparing for the wedding. The couple will most likely get their marriage license after she returns from Jensburg.”Olivia looked indifferent. “That’s bound to happen sooner or later. Why are we still talking about her?“Even if she gets a boost in her
Next, she posted the pictures on social media. Many of her followers were her students’ parents. Only a minority of them were her friends or ex-classmates. She was flooded with blessings from them as well. One of Zoey Crawford’s worries was finally resolved. Since her daughter had gotten married, she would continue urging her sons to do the same. Zoey had been anxious that Quinn could never find a suitable partner because of her easy-going personality and proficiency in martial arts. Although she was introduced to a few men through matchmaking services, the men usually refused to show up. They were scared of the potential domestic abuse they could face since Quinn was good at fighting. They had heard of her countless accomplishments as well. Therefore, no one was interested in Quinn despite her decent figure, looks, and family background. This was where Zoey’s constant urging for her to find a life partner came from. Quinn had felt frustrated about Zoey’s nagging. She did not
Julian said gently, “You can meet Serenity, Jasmine, and Elisa often in the future.“By the way, don’t trust anything Elisa says. Take her words with a grain of salt.”Quinn asked, “What will Ms. Stone say to me? Why are you specifically asking me not to listen to her?”Julian cleared his throat. As he drove, he said embarrassedly, “I pretended to pursue Elisa for some time to help Remy back then.”Quinn said, “I didn’t know I had a love rival.”“Elisa isn’t your love rival. She and her family don’t fancy me anyway. When they knew I was pursuing her, Mrs. Stone immediately changed her mind and agreed to Remy and Elisa’s marriage. To her, I’m like a fierce beast unsuited for her baby daughter.”Quinn got invested and asked, “Why did helping Remy involve pursuing Elisa?”Julian came clean and recounted everything to Quinn. He did not want her to misunderstand.“Even your parents fell for your acting. I didn’t think you’d do such a thing.”“Don’t misunderstand, honey.”Quinn smi
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