Daisie cast her eyes low. “I know, I know. I’ll stay out of trouble for all of your sake.”Suddenly, something took shape in her mind, prompting her to ask, “Aunt Saydie, did you catch any news about Nollace?” Saydie shook her head. “I doubt he’s using his real name while active in the East Islands, especially since that’s also where Donald is. Nollace is a cautious guy, so he must have taken up some kind of pseudonym.”A pseudonym necessarily complicated their search.Daisie fell silent. She seemed to be mulling over something.…Far in the East Islands, the furor was brewing in The Commune. Joaqin Serrano grimaced as soon as he received the news. “What’s the meaning of this? That old bag appointed some outsider to take over The Commune!?”The Commune had always been The Serpents’ turf. Sunny Southern had been painfully reluctant to cede control over the territory to The Serpents for so many years, and yet the same Sunny Southern decided to hand control over to a man who was n
The next day, Daisie looked for Waylon in the room next to hers. She was about to knock when she realized the door was not exactly closed. She peered through the lean crack and saw Waylon talking to a man in front of his window.“You sure that was Neal Beck?”The man nodded. “Yes. I dug a little deeper, too. All they know it’s that he’s some sort of VIP Cameron Southern met while conducting business abroad. He was obviously very well-regarded, considering how Mr. Southern later made him the governor of The Commune—traditionally The Serpents’ territory.”Waylon narrowed his eyes. ‘Neal Beck… A stranger the Southern heir brought home.’ Had he not already known Nollace was rescued by Cameron, he would have never suspected ‘Neal Beck’ to be a pseudonym.This Neal had to be Nollace. “Please continue your work. See if you can gather more useful information.” The man gave a small nod. “Understood.”Daisie ducked behind the wall the moment the man turned. When the door was yanked op
The woman’s eyes glided over the curtain. She could see the silhouette flitting about behind the veil. “Joaqin expressed his wish to marry Ms. Serrano to you.”The silhouette inside froze, comb still locked in black, smooth hair. A peal of laughter suddenly erupted from beyond the curtains. “Oh, Joaqin has such a sick sense of humor. Imagine, asking me to marry a squawking chimpanzee!”The woman cast her eyes to the floor. “Mr. Southern has refused.”Cameron was done grooming. The silhouette emerged from behind the curtains, cutting a sleek, tidy figure made even more handsome by an aura of heroism. A melange of languidness, laid-back casualness, and unflappability hung over the figure’s face. “So, Dad’s decision to let Mr. Beck take care of The Commune really threw The Serpents off, didn’t it? And the only solution they could come up with was political marriage. Well, sucks to be them. I’m not… ‘husband’ material.”The woman sighed. “It’s a potential blow to your identity. That’s
Well, it looked like Sunny had underestimated The Serpents, after all.Cameron was a little shocked to see how thorough Nollace’s analysis was. Her time with Nollace had been short so far, and yet it was enough for her to realize that he was observant, shrewd, perceptive, and incredibly intelligent. He never put all his cards on the table, and he never left traces that could incriminate him. He was mysterious.The more mysterious a man was, the more unsettling he was. Had he appeared to her as an enemy—Cameron doubted she could escape him at all.She traced the rim of her teacup and smiled briskly. “I’m not too worried about Joaqin’s scheme. It’s his daughter who’s the biggest thorn in the flesh.”Nollace narrowed his eyes in silence.Cameron propped the side of her face with her hand and leaned onto the armrest lazily. “I bumped into two foreigners in a restaurant the other day,” she intoned, surveying his reaction. “Brother and sister, I think. They don’t look like your garden-v
Cameron’s smile faded. Nollace did not stay to hear her answer. He picked his jacket up and left. He was certain that the answer was only going to be yes.Cameron waited until he disappeared into the door to lean against her chair, her mood pensive and thoughtful.A woman approached her from the side and informed her, “Mr. Cameron? Ms. Serrano invited you on a date in a restaurant.”A smile shadowed Cameron’s lips. “And she couldn’t even wait.”…The venue was devoid of other patrons. Clearly, Florence had the whole establishment cleared out just for her. Now, her bodyguards stood outside like a row of samurais.Cameron brought two women with her. She found Florence refining her make-up from her seat, her eyes staring at a compact mirror. “Ah, Cameron! You kept me waiting for a little too long.”The cap on her lipstick clicked. She looked up and flashed Cameron her most seductive smile.Cameron pulled a chair out, sat, and chortled. “That’s your winning make-up? You wouldn’t
Florence had put herself in trouble. She didn’t expect Cameron to be on such high alert, but if she didn’t drink it, it would mean there really was something in the drink.Once she was caught, Cameron would not let her or The Serpents get away. She took over the wine glass and downed the content.The glass was empty without a single drop left. “How’s that?”Cameron clapped. “You’re a good drinker.”She turned and got the woman behind her to bring a new bottle of wine over. The woman brought it over, opened it, and poured some into the decanter.Cameron picked up a clean glass and poured the wine in. He then noticed how tipsy Florence looked, so he smiled. “What’s wrong, Ms. Serrano? Not feeling well?”Florence clenched her jaw. “I remember that I have somewhere to get to. I need to go.”The effects had kicked in. She shouldn’t have used such a big dosage.Florence quickly got up and left, and Cameron didn’t stop her but continued drinking alone.The woman noticed that some
Florence was stunned but then glared at her. “You b*tch! How dare you hit me!?”She was going to call the guards but realized she had sent them away.Daisie rubbed her wrist. “I would do that any day if you hit my brother.”Waylon pulled her back after seeing how crazy the woman on the floor was. “You don’t seem to be feeling well. You should ask someone to come and get you.”After saying that, Waylon walked past her while dragging Daisie along. Florence shook with anger, but her men got there at that moment and blocked Waylon and Daisie’s path.The bodyguards helped her up. “Ms. Serrano!”Florence pointed at them and said, out of breath, “Leave the man. Teach that woman a lesson!”Waylon looked at the few men who approached with icy cold eyes. The bodyguards signaled at each other and rushed forward to take him down. However, Waylon turned and bent the man’s hand backward. The sudden pain made him howl while bending down on his knees.Everyone else became more vicious wh
After turning off the hose, the person on the floor froze and trembled, her makeup messed up. She was out of it for a while because that was the first time she was treated that way. She then yelled at the top of her lungs, “I’m going to kill you!”Daisie put her hands on her waist. “I helped you cool down, but you’re trying to kill me. So ungrateful!”Waylon cleared his throat and walked behind her. “Alright, let’s not stay here.”Daisie nodded and was going to leave with Waylon when a few cars blocked the exit of the garage, and a group of men got out. The leader was Manuel Estrada. Manuel saw Florence sitting on the floor and shivering while her men were injured. He took off his jacket, ran toward her, and wrapped the jacket around her. “What happened?”He helped her up, and Florence pointed to Daisie with hate. “Kill this b*tch!”Waylon stood in front of Daisie and faced them. “Ms. Serrano, are you sure you want to turn this into a bigger issue?”Florence looked deliriou
“Daisie.” Leah and Morrison walked up to her with wine glasses. “You look so pretty today.”“Thank you,” Daisie said with a smile.Leah lifted her wine glass. “I propose a toast. Morrison and I wish you a happy marriage.”Daisie clinked glasses with her. “Same goes for you and Morrison.”After the toast, Cameron walked up to Daisie with Waylon. Behind them were Freyja, Colton, Maisie, and Nolan.Maisie raised her hand and caressed her on the cheek. “You were great earlier today.”She giggled. “Really?”Nolan added, “You’ll forever be our dazzling pride, so yes.”Daisie grinned as if she was still the little princess of the family.Nollace came over. “Dad, Mom, a toast to the both of you. Thank you for letting me have Daisie’s hand.”“Consider yourself lucky.” Nolan snorted softly, picked up his wine glass, and clinked glasses with him. “You’d better treat my daughter well from now on.”Nollace glanced at Daisie. “Don’t worry. She’ll forever be my one and only.”Maisie chuck
In order to make way for the wedding carriage, other vehicles had been forbidden from accessing the route from the palace to the cathedral.Daisie looked out of the carriage—the streets were crowded with citizens, and they were all there to witness this grand scene.Nollace, sitting on the side, was wearing a double-breasted dark blue military jacket. He looked tall and broad, and there were two St. Patrick’s Stars on his epaulets, one on each side, a full set of medals on his chest, and other complicated decorations.He held the back of Daisie’s hand and smiled suddenly. “You have sweaty palms.”Daisie looked back at him and responded with a trembling voice, “I’m nervous.”He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand. “I’m here, so don’t be nervous. Just take it easy.”Daisie’s gaze landed on his wedding jacket. “You look nice in this uniform.”Nollace chuckled. “And my bride looks stunning too.”Arriving at the cathedral, Nollace was separated from Daisie. Accompanied b
“By the way, where’s Cameron?” asked Morrison.Waylon replied, “She’s accompanying her father on a stroll. I’m going to go meet them already, so I’ll leave you to yourselves for now. You can do whatever you want with your free time.”After saying that, he got up and left the couple.Morrison shook his head. “He’s changed now that he has a wife.”“You’re speaking as if you haven’t changed.” Leah got up instantly and left the restaurant.Morrison put his cup down and caught up to her immediately. “Hey, why would you leave me behind? Wait for me.”Maisie and Saydie came out of the private room and ran into Nolan and Quincy in the corridor.Quincy nodded. “Mrs. Goldmann.”Maisie stopped in front of Nolan, and Nolan grabbed her by her hand. “Have you finished catching up?”“Of course. Didn’t you want to go to the Hathaways’ villa with Dad in the afternoon?”Nolan smiled. “I was waiting for you. We’re just going over to have a meal together.”Quincy walked up to Saydie’s side and
Daisie grinned from ear to ear. “Then I’ll wear this crown on my wedding day, which can be considered an endorsement for my mom’s jewelry company and design.”Nollace hugged her from behind. “You can do anything as long as you like it.”…The members of the Goldmanns arrived in Yaramoor two days before the wedding and stayed in the hotel arranged by Nollace. The royal family had reserved the entire hotel for receiving distinguished guests from Zlokova who came to attend the wedding.Members from the Bouchers and the Lucases showed up, and Sunny was also present.There were also some familiar faces from the Zlokovian entertainment industry. Hannah, Amy, James, and Charlie, who were close friends with Daisie, all came.Leah and Morrison were also on the invitation list.When Maisie came to the restaurant, the waiter led her into a private room.As soon as she saw the man sitting inside, she smiled and exclaimed, “Godfather!”Strix slowly turned around.She had not seen him for
The rest of the people laughed.The night came, and the entire city was shrouded in a mist of neon light. Daisie and Nollace returned to Taylorton after having their dinner.Her hair was wet as she got out of the shower. Nollace took over her towel and helped her to dry her hair.She sat in front of her dresser and looked at the person behind her through the mirror. There was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she said, “Nolly, I’m really looking forward to our wedding.”“Really?” Nollace gently dried the soft tips of her hair. “I’m looking forward to it too.”“I can say that my life is perfect now, right? Since I can marry and walk down the aisle with the man I love the most.”He laughed out loud and leaned down to her ear. “You know what? All the wishes in my life have come true as well.”Daisie turned her head around. “What are your wishes?”“Marry you, give you a wedding, and have our own kids.”She was stunned. Slowly, her face turned red due to her embarrassme
“Yeah, it’s true,” replied Zephir.“It seems like you’ve finally become more mature after coming back from your vacation.” Naomi patted his shoulder. “I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.” He smiled at her but did not say anything.…Soon, it was the end of the month. Their vacation had come to an end, and they returned to Bassburgh.Maisie and Nolan were waiting for them in the courtyard. After getting out of the car, Daisie ran up to them. “Mommy! Daddy!”She hugged both of them.Nolan petted her head and smiled helplessly. “You’re an adult now. You should stop acting like a kid.”She smiled back at them and said, “But I know I’ll always be your kid in your eyes.”Maisie chuckled and looked at the other people. “It seems like you guys had a lot of fun. Anyway, come in first. We should eat together tonight.”Freyja and Cameron went to look for their kids after they went into the house. Charm and her two cousins were staying in the same room. All of them were sl
Nollace looked at them. “What a coincidence.”“Morrison and I were here earlier than you guys,” said Leah. “We only found out that you guys were here when Daisie posted a photo on her Facebook page.”Daisie pulled Leah to the seat and said, “Then you should stay a few more days with us.”After Morrison took his seat, Waylon introduced him to Freyja and Daisie. “She’s my sister-in-law, Freyja, and she’s my sister. Her name is Daisie.”“I’ve seen them before at your wedding,” said Morrison. “Your sister is my wife’s classmate. She has told me before.”“Since when did I become your wife? There’s a chance I may not marry you in the future,” said Leah.“We’re already engaged. If you don’t want to marry me, who else are you going to marry?” Morrison frowned, causing the crowd to break out in a burst of laughter, save for Daisie.She looked at Leah in disbelief and asked, “Engaged? When did you get engaged, Leah?” Leah cleared her throat and replied, “Well, I forgot to inform you abo
The stall owner said, “$10 for three chances.”“$10 for three chances only? That’s expensive,” commented Freyja.The stall owner raised his head and said, “I’m the cheapest around here. Other stalls offer $15 for three chances.” Daisie tugged at Freyja and said, “Let's just give him the money. It isn't easy for them to set up a stall here anyway, so let's have some fun.”After that, she gave $20 to the stall owner and said, “Please give us six hoops.”The stall owner gave her six hoops. She had her eyes set on a bracelet. Although she knew it was fake, it was rather beautiful. She held a hoop and threw it toward the bracelet.However, she did not get it.She threw another two hoops at the bracelet, but her attempts failed, much to her chagrin. She had only three hoops left.Seeing that Daisie was prepared to give up, Cameron took over the rest of the hoops in her hand and said, “Leave it to me.”She squinted and aimed at the bracelet. After that, she threw the hoop at it an
The night of the old town was silent. The air was filled with nothing but the humming of insects. There was a lamp hanging outside of the tent on the grass. The atmosphere was quiet. Daisie was tossing and turning in the sleeping bag as sleep just wouldn't come to her. Suddenly, an arm appeared across her waist as she was brought into a chest. “What’s the matter? You can’t sleep?”“Yeah…” She buried her head in his chest and said, “I want to go to take a leak, but I’m a little bit scared.”Nollace kissed her forehead and said, “I’ll go with you then.”Both of them came out of the tent. Nollace took a flashlight and led Daisie to a row of trees in the distance. Daisie turned her head and said, “You wait for me here.”Nollace nodded. “Just shout my name if you need anything.”She walked into the forest and stopped in front of a tree not far away from Nollace.After she had done her business, she hastily got out of the forest and held tightly to Nollace’s arm. “Alright, let’s go