Liberty did not regret it either.Duncan frowned. “Then why is he constantly here looking for you? That scumbag treated you like that back then. Every time I see him I feel like giving him a beating and venting some anger for you.” “He wants to use Sonny to ease the hostile relationship between us.”Duncan was thoughtful for a moment, and said, “Their main aim is to get Zachary to let them off the hook, right? Don’t forgive them and let them be unemployed forever. Once they’ve spent all their savings, we’ll see if Hank and his wife can still continue being as loving to each other as before.”Poor couples had a hundred things to lose. Hank and Jessica’s bitter days were still ahead of them.“Now that your diner is here, you can’t move and neither do you have to move. Just let them watch how your business gets bigger and better every step of the way. In the future, you can open a big hotel and become a strong independent woman and a billionaire—we’ll see how frustrated they get.”
Duncan too knew that Liberty did not need his help—she had the Stone and York families helping her now.After a moment of silence, he said, “Anyway, go ahead and do your thing. I’ll head back lest my mother calls to urge me again.”“Alright. Have a safe drive, Mr. Lewis.”Liberty walked Duncan out of her shop.Duncan looked at Hank’s car and asked Liberty, “That’s your ex-husband’s car, right?”“I saw him get out of it. It’s probably his new car.”Hank had changed his wife and his car too.If Zachary had not punished Hank, Hank would have been living very comfortably. He would have money, a new wife, and a new car…Duncan wanted to walk over and poke a hole in Hank’s tires, but when he thought of how Hank would likely be unable to leave for a while with his tires punctured and would stay in Liberty’s diner to eat, Duncan gave up on his thoughts.“In the future, if that family comes to try and harass you again, just give me a call and I’ll get someone to come over and help you
“When Lily needs help with her stuff, you should help her out too. Fran and I have been good friends for many years now. Although we haven’t met each other in about twenty years, we’ve never stopped talking to each other.”Mrs. Lewis’s intention to matchmake Lily and Duncan was exceedingly obvious.Lily’s gaze toward Duncan contained no fear either. In her opinion, the scar on Duncan’s face was terrifying, but all he needed was to get some plastic surgery done to remove the scar and recover his good looks.He was an exceptionally handsome man if you look at the side of his face without the scar.Who had never done an impulsive thing or two when they were young?She herself had even gotten a tattoo before.“Mom, I’m very busy,” Duncan said without inflection. “If Ms. Harmon requires my help, I can provide it, but I really don’t have the time to take her around.“You’re bored staying at home every day anyway. You can accompany Ms. Harmon yourself and take her around to help her ge
Lily said with great interest, “I wonder if I’ll have the chance to get to know Mrs. York.”She had heard of Mr. York before but never had the chance to meet him in person.Lily thought to herself that the woman who could move Mr. York definitely had something amazing about her. She could learn a thing or two from the lady about conquering a man.Lily was twenty-eight years old this year and was currently single. She had a relationship back when she was eighteen or nineteen but that had been unfruitful. Afterward, she joined her family’s company and ended up too busy with work, which was why until now, she had no boyfriend.Mrs. Lewis had the intention to matchmake her and Duncan and both families were in favor of it. Lily was aware of Duncan’s past as a former gangster and she could accept it.She did not care that he had a scar on his face either because she felt that as long as she made him fall in love with her, she could make him agree to undergo minor plastic surgery to remo
“When did I say I was going back to the manor tomorrow for a barbeque?” Zachary asked.If Duncan wanted to have some barbeque, could he not eat somewhere else? Why did it have to be at the manor?“And squid, lamb, and big prawns. Anyway, I like eating whatever you roast.”Duncan continued talking to himself about the food as if he did not hear what Zachary said.Zachary proceeded to hang up immediately after that.Though, Duncan’s words did make him think about the idea. Tomorrow was Sunday and they did not need to go to work. Plus, he had never brought Serenity to the manor before. He would do as Duncan said and invite a few friends to the manor for a barbecue. There was indeed a barbecue area back at the manor.He could even bring Serenity back to stay for a few days and let her familiarize herself with the surroundings. The beautiful landscape there might cheer her up too.While the plan brewed in his head, Zachary texted Duncan: [Got it. Call Josh too, and tell him to bring
Serenity had long learned that the Yorks were not living in Whitmore Mansion, the residence they stayed in during the New Year’s holidays. The Yorks had cleaned up the place and moved back in just to deceive her.Lying was hard work!Zachary replied fondly, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. Anyway, it’s our home. We can go back whenever we want to and stay however long we wish.”Serenity was about to take the apron off him while saying, “I’ll go make dinner.”“There’s no need. I only have two more dishes to cook, then I’m done. You should just sit here and appreciate the blooms while I finish up.”Zachary stopped her, not allowing her to enter the kitchen.Serenity then kissed him on the cheek.Zachary felt happiness blossom in his heart.He returned to the kitchen to continue cooking with elation.“Babe.”Serenity knew he liked to hear her call him “babe”. She would indulge him while they were at home. “You invited Josh and Mr. Lewis to the barbecue but I don’t think that’s enou
“Dad brought Sonny to play in the park.”Serenity asked him, “Has Dad left already?”“Dad’s gone back already. He said he’ll come again tomorrow to take me out to play. I wanna go to the zoo and Dad said he would bring me there. Aunt Ser, do you want to come with me to the zoo tomorrow?”Hank took Sonny out to play for a while and the little guy was really happy. Now, he only had his father on his mind and kept talking about him.Serenity laughed and said, “Aunt Ser is going to a barbecue tomorrow. Your mom’s going too. Do you want to come, Sonny?”Without any hesitation, Sonny replied, “I want to go! Then I’m not going to the zoo with Dad anymore.” Both the aunt and nephew went back and forth with questions and answers, happily chatting away. Serenity only ended the call after a long while, then proceeded to call Jasmine and Elisa, inviting them to go on a road trip to Wildridge Manor together the next day.It was said that Wildridge Manor was captivating and was a scenic area
Zachary helplessly looked at the two women.Once Serenity was done laughing, he said, “Honey, have some soup first.”Serenity said in relief, “Luckily, I wasn’t drinking soup earlier, or else I might have spat it out.”“Dig in.”Grandma May laughed as she scooped from a dish she liked. After tasting it, she frowned and said, “Seren, these weren’t cooked by you, were they? It tastes a little different from before.”“Does it taste bad?” Zachary asked. “If you think it tastes bad, I’ll call Kevin right now and get him to pick you up so you can go to the hotel and eat all the delicacies there since my homecooked food isn’t to your taste.”“Such a belligerent tone. It must be Zachary’s cooking.”Grandma May continued to eat as if nothing had happened and said to Serenity, “Seren, Zack’s cooking hasn’t improved much. You should let him practice more. Let him cook on the weekends and prepare all your meals. With more opportunities to practice, his cooking will get better.”Zachary’s
Lilian often messed with the medicinal herbs her master cultivated, which led to her being chased and scolded by him.It seemed her son had inherited her restless nature.“How’s Sonny been lately?”Liberty had been on edge these past few days because Caroline had been preparing to lure her three brothers into a trap and had not had time to call her son.“Same as usual, but it seems like things have soured again with the Browns.”Serenity added, “Sonny still answers when Hank calls him, but he doesn’t seem happy when his grandparents visit. He doesn’t like going to the Browns’ place, and he doesn’t want to take their calls either.“Hank’s mother and sister are truly incorrigible. They must have been badmouthing you and Duncan in front of Sonny again, which is why he’s upset with them.”During the holidays, Sonny had stayed with the Browns for a few days and started to warm up to them.However, who would have thought that the mother and daughter would start spouting nonsense in f
Once the baby was born, he would apply the knowledge he had learned over the past few months to care for the baby. He was determined to be a competent and responsible father.Serenity released her arms from around him and shifted to her side.Zachary let go, too, allowing her to turn.Then, she planted countless gentle kisses on his face.“Babe, with you here, the baby and I will be just fine. Don’t worry too much,” Serenity comforted softly after kissing him.“You are my rock. If even you are nervous, I’ll start feeling anxious too, and that won’t be good.”Hearing this, Zachary immediately said, “Seren, don’t worry. I’ll protect both of you. Alright, I won’t be so nervous anymore.”He gently touched her rounded belly again. “Lil’ Bun should be a calm kid. He’s not that mischievous.”He felt that the baby’s movements were not too intense.Serenity wanted to tell him that there were times when the baby kicked more vigorously, but she decided against it, knowing it would only m
“Just hit the gym a few more times. Lately, you’ve been spending less time there.”Every day after work, he would come home and orbit around her. As a result, he had less time to work out.It was normal to gain a few pounds eating well and exercising less. Did he really think he could eat anything without gaining weight?The reason he could maintain a model-like physique before was that he exercised daily.“Ow.” Serenity suddenly cried out in pain.This startled Zachary so much that he nearly jumped up, asking anxiously, “Is it stomach pain? Are you going into labor? Let’s go to the hospital right away.”He was about to pick her up, but Serenity stopped him by pressing his hand.“Don’t be so nervous, Zachary. It's not time yet. It’s not happening so soon. It’s just the baby kicking again. His kicks are getting stronger.”As she entered the later stages of pregnancy, the little one inside her was growing stronger. Sometimes, a couple of kicks from the baby could actually hurt.
Zachary, afraid that his wife might refuse to spend time with him at his office in the future, emphasized that he was not busy today.He had already cleared his morning schedule because he needed to accompany his beloved wife for her prenatal checkup.His secretary was well aware of Serenity’s checkup dates. Whenever he saw Serenity turn up at the office with his boss, his secretary would quietly adjust his schedule.Sometimes, on the day of the Serenity’s checkup, his secretary would not schedule any appointments for Zachary at all.Even if appointments were scheduled, Zachary would request they be canceled or rescheduled.Now, in Zachary’s eyes, his wife’s matters were the most important.With Alex now able to share the workload, Zachary felt that he, as the eldest of his generation who had shouldered the bulk of the burden for so many years, deserved a break.Plus, there was the elite team the company had trained; if not now, then when would they be put to use?Everyone was
Tony turned around and left.Only after hearing the door close did Carrie dare to open her eyes.She had woken up while Tony and his son were on the phone, but she did not dare move, fearing that Tony might suspect her of eavesdropping.Just now, when that old lecher stood by the bed looking at her, there was definitely a murderous glint in his eyes. She could feel it.Sooner or later, he would kill her.Carrie was filled with panic. She wanted to escape but was afraid she would not succeed. No one was there to help her.For a moment, Carrie even considered running to Camryn to confess everything, but she quickly dismissed the thought. The reason she ended up in this situation was entirely due to Camryn.She and Camryn were sworn enemies. Their conflict would not end until one of them was dead. However, even if she died, she would drag Camryn down with her.-Meanwhile, in the CEO's office at York Corporation, Zachary, seated at his desk, kept glancing up at his pregnant wife.
“You should have gotten rid of them all back then and cultivated a network of people loyal only to you.” Manny felt that his father should not have spared those people in the first place.Tony said, “There were too many of them, all relatives and friends with the same goal as us. We couldn’t eliminate them all at once.”Back then, he had incited everyone to join him in wiping out the entire main family, sparing neither the elderly nor the children.It was because they were all from the collateral branches, jealous of the main family’s long-standing control, and shared a common goal that his conspiracy succeeded.He had also spent over a decade waiting for the right opportunity.Who would have thought that even after wiping out the main family, he still could not obtain the family seal, token, or totem? Without these, he could not become the true head of the family and could only act as a proxy. Many of the connections loyal to the head remained inaccessible.Moreover, much of the
It was his father. Manny composed himself and picked up Tony’s call as he walked toward his car.“Hey, Pops.”“How’s it going, Manny? Has there been any progress?”Tony was still in Carrie’s room at the moment, but had gotten up and walked to the balcony to call his son.Carrie was still fast asleep, though her face was set in a frown. She was obviously discomfited.Tony had pestered her for the majority of last night, so it would be weird if she did not feel any discomfort.Despite her begging, Tony would not let her go. He even forcefully drugged her to make her mess around with him while out of it. He was simply an old pervert.Before she passed out, she cursed him in her heart. However, she knew that Tony only treated her so roughly because she was just his mistress—a tool for him to vent his frustrations on.If she really was his wife, he definitely would not treat her like this.In the past, she had ambitions of taking Mrs. Longbottom’s place and becoming the real missus
Tati also finished her plate of pastries.She followed Isabella out.“Isa, you’re always so busy and exhausted. If you’re feeling even a little unwell, you should have a good rest. Stay home for the day. I can handle the work you have on hand. It’s the same either way.”Tati wanted Isabella to take the day off so Isabella could spend some time with Austin and nurture their relationship.However, Isabella still declined Tati’s kind offer.She said, “Not today. There’s an important meeting today, and I have two important clients to meet. I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. From now on, I won’t touch alcohol.”Given her current status and position, no one would dare to force her to drink during social engagements.Many people also knew that Isabella would not drink outside her home, fearing that she might fall victim to someone’s schemes.However, Isabella would occasionally make an exception. When she was in a good mood, she would have a couple of drinks.Hearing this, Tati stopped t
Austin still smiled gently and said, “It’s all thanks to Ms. Isabella’s guidance.”He felt that he had indeed improved a lot.Grandma May really understood him well. The wife she picked for him could actually help improve his culinary skills.“After eating the sweets, I feel much better.” Tati picked up another piece of pastry and ate it.Austin quietly retreated, not wanting to disturb their conversation and also to avoid overhearing their private matters.“Just ignore him. Are you really going to skip work because of him?”Isabella added calmly to Tati, “If you let him provoke you, he’ll only cling to you even more. If you act like he doesn’t exist and don’t respond no matter what he does, he’ll naturally give up once he sees that you’re completely unresponsive.”Tati said, “I’m afraid that he’ll go and bother Edith and Eleanor if he doesn’t get anywhere with me. They don’t have the same resolve as we do.”She, therefore, decided to bear the brunt of it.“Every time I see hi