Serenity went to her hometown today to handle the issue of the house. She had not asked Jasmine about the date of her engagement yet.However, Zachary already knew.He told her, “Ms. Sox and Josh’s engagement is on 20th of March. It’s already mid-March now, so it’ll be happening soon. Their engagement party will most likely be a grand event since the Bucham family is large and they have many friends.”Even people who were not close to the Bucham family would send gifts out of respect.After all, many people used the Buchams’ intelligence services before.“Their wedding will also be before ours.”Zachary continued, “Their wedding might be before or after the 1st of May. Josh said they were getting their marriage license right after the engagement. He’s in a rush.”Serenity and Zachary got their marriage license first, so they could choose a good day for the wedding later. They were not in a hurry. However, Josh and Jasmine were doing it the traditional way, so Josh was naturally
Zachary was present too. He was still haughty and cold in the eyes of outsiders, and he had an imposing aura that made everyone in the flower shop feel uneasy. Serenity did not linger and pulled Zachary out of the shop after giving him the bouquet.The sky darkened soon after they left Spring Blossoms.Serenity called her sister and chatted with her nephew for a while before hanging up.Sonny waited until his aunt ended the call as he wanted to play with the phone, but unfortunately, his mother took it away.“Mom, I want to watch Peppa Pig.”Liberty tucked the phone back into her pocket and said, “If you want to watch cartoons, I’ll turn on the TV for you. You can’t watch it on the phone.“You can only watch TV for half an hour.”Sonny pouted. When he saw his mother hold the TV remote control and turn on the TV, he compromised and said, “Okay.”After turning on the TV for her son, Liberty went back into the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for tomorrow morning.The doorbell
“What blocks did he give to you? Let me see. I’ll help you put them together.”Sonny immediately slid down from his father’s arms, ran to a shelf that was filled with toys, and took out a box of Legos he had not been able to assemble.Hank saw the set of blocks and cursed Duncan for being sinister in his heart.Sonny was still young. He was not even three yet. Even if he was smart, how could he be able to put together something that difficult?Duncan deliberately gave Sonny a challenging set of Legos so he could have the opportunity to teach Sonny and get closer to Liberty, right?How shameless!He was using Sonny to get close to Liberty!Hank cursed Duncan a million times in his heart.Liberty invited the couple to sit down, poured them each a cup of warm water, and said, “I’m busy. Just leave the invitation there. If I have time that day, I’ll bring Sonny and attend your wedding.”Since they were not worried that she would ruin the wedding and invited her, she would join.W
Liberty could not be bothered less with Jessica. Jessica could not get any useful news, so she had no choice but to return to Hank’s side bitterly.At the same time, she looked around the place.Although the space was not large, Liberty tidied it up and decorated it in a cozy manner.Jessica had to admit that Liberty was much better than her at housekeeping.Hank was teaching Sonny how to piece up the building blocks since he seldom accompanied his son. When he looked at the pile of scattered blocks and the assembly instructions, he found that it really was difficult to build.He would never have the patience to construct something like this.“Do you really know how to build that?” Jessica asked him.“Why don’t you give it a try?”Hank was having a headache and snapped at his wife when he heard her.Sonny looked up at Jessica, then at his father, and asked an innocent and pure question, “Dad, why is she always following you?”Hank was speechless.Before he could answer, Jess
His dad was not able to piece together the blocks earlier.Sonny felt that Duncan was more amazing.It was the first time he missed Duncan.If Duncan knew that Sonny missed him so much, he would feel incredibly flattered.Liberty looked through the clothes and toys that Hank bought for Sonny, then let him open them up and play with them.She went back to the kitchen to work, but she kept thinking about Jessica’s attitude.It was impossible for Jessica to like Sonny because he was Liberty’s son.Jessica’s expression always turned hideous whenever she heard that the Brown family wanted to visit Sonny.Why did Jessica’s attitude change recently?Not only did she not stop the Brown family from visiting Sonny, but she would also accompany Hank when he came over. Furthermore, she bought new clothes for Sonny. That was a bit odd.Jessica might be trying to create a bond with Sonny because the Brown family was trying to regain custody of him. However, she could wait until after the B
After the call, Zachary immediately contacted Josh and told him about Liberty’s suspicion.Josh said, “I just received some news too, and was about to tell you when you called me.”Zachary asked in a low voice, “What news? Is it related to Sonny’s attempted kidnapping?”“Yeah. My brother told me that he found out that Mrs. Newman had a gang leader as a godfather more than twenty years ago. However, that leader got arrested and sentenced to death. Some of the leader’s men were also convicted, but some disappeared from the face of the earth.“I suspect they were taken in by Mrs. Newman. Those men under the leader back then were all ruthless outlaws. It was a large gang too. If Mrs. Newman took them in and made them into bodyguards, their numbers could form a large company.“That happened twenty years ago, so it’s difficult to find out their whereabouts. It’ll take some time to get confirmation. Besides, those men are probably old now after twenty years, but they might have inducted
Case in point, he just asked Josh to investigate Jessica.He could not afford to offend Josh.“Thanks in advance. You’re really a good boss who’s considerate of your subordinates.”Josh flattered Zachary.Zachary laughed. “Enough already. I don’t know you. Just go on your date and soak in the honey jar all day. Be careful not to get diabetes from all the sweetness.”“You also soak in your honey jar all day, but I don’t see you getting diabetes. I just started, so I have nothing to be afraid of. I’m going on my date now. My Jasmine likes BBQ, so I’m taking her out to eat BBQ.”Josh hung up the phone.He and Jasmine often went out to eat barbecue.“Babe, do you want some jackfruit?”Serenity opened up a jackfruit, placed the flesh on a plate, and asked Zachary while walking toward him.Zachary turned pale at the smell of the jackfruit.He immediately stood up and walked away. “Honey, I don’t like the smell of jackfruit. You can eat slowly over there.”Serenity stopped in her
“Although a stepmother is also a mother, Sonny won’t call you Mom. Saying something like that will only upset everyone.”Jessica ignored him.She went straight to the car after leaving Liberty’s apartment block.Hank got into the car.“How about I take you shopping, honey?”“Then drive already,” Jessica snapped.“I said all those things for you. I know your family and you want Sonny back. If you want to take custody of Sonny, he’ll be living with us in the future. I’m just trying to adapt to the role of being a mother in advance.”Hank said while driving, “My parents want Sonny back very much. They couldn’t bear to part with Sonny from the beginning. They’re old, and Sonny is the only Brown grandson, so of course they miss him. However, I don’t intend to regain custody of Sonny.”He looked into Jessica’s eyes and said, “Back then, it was you who persuaded me to give up custody. I feel that it’s good for Sonny to follow Liberty. The people around Liberty now are on a different l
However, Remy felt that his niece, Chloe, seemed even more outstanding than her brother. Perhaps in the future, it would be Chloe who would take charge of the family.“I miss Clo-clo so much. I don’t know why, but lately, whenever I see little babies, I feel especially fond of them. Maybe it’s because as I get older, I’m becoming more maternal.”“You’re not old at all. I’m older than you, so don’t talk about being old in front of me.”Remy did not like hearing her say she was getting old. If she was old, then he was even older. Remy felt that he was still in his prime, especially since he had not even married Elisa yet.“I’m older than Seren, and her baby is due in two months.“Oh, by the way, earlier, besides complaining that I was making you cook and worrying that I was tiring you out, my mom also suggested that we start preparing for pregnancy. She said that by the time we hold the wedding in the fall, it could be a double celebration.”Remy turned to look at her, his eyes bur
“Just like how Grandma May taught Zachary and the others, being able to cook isn’t just about earning points when looking for a wife—it’s also about rewarding your own stomach.” His own grandmother had not said anything like that. All she said was that flowers did not stay in bloom forever. Although the Johnsons were currently at their peak and were wealthy beyond measure, the world was unpredictable. Who knew in which generation the family might decline?Having more skills never hurt. Learning an extra skill meant that if the family ever fell on hard times, they would at least have the ability to support themselves.That was why their family elders encouraged them to develop a wide range of skills. They did not need to master everything, but they should at least have a basic understanding of many things. In truth, his cooking skills used to be quite average.It was only after he developed feelings for Elisa and learned that she had once had a crush on Zachary, who was skille
Audrey heard the cry of her precious grandson and immediately forgot about her daughter. She called out loudly, “You two enjoy your time together then. My grandson is crying, so I’m heading back inside.“You and Remy can start preparing for pregnancy too. When it’s time for the wedding, it’ll be a double celebration.”Hearing someone else’s daughter had given birth, Audrey was eager for her daughter to do so too. Though she was already a grandmother, she wanted to be a grandmother to her daughter’s child too. That was simply how elderly people with both sons and daughters were.Elisa was speechless. She heard the hurried footsteps of her mother heading back into the house, calling out before even entering, “Darling, don’t cry. Grandma’s back.”Elisa muttered, “Now that she has a grandson, even I, this precious daughter of hers, have been pushed aside. When I give her a grandson, I doubt there’ll be any room left for me.”She and Remy would definitely have children, but they were n
“Remy, Remy!” a voice called from outside. It sounded like Audrey. Remy came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.“You keep at it, I’ll go out. My mom must have seen the lights and knew you were back, so she’s calling you over for dinner at our house.”At this time, her family was probably halfway through their meal.Elisa put down the remote control and walked out of the house with a packet of snacks in hand, munching as she went.“Mom.” Elisa walked to the fence and responded to her mother.“Elisa? You’re back too? You came back and didn’t even come home for dinner? We’re eating right now. Hurry up and bring Remy over. Grandpa True was just saying that Remy hasn’t come over for dinner in a few days.”Remy had been busy entertaining clients lately, so he had not had time to join his in-laws for meals.Elisa replied, “Mom, I feel like eating Remy’s cooking tonight, so we won’t be coming over. You guys go ahead.”“Oh, you. It’s so late already, and you’re still making Remy c
Elisa said, “Although cousins can be as close as siblings, it’s still better to have another child. After all, we won’t be living at your family home permanently, and our children might not have much time to bond with their cousins in the future.“I have two older brothers, and the three of us have always been close. My brothers have always doted on me, and I can always talk about things with them. My sister-in-law has been very kind to me even after they got married too.“I’m used to having siblings around. It’s lively, and no matter what happens, we can always talk things through. It’s nice not having to face everything alone. I don’t want my children to feel lonely in the future.”Elisa continued, “Most importantly, I love children. If you could be the one to carry and give birth, sparing me the exhaustion of pregnancy, I’d even consider having three kids. But unfortunately, you can’t.“If I have to carry the baby myself, even though I love children, I’d only have two—preferably
Jasmine smiled. “I can’t tell. He’s so tiny. I’m scared when I have to carry him. I’m afraid of hurting him. What if he slips from my arms?”As a first-time mother, Jasmine was inexperienced. She was not like Serenity, who had raised a baby before. Josh and Zachary had secretly taken classes on how to look after a baby. The way Josh held the baby was more accurate than hers. “You’ll get better at it after learning slowly. I didn’t dare to carry my nephew either because I was scared of hurting him, but I’m an expert now.”Elisa could not resist touching the baby’s face again. She really liked babies.“Has the baby been fed?”Camila replied, “He was fed an hour ago.”The baby had been ravenous. Everyone was relieved when they saw the baby could feed normally. The doctor said the baby might experience jaundice a few days later and that premature babies should be monitored closely. Jaundice usually appeared when the baby was a few days old. It would reach its peak after
Remy gave it some thought. If he were to become a father, he would also be extremely happy, to the point that he would forget about posting on social media.They were usually busy people and did not have the habit of posting regularly anyway. Josh only started sharing a lot on Facebook after he got married. He simply wanted to show off his life after marriage and irritate his friends who were still single. Even Zachary would post about his love life on Facebook occasionally. Remy suddenly felt he had to keep up with the trend and post something on Facebook during his free time. Remy and Elisa went to buy some supplements before heading to the hospital. There were still many people in Jasmine’s ward. Most of the men were sitting in the small living area while the women were chatting with Jasmine or looking at the baby in the room. The baby boy was already fed and in fresh diapers. He was sleeping soundly. “Jasmine.”Elisa walked over with the supplements she had brought.
The secretary wished she could skip work and visit Jasmine at the hospital with Elisa. However, that could never happen. She was simply an employee, while Elisa was her boss. The only alternative was if Elisa invited her along. Nevertheless, the employees could meet Jasmine during their break or visit her at her house. Elisa left excitedly. A Maybach was parked at the entrance of the company. When Remy spotted Elisa exiting, he stuck his head out and waved at her. Upon seeing him, she was no longer in a hurry to get to her car. She quickly walked over. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you go inside?”Elisa was beaming. As she had received good news, she had a smiling face regardless of who she met.“I just arrived. I didn’t drive inside when I saw you coming out. Where are you going?”Remy got out of the car.“Jasmine gave birth. I want to go to the hospital to visit her and her baby. You came at the right time. We can head over together, but let’s get some supplemen
“Yes. Health is the most important thing. Everything else is secondary. With the York family’s wealth and numbers, they won’t have to worry about not having a successor even if your child is slightly more ordinary.”Of course, Elisa personally hoped the next successor of the York family would be her nephew.The Stones and the Yorks could be considered relatives because Elisa and Serenity were cousins.The successor of the Stone family was most likely Clive’s son. If the York family’s heir was not Serenity’s child, would the two families’ relationship that was finally mended become strained again?After all, the head of the York family would no longer be a relative of the Stones if that were the case. However, Elisa did not voice her thoughts. She did not want Serenity to feel pressured. As an aunt, she also thought her nephew’s health was more important than anything else.“You must be busy, Elisa. You should go on with your work. I shall not disturb you. I appreciate your