Elisa greeted Zachary and Andrew.When Zachary heard Elisa greet him, his lips twitched.Given that Serenity was one year younger than Elisa, she was Elisa’s younger cousin.“Ms. Stone.”Andrew behaved normally.Elisa’s and Andrew’s eyes met. At the same time, they thought, ‘What a coincidence!’The two of them came over spontaneously.“Didn’t Remy accompany you here, Ms. Stone?” Andrew asked Elisa with a smile.Elisa responded, “He has something to attend to, so I asked him to carry on with his work. He’s going back to Annenburg a few days later as his eldest sister-in-law is due to give birth.”Andrew hummed in acknowledgment.Serenity added, “Jane’s estimated due date hasn’t arrived, has it? Yet she’s due so soon.”“That’s what Remy said. I’m not sure either.”“But Jane is pregnant with twins. I heard twins are usually delivered in advance.” Serenity admired Jane who was going to give birth soon.Indeed, Jane had it all. Jane and Serenity were both the eldest missus o
Andrew looked at Elisa who was different from what rumors had said about her. Not wanting to stay any longer, he stood up and was going to take his leave. “Zack, Serenity, I’m leaving now.”“Why don’t you stay for a little while? You can go back after supper.”Serenity tried to persuade Andrew to stay.Andrew laughed and said, “I don’t usually have supper. After each supper, I need to spend a long time working out to maintain a good body shape. Serenity, I’m single, so my image is important.”Serenity grinned. “You’re like your cousin. He doesn’t want to have supper because he also wants to maintain his figure.”Since Andrew is insistent on leaving, Serenity stopped persuading him. She asked Zachary to walk his cousin out.“Seren, can you lend me your car so I don’t have to stay here overnight?”Upon her arrival at Serenity’s house, Elisa impulsively wanted to stay there as she did not want to return home. However, she thought it would be better to borrow a car and stay in her o
Remy flew back to Annenburg the next afternoon. Two days after he returned to Anneburg, Jane gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins.Remy instantly phoned Elisa to share his joy with her.This was not his first time being an uncle but it was different this time.Previously, he became an uncle to his cousin’s child.This time around, he was an uncle to his brother’s children.When Elisa picked up his call, she was still staying in her house. She did not return to the Stones’ residence.After Mrs. Stone found out from Serenity that Elisa was staying in her own house, she did not take the initiative to call Elisa. There was a deadlock between Mrs. Stone and Elisa. Seemingly, they gave each other the silent treatment.Mrs. Stone felt that she was right—it was her daughter who was immature, unfilial, and disobedient.On the other hand, Elisa found her mother stubborn. Remy had gotten things squared away, yet Mrs. Stone remained resolute just because Remy was not a Wiltspoonian.“T
“I need to return to the office because there’s a lot of work to address.”When letting out a sigh of relief, Remy decided to return to Wiltspoon in the afternoon.Having a lot of pending work was one of the reasons he wanted to return to Wiltspoon. However, the main reason was that being in Wiltspoon allowed him to protect Elisa easily.“What time will you arrive? Do you want me to pick you up?”When Remy returned to Annenburg, he would usually take a private jet. It was only when his brothers used his family’s private jet that he would book a flight ticket.Upon hearing that Elisa wanted to pick him up, he discarded the idea of taking a private jet.He said, “After booking a flight ticket, I’ll screenshot it for you.”“Alright. Let’s have dinner together.”Remy was pleased. “Sure.”“I’ll carry on with my work first.”Remy said reluctantly, “Okay. Take care and don’t overwork yourself. Just let me know if you need my help.”“Alright. My investment has been going well so far
Antonia knew that Remy had a target to go after, so she was not worried about his marriage. Remy barely talked to his parents about his love life. He normally shared it with his elder brother. It was through Ben that Antonia learned about it.She had seen Elisa’s photo. Through Ben and Jane, she found out about Elisa’s character. She was content with this young lady of the Stones.Given that Remy had not successfully pursued Elisa, Antonia felt that she should not randomly approach Elisa as it might frighten her.Remy’s handsome face reddened. He answered honestly, “Although I was physically at home over the last few days, my heart has been in Wiltspoon.” He was thinking about Elisa all the time.He could comprehend the proverb “absence makes the heart grow fonder”.Antonia guffawed and patted Remy’s shoulder as if she was his buddy. “All the best, Remy. I’ll give you moral support. If you need me to help you with your plans, feel free to let me know. Just give me a call, and I’
“This house is too quiet. Get a few people to watch the house.” During her walk, Mrs. Stone complained that her daughter’s house was too quiet.The Stones’ housekeeper would arrange for someone to clean the villa, but no one lived there.Elisa enjoyed being alone and free without being controlled by anyone.“I think this is great.”Elisa would like to keep to the status quo.Mrs. Stone shot a glance at her daughter. She did not want to keep arguing over the topic with her.“I’m attending a charity gala tonight. Come with me.”“Mom, you know I’ve always disliked attending galas. You can get Seren or Liberty to accompany you there.”Mrs. Stone could not help but poke Elisa’s head. “You’re now a businesswoman. It’s important to socialize. If you don’t socialize, how are you going to do business? If you’re able to do business in Wiltspoon, it’s all because of your brother’s reputation. Other people are willing to do it for the sake of our family’s status. “Thankfully, the vegetab
“Seren, I just got pregnant and will only deliver the baby eight to nine months later. The thought of being raised like a pig by Josh gives me a headache.”Seren smiled and said, “You’re taking things for granted.”Jasmine answered, “I’ll say this to you one day.”Serenity came back in while holding Sonny’s hand. After Sonny greeted Jasmine, he climbed onto a chair and sat on it. Jasmine stretched out her hand to touch Sonny’s face. “Although I’m pregnant, I’m being strictly controlled. I don’t have any freedom. If I can give birth to a cute baby like Sonny, it’ll be worth it.”“Isn’t it a baby boy in your stomach, Jazz?” Sonny asked innocently.Upon hearing that, Jasmine exchanged glances with Serenity before she said to Sonny, “Sonny, isn’t it a baby girl in my stomach?”Jasmine wanted a daughter.Sonny’s big eyes twinkled before he replied, “I don’t know.”The question escaped Sonny’s mouth instinctively.“I just got pregnant, so it’s not known whether the baby is a boy o
“Are you going home to get ready?” After pouring her heart out, Jasmine asked her best friend.Serenity responded, “I’ll send Sonny home first. He said he missed me after his class ended, so Jim sent him over.”She had to accompany her husband to attend the charity gala at night, so it was inconvenient for her to bring Sonny along.“Hurry up and leave. I’ll be here to watch the store. It’s been a long time since I last sat here. I wonder if those little monkeys miss me.”Jasmine referred to students as little monkeys.“Should I inform Mr. Bucham that you’re here watching the store?”Jasmine said, “No need. He knows about it. Look at that row of bodyguards. Even if I don’t tell him, won’t they do it? Josh won’t stop me from watching the store. All I do is use the cash register.”Serenity laughed. “Fine. You stay here and watch the store. I’ll send Sonny back.”“Go ahead.”Serenity held her nephew and left the bookstore.After Serenity left, Jasmine immediately headed to the ki
Austin replied, “Both Mr. Louis and Mr. Phillip woke up very early, especially Mr. Phillip. He gets up earlier than Mr. Louis every morning. It’s really hard on him, getting up so early in such cold weather.”Sometimes, he himself felt like staying in bed a little longer, reluctant to leave the warm comfort of his blankets.Even after the New Year, Satbury remained quite cold. In contrast, over in Wiltspoon, the temperatures had begun to reach a high of over seventy degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime, with nighttime lows around fifty degrees.The two provinces and cities were simply incomparable. The temperatures in Wiltspoon were just so very comfortable for Satbury locals.Isabella smiled and said, “Phillip is just afraid he’ll get here too late and that you’ll assume he’s not coming over for breakfast, then not prepare any for him. He's such a little foodie.”The house was never short of snacks for the little ones. In fact, any goodies were always reserved for them first.Yet,
Even when she attended banquets, she would show up in formal clothing. Isabella did not remember the last time she wore a dress. Perhaps it was when she was in third grade. In fact, she liked wearing pretty princessy dresses when she was young. Her mother had told her that.As Isabella was the first child and extremely adorable, Delphine had dolled her up like a princess. Her pretty dresses filled the closet. Her parents, aunts, uncles, and relatives would always gift her many beautiful dresses. As she grew up, perhaps when she was in fourth grade, she stopped wearing dresses. Regardless of who gave her new pieces, she would refuse to wear them and give them to her cousins instead. After everyone realized she disliked dresses, they gradually stopped giving her them. Delphine had asked Isabella why she disliked wearing dresses. Isabella reasoned that she could not walk quickly enough while wearing one. She valued speed and efficiency. Delphine said she had alway
While the private chefs Ms. Isabella had hired in the past were respectful, they were leaning toward flattery instead of sincere dedication, like how Austin was toward Ms. Isabella.Dominic was experienced. He could sense that Ms. Isabella treated Austin differently. She was also a special existence to Austin. It was normal for young people to be attracted to each other. Initially, Dominic wanted to advise Austin not to even think about dating Ms. Isabella. However, upon discovering that Austin was a young master of a wealthy family, he decided not to interfere. Dominic was glad that he did nothing.Austin returned to the house. Instead of heading straight to the kitchen, he went upstairs. He stopped outside of Isabella’s room and knocked on the door lightly. No response came from within the room. Perhaps Austin was too soft when he knocked. He knocked on the door again with more force and asked, “Are you up yet, Ms. Isabella? It’s time to have breakfast.”Isabella w
Austin was extremely patient with the boys. Although they occasionally caused trouble, most of them were minor issues. They would never do something they were not allowed to do.After breakfast, Austin brought them their bags. With a boy in each hand, he left the house. It was to prevent the boys from saying he was playing favorites. Dominic was used to that scene. Initially, Austin was simply Ms. Isabella’s private chef. However, he gradually took on more responsibilities.He would take the two young masters to school. If he had time in the evening, he would also fetch them from school. Austin also made sure Louis and Phillip did their homework, supervised their hobby classes, and played with them. Sometimes, he would even teach them martial arts and train with them. Dominic felt Austin was an all-rounder. It seemed like there was nothing Austin could not do. No wonder Ms. Isabella thought highly of Austin. However, Austin was a young master of a wealthy family. He w
Louis and Phillip were downstairs having the breakfast Austin had prepared for them. The food was different every morning, and everything was delicious.Having gotten used to Austin’s cooking, Louis and Phillip could no longer stand the food provided in the school. They thought the food there was terrible. Louis was enrolled in an elementary school not far from home. As he was a first grader, he did not need to stay in the dormitories and could have his lunch and dinner at home. Phillip, who was a year younger than him, was still in preschool. He would have breakfast and dinner at home. Actually, the preschool did provide breakfast, but Phillip refused to eat in school and insisted on having breakfast at home. In order to eat the breakfast Austin made, he would get up early in the morning without the adults waking him. After putting on his clothes and washing up, he would head to Louis’s place with his bag. “Austin.”Louis suddenly asked, “Did my sister come back last n
Isabella had always thought Tati was teasing her. Therefore, she did not take her words seriously. She thought it was completely normal for Austin to treat her well as she was his boss. From Austin’s perspective, she was his source of income. Now that Isabella pondered about it deeper, she realized perhaps Austin did come to Satbury for her. It was not just to be her chef. He always said Grandma May only gave the York lads a year to pursue their fiancées. However, Austin had never left since he started working for Isabella. Even if he did, it was to accompany her on business trips. He was busy feeding and taking care of her every day and had never gone to pursue his so-called fiancée. He did not even try to gather information on her. Was he not anxious?A year would go by pretty quickly. Although it felt like it had not been long since Austin started working for Isabella, three months had passed. Time really flew. Three months had gone by in the blink of an eye. Neve
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us