Sonny opened his mouth to counter his uncle, but he was too young. He got flustered because he could not retort Uncle Zak’s words at all. His flustered look made Zachary laugh. Zachary peppered Sonny’s face with kisses again. It was to the extent the child had to push Zachary’s face away and wipe his small face with his hand. Sonny said unhappily, “Your saliva is all over my face from the kisses.”Zachary smiled and said, “You used to cover my face in your saliva just like this too.”Sonny went silent. When they almost reached the company doors, he wanted to be released from Zachary’s arms. Zachary put Sonny back on his feet. Sonny jogged to Serenity and raised his handsome face. He complained to her, “Aunt Ser, Uncle Zak covered my face in saliva. Please do the same to him for me later.“He only thinks of me while doing something else. He doesn’t like me as much anymore.”Serenity laughed and said, “Did Uncle Zak bully you? Okay. I’ll avenge you after we get back home.”S
As Serenity stared at Zachary, he bent to whisper by her ear, “Don’t look at me like that, Seren. I won’t be able to resist kissing you.”“Uncle Zak, what secrets are you sharing with Aunt Ser?” asked the little third-wheeler, neglected by the adults, curiously. Serenity pushed Zachary lightly. Zachary stood up and looked downward at the little third-wheeler. He patted Sonny’s head resignedly and said, “Sonny, you really are a third wheel.”“Uncle Zak, my name’s Sonny, not Third Wheel. I’m not a wheel!”Serenity lifted her nephew with a laugh and walked toward Zachary’s car. As she walked, she smiled and said, “You’re right. Sonny isn’t a third wheel. Your uncle was just teasing you.”“Why does Uncle Zak keep calling me a third wheel, Aunt Ser? A wheel can spin quickly, but I can’t. Uncle Zak’s talking nonsense.”Zachary opened the door for Serenity like a gentleman. He said, “Yes. I was talking nonsense. Sonny’s the most serious child who won’t spout nonsense.”“I’m a good kid
Sonny seemed to understand, but he still looked confused. After some time, a few cars stopped outside Liberty’s new store. Duncan sat at the entrance, waiting for Sonny. His bodyguard stood behind the wheelchair. Zachary opened the door and got out of the car. Then, he turned to carry Sonny out of the car. Once Sonny’s feet touched the ground, he escaped Uncle Zak’s grip and jogged toward Duncan.“Don’t run so quickly, Sonny.”Duncan was anxious upon seeing that. He called Sonny not to run so fast. At the same time, he wished he could lift Sonny. However, he could not yet walk or move fast enough in a wheelchair. The child ran fast. Duncan only moved his wheelchair slightly, but Sonny already arrived in front of him. “Dunc.”Initially, Sonny wanted to climb onto Duncan’s lap. He had already positioned himself to climb but soon gave up because Dunc’s legs had not recovered. He could not sit on Dunc’s lap. Duncan saw Sonny’s slight movement and felt glad. The child a
Duncan hugged the child tight. He told Liberty, “The pain isn’t that bad now. I only feel it in my legs when I walk. It’s fine when Sonny sits like this.”Liberty said, “You have to voice out if you feel unwell. Don’t hold it in.”As she spoke, she still carried her son away from Duncan. Only then did she greet Zachary and Serenity. “Liberty.”Serenity gave her sister a hug. After the sisters hugged each other, Serenity observed Liberty and said, “We haven’t met for only several days, but I feel like you’re different.”Liberty laughed. “What’s different? I’m still the same.”“Mom, I’m hungry,” Sonny told Liberty. Next, Serenity lifted her nephew and said to her sister, “Liberty, Mr. Lewis, let’s go and eat.”“Okay.”Zachary went behind Duncan and pushed his wheelchair while Duncan’s bodyguard walked with Zachary’s team. Liberty and Serenity were in front, accompanying Sonny. Zachary asked his friend in a whisper, “Has there been progress between you and my sister-in-la
Serenity saw Liberty off to her car and did not forget to give her reminders. Liberty smiled and said, “I should be telling you that. Your driving speed is too fast. You should listen to Zachary and get a driver.”She was older than Serenity by several years and more mature. She drove carefully while Serenity would occasionally speed. Serenity enjoyed the thrill of speeding. “I like being in control of the steering wheel.”Liberty smiled helplessly. The sisters went back to their respective stores from the preschool. The bookstore was already open. Jasmine was cleaning the bookshelves with a duster. As students had already returned to school, the store was quiet. The Bucham family’s bodyguards were chased away by Jasmine. She would stay in the store all day and did not need two people guarding the door. It would scare the students. Serenity parked her car and got out of the car with her car keys. She called out to Jasmine as she walked into the bookstore. She had also p
Jasmine said angrily, “Seren, you don’t have to mind what others say. It’s fine as long as Zachary and his family aren’t urging you. Besides, you can’t be blamed for not getting pregnant. Who knows? It can be Zachary’s problem too.“He did reject you when you mentioned getting a checkup.”Jasmine believed there were no issues with Serenity’s and Zachary’s bodies, but outsiders kept saying that her best friend was a hen that could not lay eggs. Therefore, she could not help but get angry. Why did they not say it was Zachary’s problem?It was unfair. Why would people always blame the woman whenever a couple could not have children after trying for a long time?“I used to mind, but I don’t care what others say now. Maybe I’ve become numb after hearing a lot.” Serenity had become indifferent. When she heard her friend getting angry for her sake, she smiled and said, “Don’t let Zachary hear you, Jasmine. He’s healthy. If you were to say he has a problem, I’m the one who’ll get u
“The man delivered food to Ms. Daniels once and then became her lover. That’s what I heard. After becoming her lover, she bought him expensive suits and ties. She even arranged for bodyguards to protect him and assigned a luxury car to him.“It seemed like she was trying to make her into a second Zachary. Her desire for Zachary is so obvious.”Anyone who had seen Zachary before would have mistaken the back of Jenna’s lover for Zachary’s.After a moment of silence, Serenity said, “Even if he looks like Zachary, he’ll never be him. As long as it isn’t Zachary, Jenna can have whoever she wants as her lover. It’s none of my business.”“Other people will suspect Zachary’s the person she’s being lovey-dovey with and posting on Facebook every day. The man’s face is never revealed every time she posts a picture. She’s obviously trying to mislead people into thinking that she and Zachary are together.“She’s ruining your and Zachary’s relationship by making you suspect and misunderstand hi
Jasmine chuckled. Her best friend had Zachary wrapped around her finger, but Zachary had Seren wrapped around his too. It was because the husband and wife had a good relationship. Without love, they could not have influenced one another. Serenity cleared her throat before picking up Zachary’s call. “Babe.”She deliberately made her voice cuter and addressed him. On the other end of the call, Zachary’s hand trembled. His phone almost dropped to the ground. He thought he had called the wrong person. After moving his phone away from his ear and taking a look, he verified that he was indeed calling his wife. He placed the phone by his ear again and asked Serenity with a laugh, “What bad deed have you done that you don’t wish for me to find out? Or did you badmouth me behind my back?”“Nothing. I just miss you. Did your bones tingle from me calling you like that? Or did you dislike it?”Zachary smiled and said, “I was startled and thought I dialed the wrong number. You must
Zachary was also worried that Serenity would go into premature labor out of shock. He also persuaded her to go for her checkup in a gentle voice. They could not do anything but wait anyway.Serenity finally decided to conduct her prenatal checkup first. Zachary accompanied her. Just moments after they left, the door to the delivery suite opened. A nurse stood there and shouted, “Is Jasmine Sox’s husband here?”“Yes. I’m her husband,” replied Josh quickly. He dashed to the nurse. “You must save Jas, doctor. Save the mother no matter what.”His family members behind him also echoed, “That’s right. No matter what happens, you have to save Jasmine.”The nurse said, “The mother is fine. It’s just that she wants her husband to accompany her as she’s in a lot of pain.”Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Josh was about to rush inside but was stopped by the nurse.She asked him to change his clothes before taking him inside the delivery suite.Jasmine was wailing in pain. When
With advanced medical technology, a premature baby could still be healthy if taken good care of in the incubator. Serenity said, “Jasmine should be at thirty-five weeks. I just don’t understand why she would suddenly go into labor. Did she fall at home?“Or did she eat something that made her go into labor?”Zachary said, “That’s most likely not the case. Josh’s cousin is Jasmine’s dietician and keeps an eye on her food every day. There’s no way Jasmine would’ve eaten something bad unless she ate it secretly.”Serenity and Zachary suddenly went silent. Pregnant women had weird appetites. Once they had a craving, they could not go unsatisfied. Sometimes, they would even crave fruits that were not in season. Serenity herself was one of them. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night craving mac and cheese. Of course, Zachary, the ever-doting husband, had to satisfy her request. However, where could he find mac and cheese at that hour?Ultimately, he had to drive to the
People would reap what they had sown. They would have to bear the consequences of their actions. Sometimes, interfering in another person’s fate would backfire. After chatting for some time, Serenity said, “I have to go for my checkup now, Liberty. Let’s talk again when you’re free another day.“By the way, I’ll get someone to bring Sonny to you this weekend. He misses you.”“Okay,” said Liberty. After the call ended, Serenity put her phone into her bag and stood up. She told the man behind the office desk, “It’s almost time, babe. Let’s go.”“Okay. I’m almost done.”Zachary quickly signed and stamped a document before closing it. He walked over with the document in hand. Serenity and Zachary left the office together. He handed the document to his secretary. The secretary did not expect him to pass the document to him personally. He had thought of entering Zachary’s office to request it later. The secretary watched Zachary and Serenity leave. He could not believe
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