โAre you free to talk now, Zachary?โ Kevin returned to his office to make the call after seeing Hayden off. Zachary said, โGet to the point or hang up if you have nothing to say.โKevin smiled and said, โThe pictures and video I sent you are evidence of Madam Fisherโs husbandโs affair.โZachary waited for him to continue. โMadam Fisherโs husband is Hunter Clark. He was a handsome man in his youth but not very capable. That was why he became her husband. Although heโs addressed as Mr. Clark in the Fisher family, he never earned full respect and has to be at his wifeโs beck and call.โMadam Fisher is strict with him. She doesnโt provide him with living expenses, and the allowance she gives him daily never exceeds five hundred dollars. She taught him a lesson when he intended to cheat on her before. Since then, Hunter dared not attempt any affair.โThis time, Madam Fisher attended your wedding and remained in Wiltspoon for half a month. Hunter grabbed this opportunity to cheat on
Zachary said, โSince every matriarch has a loyal assistant, they must know a lot. If heโs still alive, weโll be able to get him to testify against Madam Fisher. If he had passed away, itโd be nearly impossible to verify the truth after four to five decades.โIt was even challenging for the Bucham family to gather relevant evidence. โIโll call Julian later to get his help on the identity of the previous matriarchโs assistant and where he is if heโs alive.โKevin said, โI can ask around too. Itโll be faster to ask Donald about this.โ The assistant might be alive, but searching for him would alert Belinda. โOkay. Let me know if thereโs new information.โโSure. Iโm envious that Callum and Camryn have gotten their marriage license. We received the picture from Nana together, but Iโm still wooing my wife while heโs married.โAfter they were done talking about serious matters, Kevin started chatting with Zachary. Both of them had time anyway. โWho told you to stay idle for half a
Zachary burst out laughing. โIโve never thought of you as a down-to-earth person.โโIโm not unapproachable either.โZachary chuckled. โYou may not be unapproachable, but even I must use my connections to meet you. If Josh and I werenโt friends, I probably wouldnโt be able to see you regardless of how much money I offered.โJulian said, โIโm busy. Youโre the head of your family too. You should know how busy people in our positions are.โโThe matter I want to discuss canโt be described briefly. You can head to Summervale and meet Ms. Crawford. Iโll talk to Josh.โJulian said, โLook for Josh as much as possible. Itโs easier for you two to communicate anyway. Donโt disturb me unless the situation is dire.โHe could think of nothing else but his first love at the moment. Besides, his parents had been urging him to go to Summervale before someone else snatched Quinn away. Quinn was Julianโs fated partner. He had to rely on her to be an ordinary healthy man as well. His parents were
Quinn replied with alacrity, โAlright, Iโll let my mom know and ask her to prepare more food tonight. Sheโll be really happy to know that you love her cooking so much.โJulian smiled. โMrs. Crawfordโs cooking is truly delicious.โโMake sure to eat plenty tonight, Mr. Bucham. Iโll go for my training now and Iโll fetch you from the airport later. See you tonight.โโSure, Iโll switch my phone to airplane mode now. See you.โWhile Julian exchanged goodbyes, he was reluctant to hang up first. After he noticed that Quinn had ended the call, he moved the phone away from his ear.His phoneโs screen displayed a photo of Quinn. When Quinn attended Zachary and Serenityโs wedding, Julian had taken several portraits of her and sent them to her. He also kept those photos on his phone and set one of them as his wallpaper.He could see Quinn every time he unlocked his phone.Quinn looked both stunning and full of youthful energy with a brilliant smile. Julian found himself increasingly drawn to
Quinn smiled and offered to help him with the luggage, but Julian stopped her, saying, โI only packed two sets of clothes in my suitcase, so itโs not heavy. You donโt need to help. Besides, Iโm a grown man, how can I let you carry my luggage?โโYou came from afar after all. Oh, and I got you two grilled sausages. I know you donโt like spicy food, so I got the non-spicy ones for you. I got the extra hot ones for myself.Julian took the small bag she handed to him with the two grilled sausages. He took one out and had a bite.Quinn offered him the other snacks she had bought. While Julian received them, she grabbed his suitcase and continued to munch on her sausage as they walked ahead.Watching her confidently pull his suitcase and eat simultaneously, Julian could not help but smile. He told her that no help was needed with his luggage, but she insisted.Julian let Quinn do as she pleased.Quinn continued pulling the suitcase while Julian followed behind her. Both of them munched o
Julian chuckled and said, โIt seems like elders are all like that, right? My parents are the same. They love to nag. My dad, even though heโs such a macho man, heโs no different. Not to mention my mom. Whenever I see my dad now, Iโm like a mouse meeting a cat. I just want to hide in a hole to avoid his nagging.โThey both got into the car.Julian, who initially thought he would be driving, saw Quinn go ahead and sit in the driverโs seat. He asked, โAre you driving?โโYeah, Iโll drive. Youโre not familiar with this place, and my car is pretty normal. Iโm afraid you wonโt be comfortable driving it. Donโt worry, Iโm a good driver, and everything will be fine.โJulian walked around the car and took the passenger seat. He fastened his seatbelt and added, โIโve driven all kinds of cars before. Back when I didnโt make much money, I rode bicycles, and e-bikes, and even took the bus.โNow I drive a slightly more expensive car when I go out, mainly to keep up appearances.โIf Julian had no
Quinn said, โYour martial skills are so good that you donโt really need bodyguards. That night, I think I acted too quickly. Even if I hadnโt intervened, those thugs wouldnโt stand a chance against you. You would have surely handled them quite effectively with your skills.โI interfered and acted rashly, which actually robbed you of the chance to show your skills, and I missed the opportunity to witness your full capabilities.โJulian hurriedly responded, โIโm indeed skilled, but Iโm not as formidable as you imagine. That night, there were too many of them. I wouldnโt have been able to handle them all on my own. Iโm not as skilled as you.โI have bodyguards at home, but I rarely use them. Occasionally, I might go out with a couple of them. However, the bodyguards Iโve hired are typically just tall and imposing. They might know a few basic moves, enough to intimidate troublemakers, but they wouldnโt be effective against skilled fighters.โIf we encountered martial artists like last
Julian smiled and said, โYouโre welcome to visit me anytime.โOh, by the way, I sent two large boxes to you by courier. Have you received them? I tracked the shipment, they should be arriving today.โJulian had purchased a variety of specialty products from Wiltspoon, as well as some supplements for middle-aged and elderly people. He had them all shipped to Summervale, with Quinn as the recipient.ย After all, Quinn was his destined girl, and he wanted to make a good impression on her family.Having come all the way here, Julian felt that he could not arrive empty-handed.Quinn replied, โIโm not sure about that. I came to the airport to fetch you this afternoon, and if there was a delivery, it would be sent to my house. My mom is usually at home, and sheโd help me receive them. Julian, what did you buy for me? You donโt have to spend so much.โโItโs just some specialty products from Wiltspoon. Last time when you left in a hurry, I didnโt prepare much for you. This time, I bought a
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.โHowโs Sonny been lately?โLiberty 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.โSame as usual, but it seems like things have soured again with the Browns.โSerenity added, โSonny still answers when Hank calls him, but he doesnโt seem happy when his grandparents visit. He doesnโt like going to the Brownsโ place, and he doesnโt want to take their calls either.โHankโs mother and sister are truly incorrigible. They must have been badmouthing you and Duncan in front of Sonny again, which is why heโs upset with them.โDuring 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.โBabe, with you here, the baby and I will be just fine. Donโt worry too much,โ Serenity comforted softly after kissing him.โYou are my rock. If even you are nervous, Iโll start feeling anxious too, and that wonโt be good.โHearing this, Zachary immediately said, โSeren, donโt worry. Iโll protect both of you. Alright, I wonโt be so nervous anymore.โHe gently touched her rounded belly again. โLilโ Bun should be a calm kid. Heโs not that mischievous.โHe felt that the babyโs 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
โJust hit the gym a few more times. Lately, youโve been spending less time there.โEvery 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.โOw.โ Serenity suddenly cried out in pain.This startled Zachary so much that he nearly jumped up, asking anxiously, โIs it stomach pain? Are you going into labor? Letโs go to the hospital right away.โHe was about to pick her up, but Serenity stopped him by pressing his hand.โDonโt be so nervous, Zachary. It's not time yet. Itโs not happening so soon. Itโs just the baby kicking again. His kicks are getting stronger.โAs 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 Serenityโs 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 Serenityโs 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 Zacharyโs eyes, his wifeโs 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.
โYou should have gotten rid of them all back then and cultivated a network of people loyal only to you.โ Manny felt that his father should not have spared those people in the first place.Tony said, โThere were too many of them, all relatives and friends with the same goal as us. We couldnโt eliminate them all at once.โBack 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 familyโs 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 Tonyโs call as he walked toward his car.โHey, Pops.โโHowโs it going, Manny? Has there been any progress?โTony was still in Carrieโs 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 mistressโa 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. Longbottomโs place and becoming the real missus
Tati also finished her plate of pastries.She followed Isabella out.โIsa, youโre always so busy and exhausted. If youโre 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. Itโs the same either way.โTati wanted Isabella to take the day off so Isabella could spend some time with Austin and nurture their relationship.However, Isabella still declined Tatiโs kind offer.She said, โNot today. Thereโs an important meeting today, and I have two important clients to meet. Iโm fine, really. Donโt worry. From now on, I wonโt touch alcohol.โGiven 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 someoneโs 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, โItโs all thanks to Ms. Isabellaโs guidance.โHe 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.โAfter eating the sweets, I feel much better.โ 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.โJust ignore him. Are you really going to skip work because of him?โIsabella added calmly to Tati, โIf you let him provoke you, heโll only cling to you even more. If you act like he doesnโt exist and donโt respond no matter what he does, heโll naturally give up once he sees that youโre completely unresponsive.โTati said, โIโm afraid that heโll go and bother Edith and Eleanor if he doesnโt get anywhere with me. They donโt have the same resolve as we do.โShe, therefore, decided to bear the brunt of it.โEvery time I see hi