The mother and daughter had the same personality. After some time, Belinda said, “Liberty is in Jensburg.”“I know.”Caroline was not surprised. Belinda was taken aback before she let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Oh, right. You have an assistant now. They’re really capable. I don’t know which ancestor of ours thought of establishing a base to train the best assistants for us.“I thought you knew nothing. This is good.”After speaking, Belinda drank a few sips of tea. She held onto the cup and leaned against the chair. Then, she turned the chair and had her back face Caroline while she looked outside the window. The city was illuminated. She said, “I suddenly thought of Tiara’s assistant, Patrick. He was competent and even better than my current assistant. Not only that, he had a good personality and looks to match. I saw him often because I was raised by Tiara.“Time passed, and I found myself falling in love with him. However, the assistants are not allowed to marry or ha
“Is Aunt Tiara’s assistant still alive, Mom?”Caroline changed the topic. She knew Belinda would not agree to amending the family rules. “Patrick went missing after Tiara’s accident. I don’t know whether he’s dead or alive.”Belinda had sent countless people to look for him after she became the matriarch. Alas, it seemed as if he had evaporated into thin air. She was still searching for him. Patrick probably knew something about the incident. He could have some evidence too. He was a ticking time bomb if she did not find him and destroy the evidence. Who knew when he would suddenly resurface and testify that she had killed her sisters?Even if Belinda had a crush on him when she was young, she had to think long-term for her descendants. She would kill him once he was found. There had been no news about Patrick or her nieces for decades. She thought she could hand her position over to Caroline smoothly if her nieces died or never appeared. However, the heavens left Beli
Belinda said, “I truly don’t feel like eating. You should go. I’ll head home shortly. I promise I won’t fall. This is a small matter. I’ll get better after being in a bad mood for a day or two. I’ll be myself again tomorrow.“I won’t be devastated over an old man. I want to hear your thoughts. How do you plan to tackle Liberty now that she’s here?”“I’ll just remain calm and make thorough preparations just in case.”Belinda smiled. “That’s good. As expected of my daughter.“I met my niece, Audrey, when I was in Wiltspoon. There was some tension between us. She thinks I’m a murderer no matter what I say, so she’s hostile toward me.“She suggested I give Liberty a chance and train her so you and Liberty can compete fairly. If Liberty loses, Audrey will accept you as the matriarch. If Liberty wins, we’ll have to give up on all our power.”Audrey was not forthright about it but her intention could be read between the lines. Belinda added, “Why should we give up on what’s ours, Caro
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite on the top floor of Fortress Hotel, Liberty and Hayden sat on the sofa in the living room while Kevin poured water for them and served them a fruit platter.“Liberty, how about staying with me? I live alone, the house is big, and there are many rooms. If you move in, we can also keep each other company.”Hayden invited Liberty to stay at her private villa.While smiling, Liberty turned her head to look at her. “Hayden, if I move into your place, the tabloids here will report that you and Kevin have a relationship breakdown. They might even say that Kevin is delusional and that you prefer women.”Hayden choked for a moment.She was still dressed as a man now. If Liberty stayed with her, it could easily lead to misunderstandings and cause unnecessary trouble.Liberty had just arrived in Jensburg and it would not do her well to be gathering hate when her footing in Jensburg was still weak.Hayden had too many admirers. Though they could not comp
Hayden glanced at Kevin.Kevin rubbed his nose and smiled. “You cooked well. It’s delicious.”“Then, I’ll shamelessly mooch some of it. I won’t disturb you two anymore. I'll rest up downstairs.”Liberty tactfully made space for the young couple to have their alone time.She had just returned to her room and sat on the sofa without the chance to reply to Duncan’s messages when she heard a knock on the door.“Who is it?” Liberty asked while getting to the door.It was someone from the hotel.Upon seeing the door open, the hotel staff smiled and said, “Ms. Liberty? Here’s a letter for you.”With that, Liberty was handed a letter.She took the envelope and thanked the staff member.Back in the room, she curiously opened the envelope, finding only a small note inside.The content of the note was simple, stating a certain address in Jensburg.Below the address was a sentence: [Ms. Hunt, go alone. I will ensure your safety. Don’t let anyone find out.]The letter was signed by “Fl
Soon, Liberty drove out of the underground parking lot.Following the address Mr. Fletcher provided, she navigated her way there.Duncan called.Liberty slowed down before answering the call.“Duncan, I’m out to buy something. I’m driving now. I’ll call you back when I return.”Duncan acknowledged with a sound and reminded her, “Drive safely.”“I will.”Liberty did not drive like her sister; she was not fond of speeding.Thankfully, they lived in a city where traffic was heavy. Serenity could not speed, so she drove diligently. She would drive like an F1 driver if they were in the suburbs with light traffic. Unfortunately, Zachary had not witnessed Serenity’s driving style, or else he would not have let Serenity behind the wheel.Duncan did not want to disturb Liberty while she was driving. He quickly ended the call.If he knew that Liberty was driving alone in her disguise to meet Caroline, he might worry and rush over on the next flight.Liberty knew he cared about her, so
“Miss, take care of yourself. If anything happens, call me immediately,” Darren advised.Caroline smiled and replied, “I can’t rely on you for everything. Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”Even if she encountered an assassination attempt, she had some self-defense skills. Without them, she would not have survived the abuse of her foster mother’s family.After ending the call with Darren, Caroline drove directly to the rendezvous.When she arrived, Liberty was already there. She had not gotten out of her car. Seeing another car approaching, Liberty lowered her car window, watching as Caroline parked the car beside hers.Caroline was the first to take off her sunglasses and then peel off the human mask on her face, revealing her true appearance. Smiling, she greeted Liberty as she got out of her car.Seeing this, Liberty also got out, asking, “How did you know it was me? Weren’t you afraid it might be someone else?”“At this hour, in such a remote place, with no houses around, ev
“What’s your plan? My mom knows you’re here, and she won’t just sit back. Be careful. If there’s anything I know, I’ll tell you. But if I don’t, then I can’t help you.”Liberty suppressed her smile, scrutinizing Caroline seriously for a while before saying, “Caroline, we’ve met, and I believe you’re someone with a sense of justice. Your values aren’t skewed. However, that’s your mother, your biological mom. You share a mother-daughter bond, and you won’t be on opposing sides.”Caroline’s smile gradually faded. She sighed, “True, we’re mother and daughter by blood. It’s a great pressure for me to stand against her. It takes immense courage. You being cautious of me is normal.“But, Liberty, I genuinely care about you and worry for you. My mom is a ruthless person, truly. It’s not just talk.“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask again. But if you encounter difficulties that you can’t solve, you can reach out to me. I’ll do my best to help you.“Actually, my mom and I don’
“A baby’s face changes almost every day. We’ll only know who he takes after when he’s a little older.”Serenity agreed. “I should call Elisa and share this news with her.”Jasmine probably did not have time to tell her friends about her newborn. Serenity also forgot to inform Elisa because she was too worried about Jasmine. Zachary told her to call Elisa only after they were inside the car. There were too many people in the hospital. Serenity held back her excitement and immediately called Elisa when she got in the car. Elisa was extremely busy at the company. She was the only one who could manage their joint company at that moment because Serenity and Jasmine were pregnant. Even if they wanted to return to the company to work, Elisa would not allow them. Rest was of utmost importance for pregnant women. Elisa was unmarried and not pregnant. She did not mind being busier. She only picked up Serenity’s call after some time.“Seren.”Elisa held the phone in her left h
“All that matters is that you’re okay, honey. Let’s not have more children. We’ll just have this one son.”Josh spoke while holding Jasmine’s hand.Women had to experience immense pain when giving birth. It came with many risks as well. Josh had heard other people saying that a woman usually had one foot in the grave during childbirth.He was genuinely shocked after accompanying Jasmine through her labor. He had been terrified and worried that something would happen to Jasmine.Luckily, everything ended well. Jasmine and their son were safe. However, Josh did not want to experience something like that again. Having one child was enough. There was no need for a second or third child. The Buchams were a big family anyway. He did not have to bear the responsibility of expanding the family alone.“Okay. We shall not have another baby.”Although Jasmine was brimming with motherly love and recovery from a vaginal delivery was quicker, she still thought childbirth was too
It was not just Camila. The rest of the people there also had the same thought. Josh and Jasmine had a great relationship. If something happened to Jasmine, Josh would be devastated and lose all hope of living.“Congratulations. The mother has given birth to a boy safely. The baby boy is six pounds and three ounces.”The people who brought Josh out were the anesthetist and nurse.The nurse instinctively reported the good news when she saw the crowd.Then, she explained, “The father probably fainted from shock after the baby was born. Come over and help bring him to the side to rest. The mother won’t be out that quickly.”Upon hearing her words, everyone’s mood brightened up.Camila, whose legs felt weak just now, was immediately filled with strength and stood up. Without Drake's help, she went to the nurse and asked, “Does the baby need to be in the incubator since he was born prematurely?”The nurse replied, “We’ll put the baby in the incubator and observe him for a while. If
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.