“You taught all of us how to cook. If you complain about my cooking, you’re complaining about the results of your own teachings.”Grandma May was struck speechless.Her precious eldest grandson was getting better with his comebacks. This was all thanks to her making him marry Serenity.Serenity was grinning ear-to-ear.Every time Grandma May and Zachary bickered, she could laugh until her sides hurt.“Let’s ignore him, Seren. He’s always wearing that tense and serious expression. You’re the only person who can stand him. If you were anyone else, they’d have probably made a run for it long ago. Children would probably get scared to tears if they went out and saw him at night.”Zachary’s expression was dark.“No, I think Zachary’s very kind and not cold at all. Anyway, he’s gentle and considerate and is the perfect husband to me. I’m very satisfied.”Zachary immediately looked happy. “My wife’s still the best to me.”Grandma May laughed. “You guys could suffocate anyone single w
Liam immediately said, “I’m going to take Tania shopping later. She can buy whatever she likes, as long as she’s happy.”Grandma May said as she sat down, “You’re about to be a grandfather soon. You need to set a good example for your grandchild.”“Mom, I’ve always been a role model for Zack and Austin.”“You two men should go to the kitchen to help Austin out.”“Mom, dinner’s ready,” Liam said, as if asking for credit. “Austin’s already prepared all the food.”Grandma May gave her eldest son a side-eye.Liam smiled sheepishly and gave Zachary a look. The father and son then headed for the kitchen.Grandma May immediately smiled after successfully diverting the men away and said to Tania and Serenity, “Later, we should go out shopping. I haven’t been on a shopping spree for a while now and I want to buy a few dresses for my precious great-granddaughter.”Tania immediately agreed. “That’s right, we should buy a few more dresses for her.”Serenity was speechless for a moment. “N
Serenity doused their enthusiasm. She said, “Zachary told me Kevin and Hayden are going on a trip. They’ll only be back half a month later.“You can still go to Jensburg for fun. However, it might not be appropriate to discuss Kevin and Hayden’s marriage without them around.”Grandma May and the others were speechless. “I guess we’ll go over after they return then. When that time comes, we can also get to know Mr. and Mrs. Queen better.”Serenity smiled. “Aren’t you close enough to them, Nana?”“We’ve talked often over the phone, but rarely in person.”Serenity understood. The two families’ elders did keep in contact through phone calls and only met each other a few times. The main reason was the distance between their cities. “Food is ready.”Zachary came out of the kitchen and called everyone. When Grandma May was home, the guys would cook, whereas the ladies would sit and chat while waiting for the food. Grandma May, who never had a daughter of her own, treated her
“It’s so cold here, Aunt Ser. The wind is strong too. I almost got blown away when I got out of the airplane.”Sonny spoke with an exaggerated tone. “You should put on more clothes. Don’t get blown away by the wind. I don’t know where to find you if you do.”Sonny giggled. “I lied, Aunt Ser. The wind is strong, but it can’t blow me away. I’m all grown up.“But it’s really cold. Mom said it’ll snow, but it hasn’t yet.”Jensburg was indeed much colder than Wiltspoon. Serenity was relieved that she had stuffed a few more thicker clothes into Sonny’s luggage. “Dunc and I are in Mom’s new car. The heater is on, so it doesn’t feel as cold now. It even feels warm because Dunc is hugging me.”“Mm. Remember to wear another jacket when you leave the car. I put some thick clothes into your luggage.“Tell your mom to drive slowly because the weather is cold.”“Mom isn’t driving. Jim is.” Sonny was close to Jim, who had been assigned to follow Liberty to Jensburg. When Sonny saw him,
Meanwhile at the Longbottom Villa, which was named as such since Carrie had been staying there under the guise of Mrs. Longbottom. Carrie wandered around and only returned when night fell. When the car entered the property, she saw the villa’s lights were turned on. Carrie knew Mr. Longbottom had come. She was a little nervous and scared. She no longer harbored any expectations for him. At first, she wanted to replace the real Mrs. Longbottom and make Mr. Longbottom obedient to her. However, ever since he almost strangled her to death and looked at her with that hostile gaze, she was scared out of her wits. Carrie knew that if she did not complete the task Mr. Longbottom had assigned her, he would really kill her. If she offended him or thought of betraying him, she would not gain any benefits either. Mr. Longbottom was extremely generous. He would give her nice clothes and countless pieces of jewelry. Even the money he gave her was always more than what they had ag
Mr. Longbottom was sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of alcohol. He looked relaxed, sipping his drink from time to time. He did not look toward Carrie when he heard the sound of footsteps. She walked over and put down her bag. Then, she went to his side and said sweetly, “Mr. Longbottom.”When he finally spared her a glance, it was so hostile that Carrie was startled. Did she do something wrong?“Have you eaten, Mr. Longbottom?”She dared not talk in a cute voice. Instead, she looked at him cautiously. Mr. Longbottom returned a faint hum. He leaned back and said, “You’ll need the invitation on the table for the banquet you’re attending tomorrow.“I bought you a few evening gowns and sets of jewelry. They’re all there. You can wear whichever you prefer.”Mr. Longbottom looked toward a single-seated sofa. Following his gaze, Carrie noticed a few intricate bags and velvet boxes placed on that sofa. She took the invitation card and opened it. Then, she moved over to
After thinking about it, Carrie said, “You’re right. Camryn already heard my voice. I’ll definitely meet her again. She’ll find me suspicious if she notices a change in my voice.“She’s suspecting me now, right? But how did Serenity notice?“I only met her a few times.”Mr. Longbottom glanced at her and said, “She has a good memory.”Carrie went silent. Camryn had a good memory too. That was what she had relied on to survive ten years of blindness. “Your blind sister…”“She’s not blind anymore, Mr. Longbottom. She already regained her sight. Callum hired some legendary doctor’s student to heal her.”She added angrily, “Why is she so lucky?”When Callum started getting closer to Camryn, she was still blind. Yet, he never thought of giving up because of that. Amy and Brenda even went to Wildridge Manor to meet Rosella. They said Camryn was not good enough for Callum because she was blind. Rosella returned an aggressive remark. She said a missus of the Yorks did not have
Mr. Longbottom would not be able to inherit the Longbottom family’s wealth either. He could only be the acting head and manage the family, even if he was competent. When Laurence became an adult and returned with the family head’s seal and totem, Mr. Longbottom would be forced to hand over his position to Laurence. The Longbottom’s forces and connection would only be loyal to Laurence as well. Therefore, Mr. Longbottom had to get the seal and totem and kill Laurence before he turned older. That way, he could become the head of the family and command everyone. However, his trail of intel went cold just as he suspected Laurence was Jane’s adopted son. He could not obtain any information on Laurence anymore. It was as if FC Manor was a fortress. While Mr. Longbottom could penetrate their defenses, he did not want to offend the Johnsons and a powerful international secret organization backing them, the Imperial Force. Longbottoms were strong, but Mr. Longbottom was not its
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
It was his father. Manny composed himself and picked up Tony’s call as he walked toward his car.“Hey, Pops.”“How’s it going, Manny? Has there been any progress?”Tony was still in Carrie’s 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 mistress—a 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. Longbottom’s place and becoming the real missus
Tati also finished her plate of pastries.She followed Isabella out.“Isa, you’re always so busy and exhausted. If you’re 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. It’s the same either way.”Tati wanted Isabella to take the day off so Isabella could spend some time with Austin and nurture their relationship.However, Isabella still declined Tati’s kind offer.She said, “Not today. There’s an important meeting today, and I have two important clients to meet. I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. From now on, I won’t touch alcohol.”Given 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 someone’s 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, “It’s all thanks to Ms. Isabella’s guidance.”He 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.“After eating the sweets, I feel much better.” 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.“Just ignore him. Are you really going to skip work because of him?”Isabella added calmly to Tati, “If you let him provoke you, he’ll only cling to you even more. If you act like he doesn’t exist and don’t respond no matter what he does, he’ll naturally give up once he sees that you’re completely unresponsive.”Tati said, “I’m afraid that he’ll go and bother Edith and Eleanor if he doesn’t get anywhere with me. They don’t have the same resolve as we do.”She, therefore, decided to bear the brunt of it.“Every time I see hi