The common knowledge was that the elders’ disciples were everywhere and they were outstanding experts in their various respective industries. Only a handful of people could say they had met the elders before. Now that these old timers had suddenly come to Wiltspoon, even Old Mrs. York had gotten excited about it and rushed over to the Stones’ residence to invite them to visit, let alone the Buchams.Audrey laughed. “That’s true. I’ll grab you a bowl of porridge first. Once you get here, it’ll be just nice to eat and won’t scald you.”“You’re so considerate, Aunt Audrey. Thank you.” Serenity said sweetly, which coaxed a wide smile from Audrey.Elisa nudged Remy, who was sitting beside her, and whispered, “Ever since my mom reunited with Serenity and Liberty, she’s only ever smiled that gently and radiantly for them.”“Don’t I dote on you? You heartless little—you’re the one I dote on the most, and you’re still jealous of Seren?” After hanging up, Audrey heard Elisa’s comment and gla
Elisa said, “I hope our future children are as cute and well-behaved as your niece is. Let’s have a daughter. I would love to have a daughter like Clo-clo.”She was not the only one. Anyone who saw Chloe and babysat her liked her. She just seemed to keep getting cuter by the day. When she woke up, she would just play by herself in her cot or sit up and look around.Despite just being a seven-month-old baby, she was quiet and did not cause any disturbance at all, unlike Connor, who would cry so the whole house knew he had woken up.Remy took Elisa’s hand with a sheepish smile and said, “Our family’s pretty similar to the Yorks in this sense. We have a history of having boys and the chances of having girls are really low. Ben already has a daughter, so the rest of us will probably only have boys. We pretty much only get one baby girl per generation.”Elisa was silent for a moment before she asked, “Has that record never been broken?”After a moment of thought, Remy replied, “In any
On their way out, they bumped into Serenity, who was on her way to the Stones’ residence, and both parties stopped to greet each other. Remy let Serenity pass first.He then asked as he continued to drive, “The old-timers have all gone over to the Yorks’ place, but Serenity’s come here this early. I heard they’re going to meet Mrs. Lewis. Is Liberty and Mr. Lewis’s wedding on the horizon?”Elisa answered, “No, it has to do with the Fisher succession. Mr. Patrick’s still alive and he and the other old-timers are the best witnesses to prove my grandmother was murdered by Belinda Fisher. “After learning the truth, the other Fisher family members will definitely object to Belinda continuing as the matriarch. She’s been leading them for decades but hasn’t been very kind to them. She’s been overly domineering and forceful, and many family members haven’t received the care they think they should, so they’ve been dissatisfied with her for quite some time now.“Right after Liberty went to
Half an hour later, Audrey and Serenity left the Stones’ residence to head to where they agreed to meet Corey. Both Derek and Corey came and arrived first. They waited for just a few minutes before Audrey and Serenity arrived too.“Audrey.” When Corey spotted Audrey leading Serenity over to them, she got up to greet them with a smile.“Sorry, we’ve made you wait, Corey.”Serenity greeted Corey politely too.Corey laughed it off. “We just arrived and sat down ourselves. You guys got here before we could even have a sip of water, so we really didn’t wait long.”Then, she took Serenity’s hand in a genial manner and asked about how Serenity had been recently. She even looked at Serenity’s stomach and chuckled, “It really is hard to tell that you’re pregnant while you’re wearing a coat.”“Yeah, my belly isn’t showing much.” Serenity rubbed her stomach. Then, she took Corey’s arm and walked her back to Derek with Audrey. Derek stood up to say hi with a smile too.After they all sat do
“I heard from Duncan that he and Liberty plan to register their marriage after Christmas and only hold a wedding once Liberty has more free time. Derek and I’ve been preparing gifts for them and picking a date.” The gifting would have to wait until Liberty was back in Wiltspoon to receive them. Now, she was so busy that even her son had been left to Serenity to help take care of. Ever since she left for Jensburg, she had not been back to Wiltspoon. It was always Duncan bringing Sonny to Jensburg to visit. Naturally, their wedding would not be held that soon.“Liberty was even thinking of not holding a wedding, saying that it doesn’t matter because it’s her second marriage. That won’t do. We can’t deprive her of anything. Not only do we have to hold a wedding, we have to hold an extravagant one for her.” Corey did not want to deprive both Liberty and her son of a celebration.Of her four sons, when the first three got married, they each held grand weddings. Now that it was her youn
Audrey and Serenity exchanged a glance.“If nobody has any objections, Seren and I can rest assured, then. It wasn’t easy for Liberty and Duncan to come this far and we should support them no matter their choices.” Audrey smiled and added, “I heard from Liberty that she’ll be registering her marriage with Duncan first, maybe before Christmas, maybe after. She’s just so busy, she’ll only be able to get back on Christmas Day itself. She’s got no time for anything else when she’s swarmed. Even Sonny isn’t going to visit her for his winter break. He said he wanted to visit FC Manor instead.”Corey laughed. “I know. I was even thinking of Sonny staying with me during the winter break so that Seren could go to work undisturbed. The closer it gets to the holidays, the busier it gets. Seren’s vegetable farms must provide huge amounts of fresh produce every day, don't they?”Serenity hummed in agreement. “We’re almost unable to keep up with the demand.”“That’s a good thing! It means your b
After marrying Zachary, he prepared even more snacks for her, especially after she got pregnant. Zachary always worried that she and their baby were going hungry and would check if there were enough snacks in her car every day.He grew increasingly attentive and considerate toward her, but at the same time, more naggy. Still, she enjoyed having the attention of a handsome man and felt a tingly warmth in her heart. Out of anyone she could have married, she married Zachary. She really had married the right person.“Why don’t we get two boxes to go? It’ll take some time for us to reach Wildridge Manor from the city.” The three of them were worried Serenity would get hungry on the way there.After a moment of thought, she gave in and went with their suggestion, mainly to put them at ease. On their way out, the quartet bumped into Carrie in her guise as Mrs. Longbottom. With her were the two Longbottom family bodyguards, as always.“Mrs. York.” When Carrie spotted Serenity, she greeted
“Okay. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”Carrie stood by the door with a smile and watched as Serenity and the rest left. Then, she went in and reappeared outside again not long after. Her entry into the place was simply for show. Carrie went there because Mr. Longbottom had received information that a tycoon had arrived in Wiltspoon and was related to the powerful families of Wiltspoon. He also heard that Serenity and Audrey were meeting Corey there, so he arranged for Carrie to rush over. Ignoring the weak state of her body that had not recovered from her recent abortion, Carrie put on her mask and went over with two bodyguards. However, she was still a step behind. Serenity and her group were already leaving. After getting into the car, Carrie called Mr. Longbottom. When he picked up, she said, “I couldn’t find out who the tycoon is, Mr. Longbottom. Serenity and the rest just happened to be leaving when I arrived. I didn’t dare to pry for information as Audrey and
“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.