“Do you think you can successfully pursue her?”Callum said, “If you fail, you should consider going for Ms. Doyle as Nana had arranged previously. Since she chose Ms. Doyle, it means Ms. Doyle is a good match for you.“You only tried pursuing her for two or three months. Feelings don’t develop that quickly. I don’t think we’ll ever fall in love with someone at first sight. We’re probably the type to grow feelings only after spending a good amount of time with that person.“Did you think I fell in love at first sight with Camryn? That didn’t happen. I approached her because I was curious about the woman Nana had arranged for me. I wanted to know what aspects of her caught Nana’s eye and why she was compatible.“I paid a lot of attention to her as I was curious. I realized her qualities as time passed and unknowingly gave her my heart.“It was the same as Kevin as well. On the other hand, Zachary fell in love with Serenity only after marrying her and spending lots of time with her.
Someone had returned alongside Anthony. He was Silver’s best student, Hawk.He was about the same age as Duncan.Hawk was a serious person. Anyone his sharp gaze targeted would start trembling. “Here’s the evidence Mr. Patrick had gathered, Mom. I found it where he said he kept it.”Anthony handed the evidence to Audrey. She did not look at it immediately but passed it to Patrick first. Patrick had kept the evidence well. All writings were still visible despite it being decades old.“Can you confirm if this is the correct item, Uncle True?” Audrey asked gently. Patrick put on his glasses before taking and opening the box. He checked its contents. He said, “This is the evidence I collected. It isn’t much, but it can be used to put Belinda on the suspect list.”He returned the box to Audrey and said, “Have a look, Drey. Do you think this will be enough?”Audrey looked through the letters, photos, and other items in the box. She told him, “Regardless of whether this is enoug
“It’s been arranged for Dr. Carden to come over in two days and accompany us to Jensburg,” Audrey said. “With her around, we’ll feel a little more at ease too.”Patrick was simply too old. The others worried that the stress of traveling such a distance would leave him breathless and that he would then pass on, just like that. They felt a bit more reassured if Lilian or Doc accompanied them.“Dr. Carden often has to travel to treat patients. Seren won’t suspect a thing if she leaves for a few days.” Audrey continued, “If Seren weren’t pregnant, we wouldn’t be hiding this from her either.”“The baby is more important. It’s better to keep this from her.” Patrick also approved of everyone keeping Serenity in the dark, especially after learning Serenity only managed to get pregnant after a year into her marriage. It was not easy for her to conceive and there was a lot of pressure on her. If she knew it was time for the final showdown in Jensburg, she would definitely be unable to stay pu
Serenity was the Yorks’ eldest daughter-in-law, while Serenity’s biological mother Lisa Hunt was the previous matriarch Tiara Fisher’s younger daughter. Liberty would be the Lewises’ daughter-in-law soon and hold the same standing as Serenity, while Audrey was Tiara’s eldest daughter.That was why the Imperial Force was willing to keep in contact with the Yorks, Stones, and Lewises—out of respect for Patrick. Hawk had not crossed paths with these three families. However, after his master arrived in Wiltspoon, Hawk investigated all the prominent families in Wiltspoon. He learned that the four major families—the Yorks, Stones, Lewises, and Buchams—dominated Wiltspoon, and generally, no one dared to provoke them.The heads of these four families also kept their respective family members in check, preventing them from causing trouble. While they were skilled in business, they did not engage in criminal activities.Besides these four families, there were also the Marshalls, who were less
“That’s right, Grandpa True, another day or two won’t make a difference. How about we accompany you for a walk?” Anthony echoed his mother’s words.Even Hawk chimed in, “Grandpa True, Mrs. Stone is right. We’ve waited decades, so waiting another day or two isn’t a problem. Your health is more important. Lilian should be arriving tonight.”“Since she had the baby, she’s always wanted to go out, complaining that her son cries too much.” Hawk laughed. “Little Oliver is just as much of a crier as Lilian was as a child.”“I remember Lilian was quite easy to handle though,” Patrick said, recalling when Lilian was about two or three years old. At that age, she hardly cried and was very well-behaved, with an exceptional memory. Even if she did not understand whatever she learned immediately, she would remember it and then slowly grasp it herself.Hawk was almost ten years older than Lilian and was already in the first year of junior high when Doc adopted her. He remembered his master bei
Lilian, who had not gone out that day, took her incessantly crying son from the nanny as she asked, “Did he poop?”“No, we just changed his diaper.”“He ate not long ago, so what’s making him cry now? It’s so annoying—he cries all day and night. Can’t he just let us have some peace?” Lilian tried to soothe her son while asking the nanny, “Where’s Tim?”“Mr. Tim is probably with Mr. Ben.”Since Doc and Serenity were coming today, and instead of going to work, Ben and his brothers had stayed at the manor to wait for their arrival along with the elders.Lilian said to the nanny, “Alright, I’ll take him to play with his cousins.”Although Oliver’s cousins were older than he was, they would look at each other and sometimes cry together when gathered. Most of the time though, they still played. However, Oliver was a few months younger and could not sit up yet. He could only lie in his crib, and after lying down for less than two minutes, he would cry for an adult to pick him up.Meanw
Lilian playfully pinched her son’s chubby little face, “So clingy. Do you think we have the time to carry you all the time? It’s all your father’s fault for indulging you. When you were just born, he was always holding you.”When Tim first became a father, he would rush to hold the baby whenever he cried. This habit spoiled Oliver and he would cry easily when away from an adult’s arms.“And your grandfather dotes on you too. He spoils you the most.”Oliver smiled at his mother. Seeing her son’s smile softened Lilian’s heart. She kissed his little face and found his skin so tender that she could not help but give it a gentle nibble. She did not think she had bitten too hard. However, the baby soon pursed his lips and began to cry loudly.Lilian was silent for a moment before she grumbled again, “You little rascal, Mommy only gave you a gentle nibble. Your skin is just so soft that I couldn’t resist. I didn’t bite hard at all, yet you’re crying so much. I see you’re preparing to comp
In Beatrice's eyes, Lilian might as well be a dog. She had a tendency to bite people, especially babies, and the smooth and soft baby skin was irresistible. When she could not control herself, she would end up biting them. Lilian followed her mother-in-law into the house."Mom, when will my master and the others arrive?""They already have. Ben and the rest went out to meet them."Lilian sighed with relief when she saw that her son had stopped crying. She was really worried that the baby would keep crying until Doc arrived."Stop biting Oliver," Beatrice chided. "Even if you really can't help it, don’t bite so hard. The baby is so young, and his skin is tender. Even a gentle bite can leave a mark for a while. Plus, he's your son, and instead of doting on him, you’re behaving like a dog. Did you eat dog meat while you were pregnant?"Lilian awkwardly replied, "He smiled at me. I found him too incredibly cute and gave him a few kisses, and couldn’t help but give him a gentle nibbl
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