Daughters were so adorable. They were also more obedient and less mischievous compared to sons.Beatrice said, “Didn’t you say you weren’t going to have a second child? If you do want one, you should wait a few years until Oliver starts preschool. Then you can consider having a second.”Beatrice had a laid-back attitude toward how many children her daughter-in-law wanted to have. She would not interfere or rush them. Whether one child or more, or none at all, she would not oppose it. They were all grownups with minds of their own. As long as they knew what they were doing and were happy, it did not matter to her whether they got married, had children, or how many they had."Yeah, not now. I don’t have the time for that right now."Lilian thought about how she would be flying to Wiltspoon that night to accompany Patrick to Jensburg. With her busy schedule, she truly had no time for a second pregnancy right now. She decided to wait until Oliver got a little older before thinking abou
Serenity smiled and said, “That’s how kids are. Childhood is the happiest and most carefree time in a person's life. When they grow older and start schooling, and face academic pressures, they won’t be as carefree as they are now.”Jane agreed. “Yes, I sometimes wish I could return to my childhood. Being a little kid was the happiest time.”As a child, she was the family’s little darling. She was pampered by everyone and was even more carefree than her adopted son Laurence. After all, Laurence had to study medicine and self-defense. Before she started elementary school, her time was purely spent playing.Serenity said, “Keep your voice down—don’t let Ben hear you. Otherwise, he might think you’re unhappy with him and start wracking his brain to figure out how to make you happy.”Jane instinctively turned to look at Ben. As if sensing her gaze, Ben looked up and smiled at her. Jane smiled back. Turning her head, she affectionately linked arms with Serenity.“I’ve always been happy.
Sonny, feeling satisfied, said, “I’m so cute. I just knew everyone would miss me.”“This kid’s becoming more shameless by the day,” Serenity commented about her nephew’s growing arrogance.Jane laughed as she took Connor from Antonia's arms. “Sonny is speaking the truth. He’s as adorable as my Laurence.”This was a double entendre. Both kids were clever and cute, but they were also becoming quite thick-skinned, especially Laurence. Jane felt that her adopted son had grown up a lot in his recent time away. He was very perceptive. With a few unconventional old-timers around raising him, they could not judge Laurence by conventional standards.“I’m good friends with Laurence—we’re like brothers. My uncle says that Laurence and I have been playing together since we were little, so we’ll be childhood friends, and that we’ll always be best buddies.”Sonny and Laurence were sitting on either side of Lilian, who was still holding Chloe. The adults in the room laughed. It would be delightf
Lilian was “scolded” by Doc and was only left off the hook after she promised to never bite Oliver again. When baby Oliver returned to Lilian’s arms, he still gave her a huge smile that melted her heart. No wonder her master loved the baby so dearly. Oliver was truly adorable.The Johnson family had breakfast prepared. Everyone took their seats and together they had breakfast at the dining table. After eating, Jane and Lilian accompanied Serenity on a stroll in the garden. Serenity often felt too full after a meal and needed to move around. However, she would get hungry as soon as everything was digested. Jane smiled. “The fetus is growing rapidly at this stage. It needs a lot of nutrients. That’s why you get hungry quickly. Most pregnant women eat small but frequent meals.“I used to eat more than you when I was pregnant. My appetite returned to normal after I gave birth.”Jane had twins. Naturally, more nutrients were required for two fetuses.She felt herself stuff
After two years, Liberty had become a better version of herself. Her style was also more similar to Aunt Audrey’s.Jane did not know what to say. Serenity turned to look at Lilian. She asked, “When are you going to Wiltspoon, Lilian? Is it tonight or tomorrow?”Lilian replied openly, “Tonight. Mr. Patrick is eager to return to Jensburg. He’s been waiting for this day for decades. It has been the sole motivation that’s been keeping him going.”After speaking, she smiled. “How did you know I’d be going over?”“Doc is back, and he can’t possibly leave so soon. Mr. Patrick is old and is plagued by many ailments. He needs a doctor at all times. If your teacher won’t be with him, then it must be you. It’s easy to guess.“The masters will most likely leave tomorrow. Going home was an excuse. They are simply taking a detour to go to Jensburg.”No one had revealed anything to Serenity. She had guessed and analyzed everything herself. Lilian praised, “You’re clever, Serenity. You also
“Children don’t have to be worried about gaining weight. They’re physically active, which burns a lot of calories.”Jane added, “There was a period when Laurence gained weight but lost it soon after.“Since Sonny is also practicing martial arts, he won’t gain too much weight if he doesn’t overeat.“Lilian’s also right, Serenity. My brother and sister-in-law are nosy people. Even if I don’t tell them, they’ll go over themselves. You don’t have to feel like you owe me a favor.”Jane reassured Serenity and told her not to be too worried about the situation in Jensburg. She also convinced Serenity that getting her brother and sister-in-law to go to Jensburg was no big deal. It would be nothing but entertainment to them. “I’m not worried. I’ll wait for my sister to return and celebrate Christmas.”Serenity nodded gratefully. Zachary bringing her over and linking her up with Jane and Lilian back then had been really helpful. Jane and Lilian had powerful families backing them.
“Spot on. He learned the tricks from his friends.”“Aunt Ser.”“Mommy Jane.”The two boys came running over. “Where did your pinwheels come from, Laurence?” Jane asked despite knowing the answer. “This is one of Sonny’s presents for me. Don’t you think this pinwheel is pretty, Mommy Jane? It’s fun. The wind is strong today. It’s a perfect day to play with pinwheels. It’ll be better if we have kites.”Laurence was happy that he had received gifts from his friend. He told Jane eagerly, “Sonny gave me many presents, Mommy Jane. There are toys, snacks, and even books.”Jane patted his head and asked, “Have you said your thanks? Did you get something for Sonny too?”“I thanked him and gave him presents. He liked them a lot.”Sonny chimed in, “I love the present Laurence gave me, Aunt Jane.”The items Laurence had given him were something Aunt Ser could not buy. Laurence said his teacher’s teacher made them. The carved animal figurines looked like they could come alive any seco
The day passed by quickly and evening came around.After a short rest in the afternoon, Serenity was glued to Lilian the entire evening. She got nervous as she watched Lilian stuff many bottles of medicine into her luggage. “These are the medicines I usually bring around with me. Don’t overthink.”Lilian had no choice but to tell Serenity. “There’s also the medication Mr. Patrick has to take daily. I’m bringing it over because his supply is running low.”Serenity kept quiet. Lilian stood and patted her shoulder, saying, “You can follow me to Jensburg if you’re really worried.”“Lilian,” said Jane. Although Serenity was physically there with them, her heart was in Jensburg. How could Lilian even mention bringing Serenity along?It would only distract Zachary and the rest. The situation would get messier too. “I’m not worried. I don’t have to follow you to Jensburg either.”Serenity denied and said, “I’m watching you pack because I’m bored. Oh, by the way, please rela
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.
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