Darren replied: [I don’t think we can find anything. It’s too rushed.[Madam Fisher had already told Elaine to go to Queen Manor to invite Mrs. Stone and the rest for dinner tomorrow evening. She also invited a few of the more capable Fisher family members. I think she’ll be making her move during the family banquet.]The family dinner Belinda organized was different from the first one. She had previously invited Liberty, but Kevin and Hayden had come along. Her plan to kill Liberty while the latter was on her way back had failed.After that, Belinda and Liberty met a few more times, but she never invited Liberty to the manor again. Many people had come from Wiltspoon. They were all influential people from the affluent families of Wiltspoon. It was obvious that they had come to support Liberty. Liberty’s company was a joint investment of a few wealthy families. They had been on her side from the start and had provided enough funds to allow Liberty to be on par with Fisher Ente
[Darren, what do you think my mother will do to me tomorrow? Drug me again? Or knock me out?]Darren could not respond. He could guess many methods but had no idea what Belinda would use. Caroline did not ask further either. Her mother was unpredictable and he was not her mother’s assistant, so there was no way he would know what she had planned.Caroline added: [It’s late. You should get some rest. I’ll try to sleep too.] She placed her phone on her bedside table and turned off the bedside lamp. However, with so many things on her mind, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. After a while, still unable to drift off, she sat up. When she turned the bedside lamp back on and checked the time on her phone, it was already past four in the morning.Caroline gave up on trying to sleep since she could not sleep anyway. She got out of bed, grabbed a jacket, put it on, and slipped into her home slippers before heading out. The house was quiet. At this hour, everyone was still in dre
Caroline was unmoved by Belinda’s jab and replied, “You’re my mother, so of course, I’m concerned about you. No matter how you treat me, I’ll be concerned about you.”“How have I treated you? Do I treat you badly? If you weren’t my biological daughter, even being a cat and having nine lives would not have been enough to save you for what you’ve done.”“Sure, sure, I must thank you for your mercy.”Belinda could not resist smacking Caroline’s arm.“Ow.” Caroline deliberately yelped in pain before crouching down, clutching the place her mother smacked. This gave Belinda a shock.Belinda glared at her. “I only gave you a little smack. There’s no way I broke it or anything like that. Why did you cry out so loudly as if I slaughtered a pig?”“It hurts—it hurts so much.” Caroline did not reply, merely continuing to clutch at the smacked area and moaning in pain.After a moment of silence, Belinda still crouched down to check, though she grumbled, “I was only a little bit more forceful
Their mother Belinda was simply biased. She favored girls over boys. What could they do? This was their lot, being born into the Fisher family. Even their daughters did not have much standing with their mother. Only the daughter Caroline would eventually have was Belinda’s much-anticipated successor.If he had not been born into the Fisher family and did not have to rely on Fisher Enterprise for a living, Adrian would have wished for the Fishers to fall into chaos and for their hateful family rules to be changed. All the other families were led by patriarchs, but it was the opposite for the Fishers.“Dad, why do you think Mom and Caroline are awake this early? It’s too early for just a walk. It’s so cold outside too. Are they not scared of the cold?”There was heating indoors and though it was not snowing, the temperature was still very low. The Wiltspoonians who had come over to Jensburg rarely went out unless it was for business precisely because they were scared of the cold.Hun
“Why, Dad?” Adrian voiced the confusion he and his brothers shared.Hunter lowered his voice and said, “Your mom is inviting the Wiltspoonians over for a meal. You think that’s a good thing? Even if your mom thinks it’s a good idea, those people won’t be willing. They’re all intent on avenging the previous matriarch.”Justin said, “They can only suspect that Mom was behind the previous head’s death—they have no proof. They’re people of status and position, and without evidence, are they really willing to act carelessly? Aren’t they afraid of ending up in prison? It’ll be their loss.”Jason nodded in agreement.However, Adrian said thoughtfully, “I heard that the previous matriarch’s assistant has appeared. That old man is a resilient one. He’s nearly a hundred years old, still alive, and has even come back to Jensburg. He knows what happened back then.“Things probably aren’t as simple as they seem. Plus, someone’s reported Mr. Gordon for illegal possession of firearms. There’s no
Even if there were dangers hidden in the banquet tonight, he had to walk with her into it.“But tonight's dinner is definitely fraught with peril. You guys need to stick close to Caroline. I can promise you that it will keep you alive,” Hunter said. “Your mom won’t let her only daughter come to harm, so she’ll make sure everything is well arranged to protect Caroline. If you follow her, you’ll be safe.”Adrian frowned. “Dad, that’s just your guess. We’re her sons. If there is danger, why would she call us back? Dad, don’t overthink it.” Hunter glared at his eldest son. “You never listen to me. If you had listened and all returned to the Clark family home, I wouldn’t be so anxious tonight. And now, you’re still ignoring what I say.“Your mom has hated me to the bone for a long time. She usually doesn’t even want to see me, so do you really think she suddenly asked me to move back just for the sake of having a family reunion this Christmas? Why hasn’t she called all your children ba
The mother and daughter pair who had not slept all night were taking a walk in the courtyard. Despite the cold outside, they seemed unaffected by it. They did not talk about grievances or grudges and instead chatted about everyday matters. At that moment, they were just an ordinary mother and daughter.After walking for some time, Belinda said, “Caroline, let’s sit for a bit. I’m getting old and I can’t walk much longer.”With that, she took the lead and sat on a long stone bench. Caroline followed suit.“It’s almost dawn.” Belinda looked up at the sky. “In winter, the nights are long and the days short. If it were summer, it would already be bright by now.”She adjusted her coat and asked her daughter, “Are you cold?”Caroline replied, “Yes, it’s quite chilly outside.”Belinda reached out to fix her daughter’s collar and said, “You’re dressed too lightly. You should wear a thicker coat. You’re usually in heated places, so you don’t feel the cold, but once away from the warmth, i
All three of Hunter’s sons had children, and their wives had taken the kids back to Hunter’s hometown to celebrate Christmas, acquiescing to his arrangements. Hunter prioritized the Clarks’ offspring, while Belinda prioritized protecting her daughter, a Fisher. However, those were still her grandchildren, so she did not ask her daughters-in-law to bring the kids back. It was better for them to stay far from the conflict.Hunter had managed that part well. He understood her ruthlessness and that if the grandchildren had not left, they would not survive. His sons, however, refused to heed his advice and were unwilling to leave. Belinda pressed her lips together. Tonight, it was up to fate. If their lives were not meant to end, then they might just be saved; if they could not escape and were consumed by the flames, at least she, as their mother, would accompany them and bring many influential people along for the ride, making their deaths worth it.As dawn broke, a new day began. Caroli
Elisa giggled. “I’m not really jealous. I was just joking with you, Mom. You started it first by joking with me.“I also know that you’re good to Remy for my sake, hoping that my future in-laws will see how well we treat him and, in turn, treat me well too.“But Mom, even if I have to move to Annenburg with Remy in the future, you don’t need to worry about me being bullied. He can protect me, and I can protect myself too. Have you forgotten who I am?“I’m the little hothead. I’m the one who bullies others, not the other way around.”Audrey removed her daughter’s hand and lightly pinched her cheek. “I’m not worried at all about you being bullied by your in-laws. My future in-laws are wonderful people. Their family values are upright, and their household is harmonious. You hit the jackpot by finding a man like Remy.”Elisa said proudly, “That’s because I have a discerning eye. Any man I choose, and his family, must be excellent.”“Yes, yes, you have the best eye.” Audrey laughed an
When Alice saw her sister-in-law return, she quickly asked, “Elisa, have you eaten yet? If not, I can make something for you.”Audrey stopped her daughter-in-law and said, “Don’t worry about her. She’s got Remy in the kitchen cooking something delicious for her. With Remy around, she’s not going to starve.”Hearing this, Alice smiled and sat back down. Elisa protested, “Mom, how can you say that? Remy’s cooking for me of his own volition. You always say I’m exploiting him. You’re getting more and more biased.“You feel sorry for Remy but not me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have found such a good son-in-law like Remy. So, you should still love me the most, just like before.”Audrey chuckled. “If it weren’t for you saying you wanted to eat his cooking, would he be in the kitchen right now? I called you two over for dinner, but you didn’t want to come.“Remy has been working all day. He must be tired, but when he comes home, he still has to serve you like a princess.”“Mom
“I’m not picky with food. Whatever you like, I’ll enjoy it too, so I’ll base the dishes on your preferences.”No matter what, he always put her first.Elisa said contentedly, “I’ll go back home and check on things. I heard my nephew crying earlier. Once the food is ready, just call me over from the fence.”Remy replied dotingly, “Alright, go ahead and check on him. You can bring the baby over to play for a while too.”After being taken out for a stroll, the little one had grown quite fond of going outside. If he cried after being fed, hydrated, and well-rested, it was clear that he just wanted to go out and see the world.As Elisa walked out, she said, “We’ll be eating soon. If we bring him over and he starts crying to go out, it’ll ruin our meal. It’s better to leave him at home for Grandpa True to look after.“Nowadays, he’s the apple of Grandpa True’s eye. Grandpa True even said that to see more of the younger generations, he’ll strive to live a few more years.”Patrick’s wil
However, Remy felt that his niece, Chloe, seemed even more outstanding than her brother. Perhaps in the future, it would be Chloe who would take charge of the family.“I miss Clo-clo so much. I don’t know why, but lately, whenever I see little babies, I feel especially fond of them. Maybe it’s because as I get older, I’m becoming more maternal.”“You’re not old at all. I’m older than you, so don’t talk about being old in front of me.”Remy did not like hearing her say she was getting old. If she was old, then he was even older. Remy felt that he was still in his prime, especially since he had not even married Elisa yet.“I’m older than Seren, and her baby is due in two months.“Oh, by the way, earlier, besides complaining that I was making you cook and worrying that I was tiring you out, my mom also suggested that we start preparing for pregnancy. She said that by the time we hold the wedding in the fall, it could be a double celebration.”Remy turned to look at her, his eyes bur
“Just like how Grandma May taught Zachary and the others, being able to cook isn’t just about earning points when looking for a wife—it’s also about rewarding your own stomach.” His own grandmother had not said anything like that. All she said was that flowers did not stay in bloom forever. Although the Johnsons were currently at their peak and were wealthy beyond measure, the world was unpredictable. Who knew in which generation the family might decline?Having more skills never hurt. Learning an extra skill meant that if the family ever fell on hard times, they would at least have the ability to support themselves.That was why their family elders encouraged them to develop a wide range of skills. They did not need to master everything, but they should at least have a basic understanding of many things. In truth, his cooking skills used to be quite average.It was only after he developed feelings for Elisa and learned that she had once had a crush on Zachary, who was skille
Audrey heard the cry of her precious grandson and immediately forgot about her daughter. She called out loudly, “You two enjoy your time together then. My grandson is crying, so I’m heading back inside.“You and Remy can start preparing for pregnancy too. When it’s time for the wedding, it’ll be a double celebration.”Hearing someone else’s daughter had given birth, Audrey was eager for her daughter to do so too. Though she was already a grandmother, she wanted to be a grandmother to her daughter’s child too. That was simply how elderly people with both sons and daughters were.Elisa was speechless. She heard the hurried footsteps of her mother heading back into the house, calling out before even entering, “Darling, don’t cry. Grandma’s back.”Elisa muttered, “Now that she has a grandson, even I, this precious daughter of hers, have been pushed aside. When I give her a grandson, I doubt there’ll be any room left for me.”She and Remy would definitely have children, but they were n
“Remy, Remy!” a voice called from outside. It sounded like Audrey. Remy came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.“You keep at it, I’ll go out. My mom must have seen the lights and knew you were back, so she’s calling you over for dinner at our house.”At this time, her family was probably halfway through their meal.Elisa put down the remote control and walked out of the house with a packet of snacks in hand, munching as she went.“Mom.” Elisa walked to the fence and responded to her mother.“Elisa? You’re back too? You came back and didn’t even come home for dinner? We’re eating right now. Hurry up and bring Remy over. Grandpa True was just saying that Remy hasn’t come over for dinner in a few days.”Remy had been busy entertaining clients lately, so he had not had time to join his in-laws for meals.Elisa replied, “Mom, I feel like eating Remy’s cooking tonight, so we won’t be coming over. You guys go ahead.”“Oh, you. It’s so late already, and you’re still making Remy c
Elisa said, “Although cousins can be as close as siblings, it’s still better to have another child. After all, we won’t be living at your family home permanently, and our children might not have much time to bond with their cousins in the future.“I have two older brothers, and the three of us have always been close. My brothers have always doted on me, and I can always talk about things with them. My sister-in-law has been very kind to me even after they got married too.“I’m used to having siblings around. It’s lively, and no matter what happens, we can always talk things through. It’s nice not having to face everything alone. I don’t want my children to feel lonely in the future.”Elisa continued, “Most importantly, I love children. If you could be the one to carry and give birth, sparing me the exhaustion of pregnancy, I’d even consider having three kids. But unfortunately, you can’t.“If I have to carry the baby myself, even though I love children, I’d only have two—preferably
Jasmine smiled. “I can’t tell. He’s so tiny. I’m scared when I have to carry him. I’m afraid of hurting him. What if he slips from my arms?”As a first-time mother, Jasmine was inexperienced. She was not like Serenity, who had raised a baby before. Josh and Zachary had secretly taken classes on how to look after a baby. The way Josh held the baby was more accurate than hers. “You’ll get better at it after learning slowly. I didn’t dare to carry my nephew either because I was scared of hurting him, but I’m an expert now.”Elisa could not resist touching the baby’s face again. She really liked babies.“Has the baby been fed?”Camila replied, “He was fed an hour ago.”The baby had been ravenous. Everyone was relieved when they saw the baby could feed normally. The doctor said the baby might experience jaundice a few days later and that premature babies should be monitored closely. Jaundice usually appeared when the baby was a few days old. It would reach its peak after