It was eleven o’clock at night by the time Serenity closed the shop. She rode her e-bike home. “Drive safe, Serenity.” The female store owner from next door graciously said. Serenity replied with a smile, “I will.” Watching Serenity’s receding figure, the female store owner muttered, “She’s such an independent child with a sad past. It was a good thing she stood up to her bloodsucking relatives and refused to succumb to their absurd demands.“Just watch her. Serenity will rise above all the bad. Her good fortune is written in the stars, and she’s bound for success. Things are difficult before they are easy. Those who picked on her will be sorry.” The female store owner then glanced at her husband and pursed her lips. “You’re always into the mystic mumbo jumbo. Why don’t you start a business on fortune telling or something? Why don’t you give me a reading? When will I be rich?“Hurry up and move the stuff into the shop so we can close for the day. We should wash up and get som
“I’ve made the maneki-neko, but Ms. Stone saw and loved the creation when she suddenly came to visit me. I thought since we live together, I can make it up to you at any time.” Black in the face, Zachary fixated his profound eyes on her. Serenity asked cautiously, “Are you angry, Mr. York?” Zachary scowled and spoke in an icy tone, “How can I not be angry when you gave something meant for me to someone else without my permission?” To make things worse, Serenity gave it to Elisa! Did Serenity know that Elisa was chasing her husband? How could she give away his maneki-neko to her competition? That was generous of her! Serenity stopped looking at her phone. Holding her plate of mac and cheese, she made her way toward Zachary while eating. She sat down next to Zachary and said fawningly, “I’m sorry, Mr. York. It’s my fault. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. Don’t be mad.” Zachary glared at her rather grimly. His lips were pressed together tightly. Since Zachary had not c
Peering at Serenity’s pasta dish, Zachary was feeling bummed out. There she was, eating well. How could she be sitting next to him, enjoying her meal while he was upset? The girl… was heartless. Ultimately, they were different from other couples. Theirs was a marriage of convenience without feelings involved. Bottling up his frustration, Zachary asked glumly, “Isn’t Ms. Stone the heiress of Stone Group? Why did she look for you? Since when have you two been acquainted?” Zachary played dumb despite knowing the answer as he got his intel directly from Elisa. He never once mentioned Elisa in Serenity’s presence. Serenity recounted the story of how she met Elisa to Zachary. It aligned with Elisa’s version of events. “Ms. Stone came and opened up to me about her feelings for the heir of the Yorks. Her decision to chase after Mr. York wasn’t quite well received by her family. She was feeling down and asked me for ideas to make advances at Mr. York.” Zachary raised his brow.
Furthermore, Zachary was only thirty years old. How did that make him old? Serenity mentioned more than once that he was a middle-aged man. Zachary had his power of meditation to thank as Serenity’s words could have stung him to the point of blowing his cover. “My boss isn’t old. He’s not a middle-aged man!” Pulling himself together, Zachary defended himself. Serenity looked at him. “I thought you never met your boss. How do you know he isn’t a middle-aged man? Do you think someone young can run a huge company like York Corporation? Although the business world is not my thing, I know what a big deal York Corporation is in Wiltspoon. York Corporation is neck to neck with that something & Co. in Annenburg.” Zachary replied after what seemed like an imaginary eyeroll, “FC & Co.”Like York Corporation, FC & Co. of Annenburg was a giant in its respective city. Behind FC & Co. was the multi-billionaire Johnson family. The present CEO, Ben Young-Johnson was a year younger than Zach
“I have a suggestion, but I’m on Ms. Stone’s side, so I can’t tell you about it.” Grabbing her plate and utensils, Serenity got up and went to the kitchen. Zachary quietly watched as her figure disappeared into the kitchen. A while later, he rose to his feet and walked over. Leaning against the kitchen door frame, he asked solemnly, “You’ve only just met Ms. Stone. Why are you on her side already?” “Ms. Stone and I might not have known each other for a long time, but I’ve never even met your boss. Whose side would you think I’ll take? Ms. Stone is my type of gal. What’s wrong with supporting her to go for Mr. York?“Your boss must be a lofty person. Wait till Ms. Stone has him wrapped around her little fingers. He’ll be all over her. Hahaha. Let’s see if he’s going to be haughty then. Isn’t it a fun storyline? I can write a book out of it.“I have a lot of free time at the shop. If the sales of my online business aren’t doing too well, I should try to write a book. That’s ano
Josh would be the first to quit and stay as far away as possible if Zachary were interested in men. Problem with his manhood? Zachary had not fallen head over heels for Serenity. Well, he would show her once he took a fancy to her and consummate the marriage! It took a while before Zachary got up and made an abrupt exit to his room. He slammed the door behind him. The loud bang was a reflection of his foul mood. Serenity waited until he closed his bedroom door before getting up. She picked up the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the bin while mumbling under her breath, “It was a good thing I thought it through. Otherwise, I’d have lost to him.” The lesson today was not to make a bet before getting full intel on the opponent. There was a risk of things blowing up in her face. As for her proposal of a wager and her sudden change of heart, Serenity was not concerned at all. It was normal to back out of a deal since they had not signed a contract. While hu
The couple walked down the stairs together. Zachary went for his morning run while Serenity rode her e-bike to the market. She was mounting the bike when Zachary reminded her, “Get extra groceries to bring to your shop. You can cook your lunch. You should stop ordering takeout.” “Got it.” “I’ll have the Wiltspoon Hotel deliver meals to you every day if I catch you with another takeout.” Serenity turned her head to shoot him an angry look. “Squanderer!” Zachary made a wry face. Not too far away, the bodyguard, who pretended to pass by, nearly snickered after overhearing Serenity. Refusing to spend another minute with the squanderer, Serenity rode her bike away. “The girl doesn’t know what’s good for her!” Zachary waited until she was long gone before making that snide comment. Serenity looked around the marketplace and bought a lot of fresh vegetables and long-lasting melons to stuff the fridge. The potatoes, carrots, and onions were placed in a ventilated bag on the flo
Now things were starting to get interesting. Serenity had no idea that her man nipped another one of her headaches in the bud in those mere minutes.After the spaghetti was cooked to al dente, Serenity plated it together with the tomato sauce base. She also sprinkled diced pork belly and basil on top, but only a dash of chili powder on her plate. It was only a quick sprinkle as Serenity was worried it might be too spicy than she could take. Statistics showed that Wiltspoonians were not fond of the extra pow in their meals. “Mr. York, breakfast’s ready.” Serenity carried her plate out of the kitchen while beckoning Zachary, who was on the swing, to the dinner table. Zachary was without a word, but he left the balcony. Seeing that his breakfast was not served on the dining table, he quietly went into the kitchen and brought out his share. “You can add as much chili powder as you like. My sister loves hot spices, so she put together a bunch of hot flavors to make her own.”