Callum brought Nana downstairs and the two prepared to go to the hotel to have lunch.The moment they exited the office building, Callum spotted Serenity with his sharp eyes.“Nana, now I understand why Zachary asked me to bring you out for lunch.”He pointed at the entrance of the office building and said to Nana, “Serenity’s here and she’s even carrying an insulated lunch box. She brought him lunch.”No wonder Zachary was burning with anxiety about getting him to take Nana and leave. He did not want Nana to third-wheel them.Nana stopped in her tracks and squinted for a while, saying, “That really is Seren. Hurry and give your cousin a call and remind him to change rooms. Let him use yours, and don’t let Seren find out.”Callum hummed in acquiescence and called Zachary.Even without Callum’s heads-up, Zachary knew long ago that Serenity had arrived.There was a pair of binoculars in his drawer. Once he had sent Nana on her way, he had gone to stand by the window, staring down
“I’ve already eaten.”Serenity answered without hesitation, then thought for a second before saying, “Why don’t I accompany you as you eat? Once you’re done eating, I’ll go back.”A light sparked in Zachary’s eyes. “Let’s go to my office then.”Serenity glanced once more at the crowd of people in black and tentatively asked, “I’m not an employee of your company. Can I enter just like that?”“It’s fine since I’m bringing you in.”He reached his hand out to Serenity, and after a moment of hesitation, she put her hand in his.As he held her hand, a hint of a smile appeared on Zachary’s face that escaped Serenity’s notice.With one hand carrying the insulated lunch box Serenity had personally sent over and the other holding her hand, he led Serenity into the building under everyone’s astonished and speculative gazes.“Mr. York.”“Mr. York.”Everyone who saw Zachary would greet him respectfully.They would also smile and nod at Serenity but they greeted her bearing a sense of won
Zachary opened the lid of the insulated lunch box as he said, “If you join my company and work here, you’ll realize that everyone addresses each other this way regardless of position. Our company culture places respect as a priority. Anyway, I’m just an average existence here.”Serenity stuck her tongue out at him. “Luckily, I don’t have the capability to join your company and work here, or else there’d be too many names to remember.”Zachary looked at her meaningfully. “You’re in a pretty good position right now. You have freedom, and you earn quite a bit too. You don’t know how many people would envy a self-employed person with freedom like you.”“I couldn’t get used to being managed by someone, so I opened my shop with Jasmine right after graduation. Jasmine’s family helped a lot, or else we wouldn’t have been able to get the operating rights to our shop.” It was not easy to open a shop right at the entrance of a school.“Was that copper wire tree bought from my online shop?”
“It won’t make Nana any happier if it’s just her and me. Nana moans that I’m not much of a talker. She prefers you.” Serenity nonchalantly said, “We can take Nana for a vacation together.” Having gotten what he wanted, Zachary responded, “Sure.” “There’s a resort in the western suburb. I’ll take you and Nana there tomorrow for some fresh air,” he added.Liberty and Hank would begin the divorce proceedings the day after tomorrow, so as Liberty’s side of the family, they must be there to have her back. Hence why Zachary only had a day to have a date with his wife. The resort was one of the Yorks’ many estates, but it was a profit-making business that was open to the public. There was always a high influx of vacationers, there for a getaway every year. “I heard the place is beautiful and fun.” “I’ve never been there. I wonder what it’s like.” Serenity whipped out her phone to search for pictures of the resort. After looking at the pictures, she began to look forward to to
Nevertheless, the piece of paper was not on her dressing table anymore. She seemed… to have drawn something on the back of the contract… Yikes!Serenity glared at the sleeping man. Zachary did not just unwittingly destroy her drawing but also the agreement between them. No, hers may be gone, but the contract in his hand must be locked away somewhere safe. Zachary was unresponsive when Serenity poked him in the face, so she jabbed him again and said, “It’s unfair that you accidentally destroyed mine while you still have yours. It puts me in a precarious situation.”Maybe she should steal his contract and get rid of it. It would put them on a level playing field. No one had the contract to restrict anyone. Serenity would feel much more at ease. The thought that she did not have access to his bedroom was a hurdle though. How could she steal the contract to destroy it? Should she get him drunk? Knock him unconscious? Or seduce him? Serenity ran through many scenarios in h
Forget the eight younger brothers and cousins after Zachary, Zachary himself was a source of Grandma May’s distress. Grandma May’s husband once broke down to her about the grandsons’ characters. He said Zachary would be the world’s greatest grandson to Grandma May, but also the one she could not take her mind off. Grandma May’s husband even predicted that with Zachary’s personality, the boy would be single all his life if Grandma May did not meddle in his marriage. Now it appeared her old man was right on the money. “Old Mrs. York, you can’t rush relationships. Marriage is a lifelong milestone. Serenity doesn’t want to end up with the wrong man like Liberty. Although divorce is common nowadays, it’s a high price to pay to waste all the years in a relationship for nothing.” The sound of the door unlocking was heard. “Mr. Zachary and the missus are back.” The old lady reminded Mrs. Lane, “Be careful how you address me.” Mrs. Lane nodded her head. Zachary and Serenity wal
Back in Serenity’s room, Serenity was unpacking for Grandma May. The old lady even brought along her mug for drinking water. “Did something happen, Nana? Why did you move out of your place?”“Sigh. Let’s not go there. My children and grandchildren put me under stress. It’s a thankless job just worrying about them. I’m going to leave them alone and stay with you for a while. At least, they’ll be out of my hair.” Serenity put away Grandma May’s things before going into the bathroom to draw her a bath. “Nana, I ran the bath for you. You can have a nice hot bath.” “Okay.” The old lady quickly grabbed a set of pajamas and went into the bathroom. “That’s why I want a daughter or granddaughter. Girls are so thoughtful. See, Zachary didn’t even show me any concern since I arrived at the house. Seren, you always have my best interest at heart.” Serenity replied with a smile, “Nana, you told me Zachary was attentive and caring when you first fixed us up. Your kids and grandchildren need
Serenity took a few steps forward when the bedroom door swung open. It was not her room but Zachary’s. He walked out with his water glass in his warm pajamas. It appeared he wanted to pour himself a glass of water. The couple ran into each other. They came face-to-face. Zachary flicked the light switch and asked Serenity, “Why aren’t you in bed?” Serenity embarrassedly murmured, “Your nana is snoring loudly, Zachary. I can’t catch a wink.” Zachary approached her room and opened the door to pop his head in. Sure enough, he heard the loud snores coming from his nana. It was obvious that Nana was faking it. Quietly closing the door, Zachary turned back to face Serenity and said, “How do you plan to sleep?” “I was going to sleep with Mrs. Lane, but she’s fast asleep. I couldn’t wake her, and her door is locked from the inside. I can’t get in. I guess my only choice is the sofa.” Zachary went to pour himself a glass of water. He saw the pillow and coat on the sofa. “I