Chapter 12
Author: Gu Lingfei
The dinner party was held at Wiltspoon Hotel, a place Serenity never had a chance to step into.

The Wiltspoon Hotel was one of the finest hotels in the city. Some said it was a seven-star hotel, but Serenity had no idea if that was true because it was not the type of news she would follow.

Jasmine’s aunt arrived at the hotel before the girls and exchanged greetings with her friends. The aunt then told her children to enter the hotel while she stayed at the door to wait for Jasmine and Serenity to arrive.

As the car she arranged cruised over behind other cars, the aunt curled her lips to smile.

A few minutes later, Jasmine, with Serenity in tow, approached the aunt.

“Aunt Rachel.”

“Mrs. Lowe.”

Serenity and her best friend said hello to Rachel.

Rachel was not entirely okay with Jasmine bringing Serenity along as she had met the girl before. Rachel had to admit that the girl, who lost her parents at a young age, was better looking than her niece. Despite coming from a middle-class family, Serenity carried herself with natural grace and class.

The aunt was initially worried Serenity might overshadow her niece, but since Jasmine’s mom mentioned Serenity was married, Rachel was relieved.

Seeing that Serenity ditched the evening dress for common clothes, opted for light makeup, and forewent the jewelry, Rachel was glad that her glamorous niece outshone Serenity’s natural beauty. At least, Serenity was sensible and knew her place.

“Come with me. I’ll take you in. Jasmine, take out your invite. The security will check it for registration.”

Jasmine immediately pulled out her invitation.

“Mind yourselves when you get in. Try to talk less but observe more. If the time is right, I’ll introduce you around. Seren, I can trust you more than I do Jasmine. Watch Jasmine so she stays out of trouble. The Wiltspoon Hotel is one of the hotels the richest family owns. The family’s heirs might be here tonight.”

Rachel then whispered in her niece’s ear, “Jasmine, it would be a great blessing to our family if you win the heart of one of the heirs. The family tends to keep a low profile and adopts healthy family values. You don’t hear much of a power struggle. Most importantly, the men in that family are decent enough not to have mistresses.

“My daughter isn’t at the age to marry yet. Otherwise, I would’ve saved the chance for my daughter.”

Ultimately, Rachel had a closer bond with her daughter than with her niece.

However, her daughter was only seventeen and not at the legal age to marry.

Jasmine replied, “… Aunt Rachel, I wouldn’t dare dream of climbing up the social ladder by marrying the richest family in Wiltspoon.”

She came here for the food.

Serenity stood next to them, listening without butting in.

She was here to play second fiddle anyway. Her eyes were set on the food as it was said that Wiltspoon Hotel had great chefs.

“What’s the last name of the richest family?”

Although Jasmine was not a daydreamer, it did not stop her from prying.

“York.”

“York? Now, isn’t that peculiar?” Jasmine nudged her best friend as Serenity’s new husband shared the same last name.

Serenity knew what her best friend was getting at, but she simply grinned without a word. Although her husband’s last name was York, Zachary had no relation to the richest family except for the surname. It was common to share the same full name, let alone a last name.

“The Yorks might be made of money, but they’re not snobs. The family will accept whoever their boys pick so long as the woman is of good character. The Yorks are pretty open-minded.”

Rachel had no qualms about pushing her niece to go after the Yorks.

Her niece was good-looking and nice. Jasmine’s family was also well-off, and although nowhere near the wealthiest family, the Soxes prevailed over many.

Jasmine’s nonchalance tempted Rachel to pull her ear. In the end, Rachel helplessly uttered, “You two should head in. I just saw a friend. I’m going there to say hello.”

“Aunt Rachel, we’ll go in then.”

Jasmine hastily dragged Serenity to get away from Aunt Rachel’s nagging. Aunt Rachel was exactly like her mom. It was no wonder Aunt Rachel got along with Mom. They were two of a kind.

It was Serenity’s first time at the Wiltspoon Hotel while Jasmine had been here a few times. Leading her best friend, Jasmine nimbly grabbed two plates of food and hid in a corner.

“We don’t know these ladies. They won’t give us the time of day if we go up and introduce ourselves. Let’s dig in, Seren. We’re here to check out the scene and see what a party among the higher society is like.”

Serenity said with a smile, “Mrs. Sox is going to kill you if she finds out you’re only here for the food.”

Nonetheless, Serenity came for the same thing.

Jasmine uttered without a care, “Look at me. Who am I to snag one of the eligible bachelors here tonight? My aunt is dreaming to think the heirs would fancy me.

“Seren, do I look like Miss Universe or Miss World to you? Would the heirs think I’m a catch? Heh. Only my aunt would think that. Let’s not bother. Come on. Dig in. The Wiltspoon Hotel’s known for its gourmet food. I had been to the hotel restaurant in the past, but I couldn't bring myself to order some of the dishes. They were too expensive. I can finally try them tonight.”

“Thanks to you, I get to try the food too.”

Like Jasmine, Serenity was indifferent about the whole thing.

Serenity was married anyway.

The pair hid in a corner as they enjoyed a great feast.

Suddenly, the crowd turned their eyes to the hotel entrance. With silence filling the room, the pair, who were munching in delight, realized something was up.

Serenity elbowed her best friend and asked, “Jasmine, why did they stop talking? They are all facing the door. Who’s there?”

“No idea.”

Jasmine stood up while Serenity followed behind. Getting on their tiptoes, the pair tried to get a view of the hotel entrance, but there were too many people in between to witness the grand entrance. It was quite a bustle that drew everybody’s attention.

Dressed to the nines, Zachary walked into his family-owned hotel surrounded by his bodyguards.

The organizer of the event tonight was a prominent figure in the business world who was buddies with the Yorks. Since Zachary was head of the York family and the party was held in his family’s hotel, the least Zachary could do was to show up.

After sorting out the critical affairs, Zachary made an appearance at the event.

His lofty build and attractive appearance, despite his tense facial muscles and standoffish presence, were like a magnet, drawing everybody’s attention wherever he went.

“Mr. York.”

“Mr. York.”

Zachary was showered with reverent greetings as he made his way through the crowd.

The high-standing CEOs greeted Zachary face-to-face.

Zachary courteously nodded his head in response to the hellos.
Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Related Chapters

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 13

    Zachary was the center of attention as he walked into the room, completely oblivious to his new bride in a corner. Serenity’s gaze could not get past the crowd and onto her man’s face. After failing to catch a glimpse of the leading man despite standing on her toes to look for a long time, Serenity soon lost interest and sat back down. She tugged on her best friend and said, “I won’t bother. There are too many people around to get a good look. Let’s eat.” To Serenity, the mission tonight was to pig out! “Wait for me here, Seren. I’ll ask my aunt who came. All that commotion is as if the king has graced us with his presence.” The curiosity was eating Jasmine up inside. “Sure,” Serenity casually replied. Jasmine went off on her own. Since Serenity had cleared her plates, she picked up her empty plates and got up. While everybody was fussing over the VIP, Serenity could grab the food at ease without enduring the stares and dirty looks. Zachary walked into the room and firs

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 14

    Jasmine brought a glass of red wine to her lips and took a sip. “You read too many chick lits. There are so many people with the same first and last names under the sun, much less a surname. Bill Gates is one of the richest men, but do you think everybody with that last name is his family?” Jasmine smiled. “You have a point.” “My husband is a white-collar worker. He drives a national car that’s worth about a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Do you think the heir of the Yorks would drive that sort of car? You have a wild imagination, don’t you?” Serenity never dreamed about becoming Cinderella. It was fine to daydream but not to the extent of being out of touch with reality. “Come to think of it, can the head of the York family swing the other way since he doesn’t want young females approaching him? Is he married?” Serenity was the least bit interested in the young heir’s appearance. Nevertheless, it was questionable that he shunned away from young women. Either he was c

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 15

    Having eaten to her heart’s content, Jasmine gleefully said, “Shawn, I’m not interested in the eligible bachelors. Serenity and I are only here to check out the scene and taste the food. The place lives up to its name as a seven-star hotel. The food is amazing. It was a hearty meal.” Shawn was speechless.“We’re stuffed now. It’s getting late, Shawn. Serenity and I got to go. Please let my aunt know on my behalf.” Anxious, Shawn did a double take on Serenity and answered, “Leaving so soon? Jas, the party is only halfway through. It’s still early. The earliest would be eleven o’clock tonight before the party’s over.” Serenity chimed in. “We have a business to run tomorrow, so we can’t stay out that late.” With the pair getting up, Shawn followed behind them. “You know you can delay the opening time by a few hours.” Shawn hovered around Serenity, hoping to keep the girls around for a little longer. “That won’t do. Our busiest times are in the morning, afternoon, and evenin

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 16

    Within the business community in Wiltspoon, anyone who had won Zachary’s favor would go places like the world was theirs to take. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe brought their son along to the dinner party so he could meet people and make friends. It was to lay the groundwork for their son’s future. “Mr. Lowe, you were…” “I was just returning from walking my family to get a ride.” Before Zachary could finish his sentence, Shawn jumped in to explain what he was doing in case Zachary might take it the wrong way that Shawn did not care for these social settings or was unhappy with the hotel service.The Wiltspoon Hotel was one of the many hotels under the Yorks’ flagship. “Oh.” Zachary then walked past Shawn, looking like he only greeted Shawn out of politeness. Shawn had no time to get over the situation as a crowd around Zachary walked right past him. Shawn became a nobody in an instant. Everybody was used to Zachary making a brief appearance at an event before taking off. The CEOs w

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 17

    “Yeah.” Zachary answered in a deep voice. Serenity drew close, holding a carrier bag in hand. “I bought cranberries. Do you want some?” Black in the face, Zachary gave her a dirty look. All she did was eat at the dinner party. Yet, she still had room for more. She was such a glutton! “Cranberries can taste bitter when eaten raw, but there’s a sweet aftertaste that comes through. It was once the favorite of my most cherished man.” Taking the seat next to Zachary, Serenity opened the container of cranberries. Zachary discreetly scooted to the side to pull away from her. He did not want his clothes stained. “Your most cherished man?” “The man on the hundred-dollar bill.” Zachary was speechless. Money to him was a series of numbers in his account. “Do you want to try a bite? It’s tasty. For real. It’s delicious. I can’t get enough of it.” “No. Knock yourself out. One more thing. Can you take it to the dining hall? I can’t stand to see the furniture stained.” Seein

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 18

    “I wasn’t at the shop tonight. My friend wanted to attend a dinner party and asked me to tag along. Oh, right. Mr. York, I want to ask you about something, but I’m not sure if it’s something you’re comfortable answering.” Taking the seat opposite Zachary, Serenity stared at the man with her big bright eyes. The man was aloof, distant, and nasty toward her. She knew he built a wall around him to keep nobody out but her. However, he was blessed with good looks. His face was aesthetically pleasing as if she was looking at a beautiful scenery. “The party was held at the Wiltspoon Hotel. I heard the hotel belongs to the wealthiest family in the city. Guess what? The heir of the family attended tonight too. His last name is York, but I think you’re unrelated to that family, right?” Without batting an eye, Zachary blasély replied, “We just so happen to share the same last name.” Serenity heaved a sigh of relief and responded with a smile, “I knew you have no relations to the wealthi

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 19

    “I’m taking a trip back to my hometown after meeting your parents this weekend. I want to chop down a few bamboos to make the rails.” Zachary replied faintly, “No need, I’ll get someone to install the rails tomorrow.” The lady of the York house wanted to go all the way to her hometown to chop down some bamboo and haul them back for laundry-airing purposes. The only person who could come up with this is Serenity. “Sure. Thanks.” “This is also my home.” “Yeah,” Serenity answered before carrying her laundry to her bedroom. She pushed open her bedroom door before turning around to look at Zachary, “If you want, you can leave your dirty clothes out after shower. I’ll wash your clothes when I’m doing my laundry.” “It’s fine. Thank you. I’ll get someone to deliver two washing machines tomorrow. It’d be easy to have a washing machine in each of our bathrooms.” “Alright. Tell me how much you pay for the washing machines. I’ll split with you.” Serenity could not let him foot the

  • Married at First Sight   Chapter 20

    “Let’s go.” Zachary drew close and faintly uttered. “Kay.” Serenity went with him. As the couple walked together without a word, Serenity wanted to make conversation. However, that ever solemn and tensed face with an invisible “keep out” sign on that forehead of his was off-putting. His talent would go to waste if he did not become a school teacher. With a face like that, he could easily keep the children in check. A short while later, they arrived at the market. Serenity directed Zachary to park the car in an empty lot. After getting down from the car, she told him, “Come on. Let’s have breakfast.” Without a word, Zachary followed behind her. The great Zachary York was out of place for his first trip to the market, but he rolled with it and hid his discomfort from Serenity. The pair ordered a bagel sandwich each, and Serenity requested extra toppings for herself. Still, the bagel sandwich did not quell Serenity’s hunger. Zachary took his time with his food, observi

Latest Chapter

  • Chapter 4199

    Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.

  • Chapter 4198

    Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t

  • Chapter 4197

    Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h

  • Chapter 4196

    Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no

  • Chapter 4195

    After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even

  • Chapter 4194

    Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w

  • Chapter 4193

    Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus

  • Chapter 4192

    Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m

  • Chapter 4191

    The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App