Married At First Sight Chapter 4507
River got into the car grinning like he’d just struck gold.
Serenity noticed and asked curiously, “River, what’s got you smiling like that?”
“Sis-in-law, Romina gave me a new outfit,” River said, proudly lifting the bag like it was a treasure chest. His grin was so wide his eyes nearly disappeared.
Serenity raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Romina say she bought that set for her brother—and just happened to buy a second one for you too?”
River shrugged. “Beats me. All I know is she said this set was mine. Called it a reward for all my hard work. But I think it was her way of sending a signal—like she’s into me. I mean, I’m a catch. She knows me well, how could she possibly resist?”
Serenity was speechless. It was obvious he was the one crushing on Romina, yet he spun it like she couldn’t stay away from him. If Romina heard this, she’d probably snatch the clothes back and toss them in the trash.
River pulled the suit from the bag and held it up against himself. “I’ve gotta say, Romina’s got great taste. This suit fits me perfectly.”
Serenity said, “Aren’t all black suits basically the same? As long as the size is right, it’ll look good. You guys always go for black or dark blue suits. Why doesn’t anyone ever wear white? Don’t you think white suits make you look like a real prince charming—could sweep any Snow White off her feet?”
River laughed. “Well, I like black. If you think white suits are so great, buy a few for my brother instead. But don’t blame him when you suddenly have a ton of love rivals. He’s got that charm, you know. Still, he’s crazy about you—he’d never look at anyone else.”
Serenity chuckled. “I did buy him a white suit, but he only wears it on special occasions. He’s usually in black too. River, putting aside all the drama between you and Romina, don’t you think she’s a great girl?”
River nodded. “She is. Even though we’re rivals, I’ve always admitted she’s impressive. I’ve met plenty of rich girls in Eaglioncile, but not many like her. She’s strong without being overbearing. She never bullies people, and even when dealing with competition, she stays respectful. Her ‘bad side’—yeah, that’s reserved just for me. Maybe she’s jealous that I’m better than her. Either way, she’s amazing. If I hadn’t become one of the bosses at Yantail, maybe I would’ve said yes when she tried to recruit me with that big offer. Things might’ve turned out different… maybe we wouldn’t be enemies.”
But the truth was, with the positions they held now, they could never be equals—he’d be beneath her.
Still, River didn’t regret staying loyal to Yantail. After all, he’d helped build the company into what it was today. Now that he was one of the key decision-makers, things were looking up—and so was his bank account.
The original owner held half the shares but stayed out of the day-to-day operations, just taking his cut of the profits. River, on the other hand, was in charge.
The former boss’s wife had tried to get her relatives hired into the company, but River wasn’t having it. Once he took over, he cleaned house—firing those who were there through connections and bringing in real talent from outside.
When hiring for key roles, River personally interviewed and vetted every candidate. If they didn’t pass probation, they were out.
Even if they did, he implemented quarterly evaluations. Anyone who didn’t meet the bar got demoted, had their pay docked—or got fired altogether.
Married At First Sight Chapter 4508
These days, everyone at Yantail—from upper management to entry-level staff—took their work seriously. No one dared slack off or try to coast, knowing a poor quarterly review could mean a pink slip.
As Yantail grew stronger, it had become one of the most sought-after companies in Eaglioncile. Fresh college grads were lining up to land a spot there.
If you didn’t hustle, someone else would. If you didn’t value your job, someone else was ready to take it.
That’s just how cutthroat the world had become.
Unless you were born into wealth, the only choice was to compete to survive.
Serenity asked, “Do you think you’re better off now than you would’ve been if you had taken that offer and worked under Romina?”
“Definitely better off now,” River replied. “If I’d joined her, she probably wouldn’t have even given me the time of day. But going up against her—that’s where the fun is. It drives me to make Yantail even bigger, just to prove I’ve got what it takes.”
He’d never once regretted choosing Yantail over Lafond’s Group.
He wasn’t like his sixth brother—willing to work for his sixth sister-in-law. River wanted to stand on equal ground.
Serenity looked at him. “Then have you realized you actually like Romina? Not just like—you love her.”
River paused. “…Sis-in-law, I know Grandma asked you to nudge me toward marriage, but just because I have a few conversations with a woman doesn’t mean we’re destined to be together.”
Serenity gave him a long look. “If that’s how you see it, then fine. Let’s head home—the kids are asleep.”
River nodded and drove his sister-in-law and nephew home.
Once they got back to River’s large villa, he helped carry Maverick, fast asleep, upstairs. The boy was six and already used to sleeping alone, so River had set up a room for him next to his own. Serenity and her daughter slept in another wing, separated by his study and a guest room.
“Sis-in-law, Baby’s out cold. Want me to wake him up for a bath?”
“No need. Let him sleep. He can shower tomorrow.”
Serenity asked River to cover the boy with a blanket, then carried her daughter back to their room.
With his nephew settled, River headed straight for his master bedroom. He couldn’t wait to try on the suit Romina gave him. He stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. The longer he looked, the more convinced he was—he looked amazing.
He took a few selfies and sent them to Romina.
“This suit fits perfectly, like it was custom made. Don’t I look great?” he messaged.
Romina stared at her phone for a while before replying with a smirk:
“When you’re not being a jerk, you are handsome. But when you are, people forget your looks and just want to slap you.”
River fired back:
“I’m mean? You’re just as bad. That temper of yours makes people forget how pretty you are—and start seeing you as a little demon instead.”
Romina: “…”
She swallowed her frustration.
It was late. She didn’t want to ruin her mood and lose sleep over this. So she did what she always did—blocked his number for the night. She’d unblock him once she cooled off tomorrow.
This had become a routine.
After all, he’d been the one to add her on social media in the first place—just so they could argue more conveniently.
Married At First Sight Chapter 4509
River didn’t realize Romina had blocked him—again. He waited for a reply but got nothing. So, he tried calling her.
Only to find out the call wouldn’t go through.
“She blocked me again? Seriously, that’s like the hundredth time today,” he grumbled.
Giving up on trying to reach her, River took a few selfies before taking off the new clothes. He decided to have them dry-cleaned tomorrow before wearing them again.
Too bad Romina only gave him one set.
She bought so many clothes—why couldn’t she have given him two sets? Then he could wear something she picked out every day.
Wait, what?
River froze.
What was he even thinking?
He and Romina were supposed to be mortal enemies.
Why would he want her to give him clothes? Why would he want to wear something she gave him every day?
Suddenly, Serenity’s words flashed through his mind—her teasing suggestion that maybe he liked Romina, or even… loved her.
He had shut it down immediately.
They’d been butting heads for years. All he ever thought about was how to outsmart her, how to beat her at her own game, how to steal her clients and block her moves.
And she was just as ruthless with him.
Sure, he didn’t exactly hate her. But love her?
No way.
If he did, he’d be spoiling her rotten by now. Every York man, once in love, was all-in.
And he definitely wasn’t like that with Romina.
“I’m overthinking this. No way I’m in love with Romina,” he muttered. “It’s my sister-in-law who’s thinking too much.”
Still, his mind drifted back to the past—beyond the open battles and hidden schemes. There were other moments. Little things. Times when it wasn’t about business. He had acted differently around her. Maybe even gone out of his way just to irritate her.
He liked seeing her angry. It gave him energy.
If she ever found out that he enjoyed making her mad, she’d probably storm over and throttle him in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, after blocking River, Romina restarted her car and headed home.
Soon, she pulled into the Lafond family mansion.
It was late. The house was quiet. All the servants were off duty.
They worked from six in the morning until ten at night. If the masters weren’t home, they could leave once they finished their tasks.
The lights in the first-floor hall were still on.
Romina parked in the garage and noticed her older brother’s car was already there. No wonder the lights were on—he’d gotten home before her.
Just as she approached the door with her bags of clothes, her brother stepped out.
“Brother? It’s so late—are you heading out again?”
She glanced at his car in the garage. If he were going out, the car wouldn’t be parked inside.
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Donovan said. “I heard a car pull in and came to check.”
He eyed the bags in her hands. “You got back late tonight. No social events? Went shopping instead? What’d you buy?”
Romina walked into the house with him and handed him the bags. “I went shopping with a new friend. She was buying clothes for her husband. I got bored, so I picked out a few sets for you.”
Donovan chuckled. “You know I don’t need more clothes. I’ve still got a bunch in the closet with the tags on.”
Married At First Sight Chapter 4510
“I hardly ever go shopping,” Romina replied. “So when I do, I thought I’d get you something. Don’t you like them?”
“Of course I do,” Donovan said quickly. “If they’re from my sister, I love them. Didn’t you get anything for yourself?”
“Nothing I really wanted. But I did buy a bunch of toys for my friend’s kids.”
The siblings sat down on the couch in the hall.
“Are Mom and Dad asleep?” Romina asked.
“Yeah, they turned in early. They’re all about health these days.”
After retiring, their parents completely stepped away from business. Now, they focused solely on wellness and staying youthful.
Their grandfather was still the company chairman, even at his age. But their parents had decided it was time to pass the torch. They believed the younger generation could handle it.
Romina sighed. “I envy them. Mom and I go out together and people always think she’s my sister. They can’t believe she’s my mom—she takes such good care of herself.”
“Dad too,” Donovan agreed. “We’re fully grown adults, and he still looks like he could be my brother.”
He figured their youthful appearance had a lot to do with the fact that they were barely stressed. Their dad had offloaded all business responsibilities to him and spent his days traveling with their mom.
No stress. Lots of rest. And meticulous self-care.
They always went to bed before ten—usually around nine. Sometimes a little later, but rarely.
Romina and Donovan, on the other hand, often worked late into the night. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t take care of themselves the way their parents did.
“We’re basically workhorses,” Donovan muttered. “Beasts of burden for the family.”
Romina laughed. “Is your new friend River’s sister-in-law?” Donovan asked casually. He knew his sister well enough to guess.
Romina didn’t have many close friends—just two best girlfriends, both of whom worked for their family businesses and were too busy to hang out during the week.
So, when she suddenly skipped evening social events to go shopping, Donovan was curious.
Could it be… for River’s sake?
Though that didn’t make sense. His sister was always trying to trip River up.
“It’s Sister Seren,” Romina replied.
Of course it was.
Donovan teased, “You’re just like River—cross-eyed over that family. You’re willing to go shopping with his sister-in-law.”
“River is River. Seren is Seren,” Romina said, rolling her eyes. “I’m friends with Seren, not him. Big difference.”
“She’s not even his real sister-in-law,” Romina added. “She’s his cousin. But Seren said the Yorks don’t make those distinctions. They all live together, go in and out of the same house, and treat each other like one big family.”
“River’s really sweet to his nieces and nephews. Especially Bethany.”
Romina’s eyes softened. “That little girl is so pretty and adorable. She doesn’t talk clearly yet, but people fall in love with her at first sight. She wanted me to hold her the first time we met. Seren said that was a shock. She said Bethany’s really picky—lots of people want to hold her, but she refuses.”
Donovan raised a brow. “Sounds like the kid’s already a snob.”
Romina glared at him. “She’s just a baby, barely over a year old! Babies are pure-hearted. They can sense people’s intentions. Some folks look nice but aren’t. Kids can tell.”