Isabella looked pitiful, and the more she thought about it, the sadder she became. "I can't think of a reason."Isaiah wanted to refuse, but he relented when he saw Isabella's eyes turning red as she tried to look cute and cry. "Okay, I'll help you. Go to bed and cover yourself with a blanket. I'll wake you up in the morning.""Okay! Thank you, Isaiah!" Isabella happily agreed.After saying that, she obediently went back to her room. When she closed the door, she waved to Isaiah with a smile.Isaiah waited until he was sure she was asleep, then closed his own door. After consideration, he sent a message to Jojo.[Isaiah: We're back home. Do you want to go to the aquarium together tomorrow?]Jojo replied almost instantly, [No.] Once he saw the response, Isaiah called Jojo. To be honest, he did not want to see Isabella so preoccupied with another boy. However, he could not bear seeing her crying, even if he knew she might be acting."What's up?" Jojo answered the phone, sounding
Isaiah, who had come out with Isabella, was surprised.Was she not the one who said not to look for Jojo? Now she was running to him so quickly."Jojo, why did you come so early? Did you come to find me?" Isabella's eyes sparkled."Mm," Jojo replied flatly, clearly not sure how to talk to Isabella. Then, he handed over the small cake, adding, "This is a small cake my mommy and I made together. It's an apology gift for you. I shouldn't have pressured you to come back.""You're forgiven," Isabella chirped as she accepted the cake. She then pulled Jojo inside to have breakfast together.After breakfast, Isabella's attention shifted to the cake. She simply could not resist desserts, especially when Jojo had made it for her. "Jojo, this cake is so delicious!""Do you like it?" Jojo asked."Mmhmm!" Isabella nodded enthusiastically. "Next time you come to my house, I'll make a big one for you." Jojo felt relieved to see her enjoying it.Isabella nodded excitedly. "Okay."The two ki
Isabella took a bite of the cake, her flawless, rosy cheeks glowing with innocence. "I know! Mommy was the bride, and Daddy was the groom when they married.""Correct," Isaiah affirmed."When I grow up, I want to marry Jojo!"Isaiah was surprised. "No, wait… Jojo will marry me… Jojo will marry into our family," Isabella corrected herself."You're only four years old," Isaiah recorded as he continued the conversation."I know, so I'm playing house with Jojo later. When I grow up, I'll have Mommy and Daddy go to Jojo's house with me to propose and bring Jojo home," Isabella said seriously.Isaiah wisely refrained from commenting.When Isabella and Jojo played house in the afternoon, he did not intervene. Instead, he chose to act as the videographer. Despite his young age, his skills were impressive, and what should have been a simple game of house felt like a big-screen production when he captured it.After the game, Isabella introduced Jojo to some nearby friends, casually men
"What should we do?" Isabella placed particular importance on birthdays, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of unhappiness. "I would have rushed back to celebrate Jojo's birthday if I had known that day was his birthday."Forget about Nick and other playmates; Jojo's birthday was the most important."We can make it up to Jojo another time. We can celebrate next year," Isaiah, who did not particularly care about birthdays, responded casually."It's not the same. Next year, Jojo will be six. This year, he turned five." Isabella felt increasingly guilty the more she thought about it and began to pout, turning to Isaiah. "Can you come with me, please?"Isaiah watched her, his lips pressed together.Isabella continued to pout and pleaded, "Isaiah...""Mommy and Daddy are coming back in two days. Daddy assigned you some tasks you haven't finished yet. If you go to play with Jojo and Daddy finds out, you'll be in trouble," Isaiah kindly reminded her.Isabella hesitated. While Matthew wa
"What is it?" Cynthia asked patiently, always gentle with her child."I met a little boy, Jojo. Mommy, he's super nice. He can cook and bake cakes, and he's really amazing." Isabella's eyes sparkled with excitement."Is that so?" Matthew chimed in.Isabella, without a hint of suspicion, nodded happily. "Mmhmm!""So, will he help you bear the punishment later?" Matthew had already guessed that she had not finished her assignments.Isabella exclaimed, "Daddy!"Why was Matthew so mean?Isabella promptly sought refuge in Cynthia's embrace, but Matthew gently took her back. "If your homework isn't done, even Mommy can't save you.""Mommy!" Isabella tried to pull Cynthia back.Cynthia held Isabella in her arms again. "Don't scare her."Matthew smiled. His gaze hinted at Cynthia as he moved closer to her, his warm breath brushing against her ear as he spoke in a low voice, "You can't spoil her. Are you willing to take her punishment this time?"The word 'punishment' was deliberatel
Isaiah had supervised Isabella's homework diligently every day, but as he saw how she enjoyed playing with her new friends, he allowed her some leeway. After all, it was rare for her to be so enthusiastic about someone she wanted to play with every day."If you don't punish Isabella, I'll sleep by myself from now on. I won't disturb you anymore," Isaiah proposed, laying out his conditions.Matthew glanced at Isaiah. Was he admitting that he had done it on purpose before?Seeing Matthew's silence, Isaiah asked, "What do you think?""Go stand in the corner over there and think about your mistakes for three hours," Matthew responded firmly. When it came to matters of discipline, he would not entertain negotiations. "You can go out to play once you've completed your homework."Isaiah was surprised that Matthew would not agree to his offer."Why are you not moving? Do you want to double the punishment?" Matthew's tone rose slightly, displaying his firmness.The twins went to face t
"Are you thirsty?" Isabella dared not sneak away, so she had to find an excuse. "I'll go get you a glass of water.""No need." Matthew knew exactly what she was up to."Oh," Isabella replied and stood still.Time passed by slowly, and Isabella still did not dare to move. Thinking he had punished her enough, Matthew began asking her about Jojo."Uncle Kendrick told me that you and Jojo played house and even had a wedding?" Matthew inquired."No! Uncle Kendrick is making things up," Isabella quickly denied it, sounding a bit timid. "Do you still want to skip your homework to play?""No.""What if you misbehave again?""I won't be allowed to play with Jojo."With that, Matthew decided to let her be, instructing her to complete her unfinished homework."Okay!" Isabella said and obediently went to catch up on her homework.For the remaining days of the holiday, Isabella immersed herself in her studies. She subtly declined Jojo's invitations to play whenever he asked. Before th
This statement successfully caught Ash's attention. He looked at Cynthia, clearly pondering whether she would teach Jojo hacking skills."Come on," Isabella coaxed him, her attractive eyes blinking at him.Jojo remained silent, staring at Isabella's little hand clutching Ash's arm, a hint of annoyance stirring within him.Neither Isabella nor Ash noticed this.After a brief silence, Ash agreed.With that, Isabella clapped her hands in delight and invited Lydia. In her mind, securing the little buddies first made more sense before dealing with the adults. Lydia, who had already become acquainted with Isabella and Isaiah through her children, readily agreed.Then, both families rode in separate cars as they could not all fit in one. Once inside the car, Isabella could not contain her excitement and remained ecstatic throughout the ride.Observing her like this, Isaiah did not hesitate to throw a bucket of cold water on her enthusiasm. "Didn't you notice he's not very happy?""W
Isabella glared at Nick. He actually betrayed her! Caught off guard by Luther's honesty, Nick quickly explained, "Don't look at me like that. Luther forced me to do it. If I didn't agree to his request, he would've spilled my past to my current girlfriend.""Current girlfriend?" Isabella looked puzzled.Nick confessed honestly, "My new girlfriend."Isabella was at a loss for words. Nick was very handsome. His looks could rival top celebrities. Naturally, with his face and charisma, he had no shortage of admirers. That led to a habit of frequently changing girlfriends."I made my rules clear to her. No shady behavior allowed," Nick added quickly, sensing what Isabella was thinking.Hearing this, Isabella did not say much.A moment later, Luther, seeing that their conversation had wrapped up, took Isabella's hand and left. On the way back, he deliberately brought up the topic of proposals."What kind of proposal do you like?" Luther asked."Anything works," Isabella replied
There was a time when Isabella considered letting Luther propose to her. However, he had not shown any signs that he would or asked for her ring size. There was no need to overthink it; that fool probably had not even thought about it. Nonetheless, Isabella did not blame Luther. After all, she was well aware that everyone expressed love differently. Yet, that was also precisely why she wanted to propose to him, to make him understand just how much she cared."What's wrong?" Annie asked, concerned."I'm just worried," Isabella replied. The ring sizes had been a constant worry for her."Because of what you just mentioned?"Isabella nodded. "Yeah.""Why do you want to propose to him?" Annie looked toward a dark corner. "In most relationships, the boyfriend proposes to the girlfriend, right?""I want him to feel loved," Isabella answered simply.Luther was different from most people; he always suppressed his negative emotions and limited his freedom. He no longer wanted to restr
"No," Luther declined; he still wanted to be the one proposing to her."Okay," Joshua agreed readily.Luther nodded, letting his mind wander. In the following days, Isabella kept checking on the progress, each time being informed that there was no opportunity to measure Luther's finger.In the blink of an eye, three days passed.Cynthia and Matthew had a conversation with Isaiah.Due to prior preparation, Isaiah handled Cynthia and Matthew's questions smoothly. Although they knew Isaiah had not been entirely truthful, based on his attitude toward Sandra, they agreed to the marriage without excessive probing into his relationship with her.As for Isabella, she waited for a few days but had not received any news. Frustrated, she decided to go to Jiverton herself to find Luther.When Joshua heard about her plan, he asked her to give him a bit more time. He assured her he would have the sizes by next Friday at the latest."Really?" Isabella was worried about running out of time.
"Okay." Isaiah already had a plan in mind.After discussing the matter, the two did not say much more. In the following two days, Cynthia and Matthew stayed home while Isabella prepared the details and processes for the proposal.However, after going through the general plan, Isabella suddenly realized a problem. She did not know Luther's ring size. How could she prepare a ring for the proposal without knowing the size?Realizing this issue, she immediately thought of flying to Jiverton to find out but hesitated due to Luther's caution. If she returned so soon after just coming back, he would surely be suspicious. After much contemplation, she came up with a solution—Joshua.When Isabella called, Joshua happened to be having a meal with Luther."I'm not busy, what's up?""I need your help with something," Isabella said, trusting Joshua's abilities, "but Luther can't know about it."Joshua instinctively glanced at Luther.Luther was confused. He glanced at Joshua's phone and
"Quit the act," Matthew said to Isabella, "It's too bad."Isabella stayed quiet. Matthew bluntly stated, "Isaiah currently oversees the company, and the annual revenue has been consistently increasing under his management. He even took a few subsidiaries public.""And?" Isabella inquired."He has a talent for this," Matthew hinted, leaving Isabella puzzled as she struggled to keep up with Matthew's pace."He's barely in his twenties, so there's no rush to get married," Matthew explained. He saw through everything, understanding Isaiah well, adding, "If there were truly such a concern, he could easily establish a company under Sandra's name in the next few years, operate it until it goes public."With Isaiah's abilities and connections, starting a company and taking it public would be a simple task. After the IPO and proper management, Sandra's value would naturally rise. This would effortlessly 'shut their mouths'. Isabella wanted to say something, realizing her dad's words
"That depends on the secret he's keeping," Matthew responded immediately, taking the opportunity to tease Isaiah, "If it's something against our moral values, it'd be hard not to form an opinion, even if we try not to.""He's not that kind of person," Isabella defended Isaiah.Matthew did not respond but just sat there. Their father-son dynamic involved banter and teasing, but when it came down to it, they genuinely cared about each other."He's just worried that you might object to Sandra's background," Isabella continued to spin her tale convincingly.Cynthia and Matthew were confused, both staring at Isabella.Isabella felt a bit uneasy. Something seemed off with her parents' expressions. "What's wrong?""Are you sure Isaiah is worried about this?" Cynthia asked.Why was their beloved daughter so bad at lying? Not catching on, Isabella nodded, "Absolutely.""Setting aside the fact that we've always taught you not to treat people differently based on their family background
"Ah, I see." Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and purposely asked, "Is it possible that Isaiah got to know Sandra through Uncle Yves and Uncle Sean?""It's unlikely," Cynthia denied. Even though they had not arranged any blind dates or rushed Isaiah into marriage, given his personality, he would not seek an introduction from anyone."Whenever you have time, ask Isaiah to bring his girlfriend home," Cynthia said, truly wishing for her children to find happiness. Isabella agreed, "Sure.""Isabella," Cynthia suddenly spoke up.Putting away her plan book, Isabella responded, "Hmm?""Do you think I look stern?" Cynthia sounded gentler than usual, lacking the usual nonchalance.Having been accustomed to being herself, Cynthia found it a bit awkward to take on the role of an elder suddenly. If she left a bad impression on Sandra during their first meeting, it could easily jeopardize Isaiah's relationship."Not at all," Isabella spoke sincerely, looking at Cynthia affectionately. "Y
Isaiah had seen through their plans. He knew that his parents' friends enjoyed watching him banter with Matthew. Every time something was like this, they would eagerly make things difficult for him.Early the next morning, Mitchell and the others began implementing the plan. Initially, Matthew did not suspect anything and thought they genuinely had urgent matters to attend to and brought Cynthia back home first.Considering Luther's upcoming proposal, they decided not to travel the world but instead explored nearby cities. After Mitchell and the others called Matthew aside, Isabella approached Cynthia. Cynthia was surprised to learn about Isabella and Isaiah's plan."Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?" Cynthia asked."Not at all," Isabella responded very directly, her mind focused on planning her and Luther's engagement. "Isaiah said he can handle this matter, so let's discuss the proposal first. I've thought about several options, but none seem good enough.""Okay," Cynth
Isaiah was surprised."Take her to shoot wedding photos first," Isabella suggested seriously. After giving it some thought, Isaiah said, "I'll ask her during dinner.""Why bother asking?" Isabella thought Isaiah's emotional intelligence was lacking, and Sandra's expectations were too low. "Just pick a few reputable studios and let her choose one she likes."During their conversation, Isabella noticed that Sandra was slightly anticipating a wedding, although she had refused for some unknown reason. If she was not truly opposed to weddings, there should not be an issue with pre-wedding photos."If you give it directly to her, she'll probably say she doesn't need it," Isabella coined. She could see through people and was quite clever.Isaiah clearly did not consider this possibility."Take a look at these studios. My friends suggested them," Isabella had already made the selections and recommended them to him. "Weren't you against my decision before?" Isaiah, not understanding h