Matthew's melodious voice reassured, "They'll agree."Patrick questioned, "Why?""The person they want is me," Matthew replied as he locked eyes with Patrick.Cynthia and Patrick were taken aback. Patrick instantly rejected the idea, saying, "No way! Let's find another."As the cherished asset of their team, they could not risk losing him in a bet. It was a risk they could not afford."Trust me, and trust her too," Matthew said confidently, knowing their characters well after spending this time with them. He understood they were not the kind to make empty promises. Their mature, thoughtful minds set them apart from their peers.Since Cynthia said they could win this, then they could. Patrick hesitated, torn between concerns. Cynthia chimed in, "I'll win."Patrick looked at her and finally gave in, instructing Matthew, "Alright, you go over there and negotiate for the biggest gain.""Sure thing," Matthew agreed.After dinner, he made a phone call. On the other end, the pe
On the day of the competition, Cynthia and Jimmy had prepared well in advance. Matthew, David, Patrick, and others stood behind them, along with Mitchell and members of the Cybersecurity Department.Jimmy noticed the stares from the people behind them and nervously asked Cynthia in a hushed tone, "Cynthia, are you nervous?""Not at all," Cynthia replied calmly.Jimmy pursed his lips. His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty with nervousness."Relax. Even though they're skilled, they're not our match. Just follow what I've taught you," Cynthia reassured him, boosting his confidence."Okay," Jimmy said, trying to calm himself down. At exactly 9 a.m., the attacks began. There were two rounds: first, Cynthia and Jimmy would attack while the other side defended, and then vice versa. They had one hour for each round, which would be a loss for Cynthia's team if it went beyond that.The first round was Cynthia and Jimmy's attack. Cynthia guided Jimmy through the operations whi
"Now!" Cynthia suddenly exclaimed.Jimmy immediately sprang into action. Both of them swiftly typed their code and pressed a combination of keys. As they witnessed the circular attack generated by their code surrounding the opposition, they breathed a sigh of relief."We're done," Cynthia's hands left the keyboard as she reported to Matthew.Matthew praised, "Good job."Patrick appeared somewhat puzzled as he observed the code that continued to scroll across the screen. He questioned, "That's it?""Their defense couldn't withstand this attack. In less than thirty seconds, their screen will display 'K.O'. Five, four, three, two, one… K.O," Cynthia explained, starting a countdown.Cynthia remained calm. The other team was taken aback. They were just defending against an attack, and the next moment, their computer screens displayed 'K.O' in capital letters."What just happened?""What's going on?""Didn't they just start their attack? How did it end so suddenly?"The two indiv
About five minutes into the second round, Cynthia and Jimmy both noticed something was off."Why aren't they attacking?" Jimmy felt puzzled. "Could it be that they want to set up a strategy like we did and wait to defeat us in one fell swoop?""No," Cynthia responded decisively. Her defense system had been meticulously prepared from the very beginning. The moment they initiated an attack, even if it was just for tactical positioning, her defense system would trigger alerts and automatically counter-attack."They haven't launched an attack. It seems like they want to avoid confrontation," Cynthia confirmed after a moment, her expression mirroring her usual composure.Jimmy froze, looking puzzled and in disbelief. "Avoid confrontation?"This remark reached the ears of those behind them, and Patrick could not help but quip, "I can't believe they're really playing dirty."David began to worry, his gaze instinctively shifting toward Matthew. "What should we do? Are we going to lose?"
"Mmhmm." Cynthia nodded."Did we really win?" Patrick was still somewhat bewildered.Cynthia nodded again.Patrick could not quite describe his current feelings. Just moments ago, he was contemplating how to bring Matthew back if he had been transferred to the other team because of their dirty tactics. Before he could even come up with a plan, they had already won!"You can go back and rest," Matthew suggested, smiling handsomely. He knew Cynthia would not lose. "I'll have Chief present you with the awards.""Sure," Cynthia agreed without resistance.They did not linger there and left with Riley, Mitchell, and others. How the two teams would negotiate was no longer her concern. The rest was up to Patrick and their captain.Matthew watched the departing figures, smiling as he said to the person beside him, "Cynthia and Jimmy helped you win even when the other side was playing dirty. Don't you think you should show some appreciation?""How could I not! I'll discuss the rewards wi
Matthew held her close, his eyes filled with contentment and happiness. Cynthia suddenly sat up and called his name, "Matthew.""Hmm?""If our first meeting never happened, would you still like me?""Yes," Matthew answered firmly.Cynthia was curious. "Why?""In my whole life, I've met many people, but only you captured my attention from the beginning. As long as we had met, I would have liked you," Matthew said truthfully.Cynthia pursed her lips and ultimately said nothing. While they were still cuddling in bed, Isaiah knocked on the door, saying, "Mommy, breakfast is ready.""Alright," Cynthia replied, then quickly got out of bed.Ten minutes later, the family had breakfast together.After their meal, Matthew and Cynthia sent their two children to school together. When they returned home, they bumped into Moe."Momo?" Cynthia was somewhat surprised to see him. After all, Moe had seldom visited in the past two years, spending most of his time at the company.Moe exchan
Moe responded with a simple question, "Cynthia had already moved on, so why hasn't he?""I don't know," Yoel admitted, shaking his head. He could not quite understand Joshua's lingering feelings for Cynthia. "It could be guilt, regret for the past, or perhaps just a yearning for the time they spent together."Moe did not say much, as he was not well-versed in matters of the heart. His primary concern was Cynthia's happiness."What about you?" Yoel shifted the conversation, asking, "You've been single for so many years. Haven't you ever thought about getting a girlfriend?"Moe replied honestly, "No." He simply did not desire any romantic relationship. Even when he had agreed to be Cynthia's fake boyfriend, it was mainly to help her out of a difficult situation. "Are you sure you don't have feelings for Ms. Yates?" Yoel probed, doubting Moe's feelings.Moe openly admitted, "I do like her." After all, Cynthia was an exceptional person, and it was hard not to like her."I'm no
"I know. Although my marriage was also a whirlwind, I've chosen to commit to it wholeheartedly, and I won't do anything to hurt her," Yoel replied as he chatted with Moe, pushing his gold-rimmed glasses up. Yoel used to think he would marry a girl he deeply loved and liked. However, he finally understood that as adults, there were some things one did not have a choice about.Moe nodded in understanding.In the blink of an eye, the night passed. The next day, Yoel showed Moe around, and they spent the day enjoying meals and conversations.During lunch, Moe asked him, "Aren't you supposed to have your wedding tomorrow? Shouldn't you be getting ready?""It's all prepared. I just need to pick up the bride tomorrow morning as scheduled. I'm feeling a bit nervous now, so I wanted to chat with you to relax," Yoel replied, showing that he was quite organized when it came to these matters.While it was not passionate love, Yoel still had feelings for his fiancee. Marriages were significa
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