"Oh, I have a sister?" Isaiah asked her with a cool expression.Isabella grinned mischievously. "Of course you do! Look, here I am!""If I recall correctly, you're from the Lloyd family, and Jojo and Ash are your brothers," Isaiah said flatly."Nonsense. They can't possibly have a little sister as adorable as me. I'm your little sister!" Isabella argued, acting as cute as ever.Isaiah really wanted to say something, but looking at her cute and innocent face, he could not bring himself to do it. Despite her forgetfulness when playing with others, she always noticed whenever he was unhappy and would try to cheer him up."Isaiah," Isabella called him in her sweet, soft voice.Isaiah's attitude remained cool. "Yes?"Isabella climbed onto his desk, lowered her gaze, and looked at him. "Are you shy? Every time they invite you to participate in an activity, you refuse. You're not some ancient princess who can't show her face."Isaiah replied, "Don't make comparisons.""Then do you wa
They were both the same age, and Isaiah was concerned that if he did not work a bit harder, who would look out for Isabella when their parents retired and wanted to enjoy their leisure time? He realized she was a bit of a fool.Nonetheless, Isabella was not worried about all this, believing it was best to do age-appropriate things at each stage of life. She ran downstairs, full of energy, to share the news with Moe and Suzie. Then, she indulged in her usual cute antics and soft-spoken words with them.In the following weeks, Moe proposed to Suzie, and the two of them set a wedding date. As for Isabella, she was on her best behavior during this time, eager to have Isaiah join her at the wedding as ring bearer.On this particular day after school, Isabella and Isaiah waited with their teacher for their parents to pick them up. Jojo noticed her and approached her with curiosity, asking, "Isabella, why haven't you come to play with us lately?""Studying is more important," Isabella
"It's not appropriate," Joshua said."You're just going to meet her and the kids, not have an affair. What's inappropriate about that?" Chyler said, rather cheeky.Joshua pressed his lips together, and his face now bore more traces of maturity and composure than before. However, it was still hard to discern his thoughts. He had considered going through with it but also thought about what would happen afterward. It had been so many years since they had seen each other, and even if they were to sit face to face, he was unsure what to say. Rather than that, perhaps it was better not to meet at all."So, are you going to meet them?" Chyler inquired."I'll just meet the children. I'll donate some money to the school and have the school organize an event for the kids. We'll meet at the event," Joshua said as he made up his mind.Chyler sighed. "Do you have to go through all this trouble?"Joshua did not reply, and Chyler did not press further. Some time passed, and the elementary sch
"Pretty much, but she's not home every day; she often has to travel for filming," Chyler replied, glancing tenderly upstairs.Initially, Ellora had not planned to commit to acting so formally, as she wanted to spend more time with Juliette. However, Chyler had persuaded her otherwise."That's nice," Joshua said, no longer engaging in their previous banter."If you had persisted a little longer and pursued Cynthia, maybe you would be the one with her right now," Chyler said, still feeling that Joshua had had it tough."It wouldn't have worked. Her character is such that once you betray her trust, there's no going back," Joshua replied, knowing Cynthia's personality too well. Cynthia was stubborn and resolute. While persistence might work with others, it would not work with her. Their relationship had completely fallen apart due to the mistakes he had made time and time again."Not trying means you'll never know. You understand her personality, but you might not understand human n
Chyler watched her walk away, and there was a complex expression in his eyes as he called out to her, "Ellora.""Hmm?""Should we get married?" Chyler asked tentatively."No. If you want to get married and have a home, you can find someone else," Ellora quickly rejected the idea without hesitation or contemplation.Chyler approached her, taking a few steps closer. "We are a family together, you, me, and Juliette.""Chyler..." Ellora's attitude became somewhat distant.Chyler immediately softened his tone, realizing she might be upset. "Okay, don't be angry. I won't bring it up anymore.""I've told you since the day you moved in that I won't marry you. If you want to, you can leave anytime," Ellora said directly, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of complexity. "I just want to live here with you as your husband. If you don't like me saying it, I won't," Chyler said, reflecting on his changes over the years.Ellora did not say anything more and went upstairs. There was a time
"I don't know if Grandpa and Grandma spread it, but not long after they came to see Mommy, people at school started calling me an illegitimate child. Our teacher only told us about it recently," Juliette spoke softly and gently. Chyler's heart ached when he heard that, and he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?""I didn't tell Mommy either." Juliette displayed a level of maturity that rivaled Isaiah's.Chyler held her close, overwhelmed with guilt and self-blame. "I'm so sorry.""If you really want to marry Mommy and be with her, the first thing you need to do is resolve things with Grandpa and Grandma. Mommy is a very insecure person." Juliette, now indifferent to the rumors, offered him advice."Okay," Chyler agreed."But don't go asking Mommy about this issue. She doesn't want to talk about it," Juliette added.Chyler nodded in agreement. That evening, Chyler went to talk to Ellora. When she saw him, she did not think much of it, just asking in a flat tone, "What's up?""I ne
Aidan initially put on a displeased expression, scolding Chyler, "You finally decided to come back!"Georgina chimed in, saying, "Why are you scolding Chyler?" Then, she quickly turned to Chyler and asked, "You've had a long flight. Are you hungry? I can have something prepared in the kitchen.""No need. I returned this time to discuss something important with you both," Chyler gently declined.They both looked at Chyler, and Georgina asked, "What is it?""Several years ago, did you go to Nexuria without my knowledge and cause trouble for Ellora?" Chyler's eyes were on them, watching for any changes in their expressions.Georgina was shocked, but Aidan remained quite composed. His tone grew colder as he responded, "Did she tell you that?""Please just tell me whether you did or didn't," Chyler implored, already having a hunch from their reactions. Even so, he still hoped they answered him truthfully. "People who aren't worth our time will never be worth our time. We never went
"Didn't you see his attitude just now? Do you really think I can reason with him?" Aidan showed no remorse, and his tone was harsh."Stop arguing with your dad. After all, Ellora is just an entertainer. Listen to us, and don't go after her. We'll find you a suitable match from a well-established family," Georgina advised."Mom." Chyler's eyes welled up with emotion.Georgina asked concernedly, "What's wrong?""Have you been happy all these years?""Huh?""You gave up your career to become a full-time housewife, letting him control your life. You call Ellora an entertainer, but have you forgotten that you dreamed of being an actress when you were young?" Chyler voiced the thoughts he had kept bottled up.Georgina froze.Chyler continued, "Because he didn't like it, you've never set foot in that industry." "All of that is in the past. Please talk to your dad nicely and sort things out." Georgina dismissed the thought with a sigh."There's nothing to sort out. I have someone I
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