Seeing Isabella's reaction, Isaiah was slightly surprised. He walked over to chat with her."What did Jojo talk to you about?" Isaiah asked."He invited me to watch a fireworks show, but we'll still be in Jiverton with Daddy Joshua at that time. So, I rejected him," Isabella replied straightforwardly as she looked at the hairpins in her box, contemplating which one to choose.A bit puzzled, Isaiah inquired, "Isn't Jojo your favorite playmate?""I can play with Jojo when we come back. But this is the first time we're going to Jiverton to visit Daddy Joshua," Isabella replied logically.Isaiah simply acknowledged her response, not delving further. Sometimes, he was unsure if Isabella enjoyed being with Joshua because he treated her well or because she thought he was handsome."By the way, Isaiah," Isabella called out, suddenly remembering the elementary school discussion. Isaiah looked at her and asked, "What's up?""Which elementary school do you want to go to? Jojo asked if I
"If you're still worried, we can go to Jiverton in a couple of days to check on them. Travel is convenient now, and it'll only take half a day to get there," Matthew reassured Cynthia, understanding her concerns."No need. Let them enjoy their trip," Cynthia replied as if she had suddenly changed her mind. Early the next morning, Joshua arrived. His arrival time surprised Cynthia and Matthew since, based on the expected schedule, he should not have been there yet."I got here around ten last night. I didn't come earlier because it was too late," Joshua explained as if he knew they were wondering. "Have a seat," Matthew offered.Joshua complied with a nod. When Isabella heard his voice, she dashed downstairs and hugged him tightly, calling him, "Daddy Joshua!"Sitting on the couch, Matthew playfully teased his daughter, "So, you really like Daddy Joshua this much?"Isabella giggled and replied, "Yes!""How much do you like him?" Matthew raised an eyebrow."I like him a lot,
Isaiah nodded, a silent promise between the father and son. Matthew ruffled his hair.Isaiah initially thought about resisting, but he stopped just as he was about to lift his hand. He knew he would feel guilty if he did not let Matthew ruffle his hair since Joshua, Matthew's love rival, was here to take them away for the winter break.If Matthew knew what he was thinking, he would likely turn it into a daily ritual, making Isaiah offer his head to be ruffled.Cynthia and Matthew exchanged glances and headed home after seeing the twins and Joshua off at the airport. Over the next few days, Isaiah and Isabella stayed at Joshua's place. On the day they arrived, Joshua introduced them to the Neal family, and everyone instantly liked the handsome and well-behaved little darlings.Considering that he had to take the two children out to play, Joshua stayed at the Old Neal Manor for just one day before taking them out again.The following afternoon, as he watched Isabella thoroughly
Fresh from her bath and dressed in clean clothes, Isabella looked at Renee with wide, innocent eyes and asked, "Auntie Renee, do you like Daddy Joshua?"Her expression softened as she chuckled slightly. She playfully touched Isabella's nose and replied, "You're just a little kid. Do you even know what 'like' means?"Isabella answered earnestly, her adorable features displaying her childlike wisdom, "I do. My mommy and daddy got together because they liked each other. You like Daddy Joshua, right?"Careful not to reveal her true feelings, Renee stated, "I used to like him, but not anymore."Isabella tilted her head curiously and inquired, "Why don't you like him anymore?" "Because he doesn't like me and even rejected me," Renee replied, speaking candidly without knowing if the child fully understood.Isabella shrugged it off with an innocent smile, praising Renee, "It's okay. If someone doesn't want you, you'll find someone even better next. You're so pretty, Auntie Renee. It's h
After Isabella finished speaking, she seemed to recall something. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she asked, "Daddy Joshua, has your heart... stopped racing?"Joshua remained silent, contemplating his response.Isaiah, who had been silently observing them from a corner of the room, could no longer stay quiet. He set aside his book and walked over. "Uncle Joshua meant that 'heart racing' is an emotional feeling, not a physical one. You won't understand this now, but it will become clear one day when you know how to solve equations."Isabella looked puzzled. "What are equations? Are they difficult to solve?"Isaiah replied calmly, "It varies from person to person."Isabella asked innocently, "If I can't solve them, can I use scissors?"Isaiah responded, "You'll understand when the time comes."Isabella simply replied, "Oh, okay.""It's getting late. You should go back to your room and sleep," Isaiah urged her, not wanting her to discuss matters of feelings with Joshua. "We hav
Snap!A sharp sound cut through the air as the man struck the young boy's body. The boy lowered his head; his forehead was sweaty from the punishment, and a bright red handprint marred his cheek.Isabella was drawn to the commotion, and she could not see the boy's face from her angle. However, she saw the man continue to strike the boy repeatedly."Stop it!" Isabella rushed over.Joshua and Isaiah followed her voice and found her approaching the middle-aged man and the boy.Isabella shielded the boy behind her, lifted her small head, and addressed the middle-aged man, "Uncle, if you keep hitting him, he'll get hurt.""What's it to you?" The middle-aged man, Albert Brooks, remained unkind and yelled, "Who do you think you are, little brat? Get lost!" "Who are you telling to get lost?" Joshua's cold and commanding voice suddenly sounded, exuding a strong sense of pressure."I'm telling..." When he saw Joshua's face, he stopped abruptly and changed his tone, saying, "M-Mr. Neal..
"Take him to the hospital," Joshua told Albert."Those are only minor injuries. A couple of days' rest will do," Albert, anxious about potential complications, said with a hint of unease.Joshua remained silent, his gaze fixed on Albert, who was beginning to sweat nervously."Thank you for your concern. I'm fine, and there's no need to go to the hospital," Luther spoke again, his expression devoid of emotion. With that, he turned and walked toward his home.Isabella called out, "Hey!"Luther did not turn back, leaving her with his distant and indifferent back.Albert breathed a sigh of relief, offering a forced smile as he told Joshua, "You see, he doesn't want to go. I can't force him as his dad.""Daddy Joshua..." Isabella was obviously worried."Mr. Neal, I'll head home now," Albert said before quickly disappearing from their view.Isabella did not fully grasp the complexities of adult matters, but her persistence led her to ask, "Daddy Joshua, are we really not taking th
Someone knocked on their door."Go answer the door," Albert said, suppressing his anger.Luther obediently left the table, opened the door, and hesitated when he saw Isabella outside, smiling broadly.Isabella grinned, radiating a big smile. "Hello, may I come in?""No," Luther replied, suppressing his emotions and promptly closing the door.Isabella was confused but continued knocking on the door.However, Luther paid no further attention to her and returned to the table. He knew exactly what would happen if he invited Isabella into their home. Albert would act courteously while they had guests, but Luther would face his tirades and beatings as soon as they left."You just want to make me a fool, don't you? Should I call the police to arrest me?!"Luther knew Isabella could help her now, but not for a lifetime."Who is it?" Albert asked."The girl from earlier and that man," Luther replied truthfully, leaving the choice to him.Upon hearing this, Albert immediately got up
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