Albert had shown no intention of taking care of Luther."What about Luther?" Isaiah found himself worried about him.Joshua glanced toward Isabella's room and replied, "I'll take care of him."Isaiah was surprised. Based on his research, Joshua was not one to meddle in other people's affairs, so why would he...Isaiah asked, "Is it because of Isabella?"Joshua answered, "Partly."At first, Joshua's concern for Luther was indeed linked to Isabella, as he wanted to ensure she enjoyed her visits. However, as he spent more time with the boy, Joshua saw potential and believed he could make a difference by taking responsibility for his upbringing.Isaiah was curious. "How do you intend to take care of him?""I'll raise him as your parents did with you two. I have plenty of free time anyway," Joshua replied.Isaiah did not ask more, though he felt a complex mixture of emotions. He could not help but ponder how deep Joshua's feelings toward Cynthia were. After all, why would he take c
Isaiah had no idea how Joshua had figured out his fear of those amusement park rides. Thankfully, he had prepared himself when Joshua brought up the topic, so he did not reveal his dread.Over the next few weeks, Isaiah did not play with Isabella and Luther. Every day, as Isabella excitedly set out to play with Joshua and Luther, he stayed home, occupying himself. In fact, Isabella and Luther enjoyed themselves greatly, even without Isaiah's involvement. When Isaiah was not with them, Isabella continued to have fun. Although she returned home tired, it was obvious that she felt content.Before they knew it, it was December 26th. After dinner, Isabella seemed unusually sad. Both Joshua and Isaiah noticed, but Isaiah was the first to speak, asking, "What's wrong?""Can we come back to visit after the New Year?" Isabella appeared less cheerful than usual, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.Isaiah was surprised, thinking Isabella probably had too much fun in Jiverton."If I lea
The moment the call connected, Cynthia called out, her voice was gentle and filled with concern, "Isabella...""Mommy..." Isabella mumbled.Cynthia could not help but straighten her posture, feeling a tinge of worry. "What's wrong?""Can I talk to you about something?" Isabella sounded guilty, glancing around and nervously nibbling on her finger.Upon hearing this, Cynthia's heart eased a bit, and she replied in a softer, gentler tone, "Go ahead.""I want to study in Jiverton. Is that okay?" Isabella's voice became barely audible, almost a whisper.Cynthia was caught off guard, thinking she might be hearing things. She put the phone on loudspeaker and held it in front of Matthew, then asked Isabella again, "What did you just say?""There's a really shy boy here. He's handsome, and he's great at his studies. I want to study in Jiverton so I can play with him," Isabella started, unaware that Matthew was also listening. Cynthia glanced at Matthew and signaled him to take over the
"If you want to spend time with your new friend, you can call him after school and visit during the long breaks. But you should still study in Nexuria," Cynthia suggested, not too concerned about her making friends."I'm fine with it. It won't affect me," Joshua suddenly chimed in.Isabella was taken aback. "Huh?""You being here won't affect me looking for a partner," Joshua said, selfishly wanting Isabella to stay. After all, with her here, Cynthia would visit more frequently. Then, he added, "In fact, your presence may increase my chances of finding someone.""Really?" Isabella's eyes lit up.Cynthia quickly denied it before Joshua could further encourage Isabella. "He's lying."Joshua remained silent while Isabella looked confused. "It won't affect anything. I can take care of her schooling arrangements," Joshua decided to talk to Cynthia directly."No need. It's better for her to come back for her studies," Cynthia refused firmly.Joshua did not say anything more, feelin
Matthew's hand traced along her waistline, outlining the curves of her delicate body. "Just a little while," he murmured."My back is sore," Cynthia said, her voice wavering."It's fine. You don't need to do anything but just lay there," Matthew reassured her, his hand exploring further and his alluring voice laced with seduction.Cynthia wanted to refuse, but Matthew's seductive skills were unmatched, and unknowingly, she surrendered to his advances.As for Isabella, after the phone call, she discussed their return plans with Joshua."If you want to stay in Jiverton to study, you can. I'll talk to your parents about it," Joshua suggested, looking serious. "No need. Mommy is right. I shouldn't disturb you from finding a partner here," Isabella refused, shaking her head."You won't be disturbing me. With such an adorable little angel like you around, my success rate would be even higher," Joshua insisted.Isabella was confused.Isaiah chimed in, "Uncle Joshua, it's not right f
Joshua was stunned, looking at Isaiah with a puzzled gaze. Afraid that he was overthinking it, Joshua asked, "What do you mean?""You know what I mean," Isaiah responded without elaborating.Joshua was surprised. If Isaiah was talking about that matter, Joshua thought he was maturing a little too fast, given his age. "I know about your relationship with my mommy, but that's in the past," Isaiah continued. "Joshua, who was originally leaving, returned to his seat. He was now sure that Isaiah's thinking was beyond his years."How did you find out?""I did some research.""Research?" "Mmhmm." "Did you research it yourself, or did someone help you?" Joshua asked. "I did it myself using the computer. I know that you and Mom were once together," Isaiah confessed straightforwardly, hoping that Joshua would truly move on from Cynthia. "Is that so?" Joshua suddenly became more interested in Isaiah. He had previously treated Isaiah like a child and had refrained from certain di
Isabella believed Luther did not smile or talk much because he disliked playing with her."No..." Luther began to disagree, but Isabella interrupted him."It must be that I haven't found the right way. When I get back this time, I'll ask Nick. He's a real joker and must have a way to make you interested in playing." Isabella took the blame upon herself. "Who's Nick?" Luther asked."He's Auntie Riley's neighbor. He's a really funny guy!" Isabella replied, not hiding anything.Seeing her excitement and beaming smile, Luther's newly summoned courage was quickly extinguished. She has plenty of playmates..."Luther," Isabella called out.Looking deeply troubled, Luther responded, "Hmm?""Try to be happier. Don't be so gloomy every day," Isabella advised him. "You should pack up your things first. I have some homework left." Luther changed the subject, still as reserved as ever."Can't you play with me a little longer?" Isabella pleaded with reluctance.Luther declined, "I can
"Even if you praise me, I still won't know what's on his mind. If you want to know what Luther thinks, don't rely on what others say. What others say is all assumption; only what he says is the truth," Isaiah replied.Isabella pouted.In his usual calm tone, Isaiah said, "Do you understand?""You're wrong. Some people are just stubborn and won't tell the truth," Isabella argued."That's something you'll have to judge for yourself. You can ask him first and then make guesses and decisions based on his words."Isabella thought that was too much work..."If you have nothing else to discuss, play in the yard. I need to study," Isaiah dismissed her."Am I even your real sister?" Isabella huffed, looking upset. "How can you be so heartless to me?""If I were truly heartless, I would've thrown you out when you first disturbed me reading," Isaiah replied straightforwardly.Isabella wanted to argue further but found herself unable to do so. Finally, she huffed and stormed out.Isaiah
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