"Got it."In fact, she did not worry about these matters. From the information she had gathered about Luther through her conversations with Joshua over the years, Luther was the typical workaholic, cold, distant, and disinterested in romantic relationships, just like he was when they first met."When are you going to visit?" Isaiah inquired."Next Tuesday, I think. Daddy Joshua mentioned that Luther is currently swamped with a major project and won't be available until then," Isabella calculated.Isaiah decided to test the waters. "What if Mom and Dad want to arrange a marriage for you?"Isabella was confused. "What?""If Mom and Dad don't allow you to be with Luther and instead want you to marry Jojo or Ash, would you agree?" Isaiah continued to watch her closely, not missing any changes in her expression. "Are you feeling okay? They've always told us that we make our own choices in life. They don't interfere in our marriages or jobs." Isabella reached out to touch his forehea
After all, she had such powerful parents."Tears are precious; don't shed them for someone undeserving," Isabella said as she handed Ariana a tissue. Her confident demeanor provided reassurance. "Take your time and tell me everything. I'll stand up for you."Nick chimed in, puzzled, "Aren't we on the same team?"Isabella glared at him and replied, "Who said we're on the same team?"Ariana wiped her tears and asked, "Will you really stand up for me?""As long as it's his fault, I'll take your side," Isabella clarified."Last night, he told me he was going to a friend's graduation party and even sent me pictures and videos in the middle of it. Here, see for yourself," Ariana slowly explained and showed Isabella her phone.Isabella opened the video and confirmed its authenticity, saying, "This is indeed real."Ariana hesitated, her eyelashes still wet with tears. "It was my graduation party. I'm Isabella Quier. We left the gathering together last night." Isabella clarified her i
"Different people can wear the same outfit. I can't wear the same set of clothes just once, right?" Nick attempted to brush it off, trying to act cool.Isabella was not fooled. "Your clothes and necklace are all new arrivals from last month. Have you and Ariana only dated for a month?" she pointed out, direct and blunt.She had heard him bragging in their group chat a long time ago about no longer being single and even made fun of Jojo for still being single. Ariana chimed in, "Six months.""The clothes were not even available in the market six months ago," Isabella continued, "Care to explain?""I messed up," Nick admitted, instantly defeated."Talking to me won't help. Explain to Ariana." Isabella moved away to give them some space.Nick sighed silently in his heart. He could not help but wonder how that chubby and cute little girl became such an overpowering adult."I lied to you about this, and I'm sorry. I couldn't stand how you doubted everything I did, suspecting me all
Nevertheless, Nick did not try to stop her and swiftly ended the relationship. Ariana declined the apartment and the car, knowing Isabella offered those as motivation for her to bounce back.A few minutes later, Ariana decisively cut the ties and drove away. Nick slumped into a garden chair, looking at Isabella with a puzzled expression. "This is the first time you met her, so why were you willing to spend so much money to make her break up with me?"Most people would use money to coerce their partners into breaking up, but Isabella used it to help someone see a clear path and avoid being deceived."For her sake, to prevent her from prolonged pain, and for your sake too," Isabella explained as she sat beside him. She had never experienced a breakup herself, but she had seen her roommates go through it. They spent days not eating or drinking, were emotionally drained for months, and only started to recover when they achieved their goals and decided to focus on their careers instead o
"What the hell are you thinking?" Isabella immediately retorted without a second thought. "Jojo has someone he likes. Don't make up nonsense.""He likes you," Nick casually spilled the beans, thinking nothing of it. "Are you really unaware about it?"Isabella cast a disdainful look at him, clearly showing her disbelief. "I'm leaving."With those words, she grabbed her car keys and drove away.Jojo could not possibly like her. Back in the summer after their junior year, she had asked if he had anyone he liked, and he had said yes. He described her personality and appearance, and it was nothing like her.Nick could really spin a tale! Nevertheless, Isabella did not let this matter bother her and headed straight to find Cynthia after leaving. She spent two days with Cynthia and Matthew before returning to her and Isaiah's place.Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was already Saturday. Isabella was packing her bags in her room in preparation for Jiverton. Isaiah s
Jojo was still somewhat hesitant. He knew that even if she did not completely cut ties, confessing his feelings would definitely change their relationship. They would not be as close as they used to be, and she would not confide in him as she once did.Amidst various thoughts, Jojo pursed his lips and replied, [Maybe I should just forget about it.][Isaiah: ?][Jojo: I already know the outcome, so there's no need to confirm it. The way things are now is good enough.]Isabella had always liked Luther. Even after all these years of his absence, her feelings had not changed. Jojo knew too well the place Luther held in her heart, much like Isabella in Jojo's.Isaiah did not respond further.Isaiah did not understand matters of the heart, and he had no personal experience in this area. He had informed Jojo of the potential outcomes of confessing, but as for Jojo's decision, he would not interfere.However, if it were him, he would be willing to give it a try, even if the result wer
Nick was confused, asking, "Who?""Isabella," Isaiah blurted out."She's just really oblivious, but anyone could tell that Jojo likes her," Nick responded without much thought.Isaiah's eyes darkened, and Nick's confidence began to wane. "W-What's wrong?""She sees Jojo as a brother. Isn't it normal if she didn't notice it?" Isaiah was coming to his sister's defense.Nick gulped. "Well, they're not blood-related."Isaiah glared at Nick and could not be bothered to respond further. He knew exactly what Isabella was thinking. They had been close friends since childhood, and Isabella had always considered Jojo as a brother. Plus, Jojo had told her himself that he had feelings for a girl who also happened to be from his school. With all these facts, it was difficult for Isabella to suspect Jojo's feelings for her."Alright, alright. I was wrong. They have such great chemistry, but they're not together. Isn't it natural for me to be worried?" Nick was quite intimidated by Isaiah'
In the fifth round, Nick did not hold back. Among the people playing these games, he was by far the most skilled. Jojo and Isaiah struggled not because they could not win but because they were just not interested. If they wanted to win, they would be able to outwit their opponents easily. No surprise, Nick won the fifth round.His gaze locked onto Jojo, and he spontaneously challenged him, "Confess your feelings to Isabella with the most passionate words.""Are you looking for trouble?" Isabella responded, a little irritated. After all, she still believed that Jojo had a crush on someone else, and Nick purposely made it difficult for Jojo.Nick did not let up. He was worried that if Jojo did not confess now, he would never have the chance anymore. "Can't handle it, huh? If you don't want to do it, think about how the people who lost in the previous rounds would feel. Besides, when I lost games as a kid, I did whatever was asked of me."Isabella sighed.Wanting to use this game
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