"I understand," Luther replied."I hope your love for her is sincere." Nick glanced at the spot where Isabella had been sitting earlier, continuing, "She may seem carefree, but in reality, she's very delicate. If you lose her due to some reason or someone, she might never recover."Tatiana had said the same thing before, and Luther also realized that Isabella would always appear happy when she met him. Yet, he realized that no one could be happy all the time."As her friend, I hope you treat her well," Nick sincerely said.The previous statement was something Isabella had coached him to say, but that came straight from his heart. Luther nodded in response. He suddenly felt that it was okay for Isabella to continue hanging out with Nick. After all, Nick had no ulterior motives and genuinely cared for Isabella. Hence, Luther harbored no ill will toward him. Luther could not help but wonder if maybe he should restrain himself a bit more and let Isabella return to Nexuria to enjoy
"His looks?" Annie asked with confusion."Am I that shallow? I'm talking about behavior and mindset," Isabella retorted, and she elaborated on Luther's qualities that resonated with her."Tell me more," Annie encouraged."This goes back to our childhood. He's reserved in character. Even when he does something good for me, he won't say it. He'd rather be misunderstood than explain," Isabella replied as she reminisced about the past. "You fancy this about him?" Annie was puzzled."It's not that I fancy that about him; I just feel he's a very sincere person. I can completely trust him when I'm with him," Isabella spoke from her intuition, her gaze softening.She had encountered quite a few people in her social circle. Some appeared gentlemanly but played around. People like Luther, who maintained their integrity and were genuinely sincere, were rare."Do you even know what sincerity is? How is he sincere when he didn't even confess his feelings despite liking you?" Annie looked at
Nick and Luther had already drunk several rounds together. Seeing Luther's cheeks were slightly flushed, Isabella advised, "No more.""He has to! Luther needs to practice his drinking. Take it as practice for your wedding day!" Nick said seriously, though with a hint of playfulness.Isabella and Annie were at a loss for words."Otherwise, is he going to drink halfway and pass out?" Nick deliberately teased.Luther lifted his glass and patted Isabella's hand with his other hand. He assured her, "He's right; I should practice."Luther knew that marriage was the most important event in a girl's life, and he could not afford to mess up at that time. Thus, he had to drink."What's there to practice?" Isabella did not care about that at all and argued, "Just switch your wine to water when the time comes.""No, that won't do. Marriage is such an important matter, so how can you do that?"Nick was determined to get Luther drunk. "Right, Luther?""Mmhmm..." Luther agreed in a melodic
"You're my boyfriend. How could I possibly laugh at you? I just think the current you is kinda cute," Isabella continued driving, He was so cute that she felt like stopping the car to ruffle his hair and kiss him.Luther frowned and blurted out, "I'm not cute."Isabella raised an eyebrow. Luther, now thoroughly intoxicated, revealed his true self completely to Isabella. He pouted, "I'm your boyfriend, your future husband... You can't describe me as cute.""Well, can I praise you for being handsome then?""Mmhmm!"Looking at the childlike Luther, Isabella's heart softened completely. With a gentle smile on her lips, she accelerated, heading home. By the time they arrived, it was already past ten.Isabella placed Luther on the sofa and went to prepare a hangover drink. However, when she brought it over for him to drink, Luther sat there in a daze and shook his head with slightly flushed cheeks. "I don't want to drink that.""You have to drink it. Otherwise, you'll get a head
Isabella hugged him, offering him all her affection. "No, you'll always be my baby."Luther remained silent, holding onto her.Isabella alternated between rubbing his head and patting his back tenderly.Isabella cradled his head, her eyes locked onto his. "Lulu, don't feel inferior, and don't doubt my feelings for you, okay?"With teary eyes, Luther nodded. "Okay.""Pinky promise." Isabella extended her right pinky. "From now on, let's be honest with each other. Whoever lies about anything other than surprises will have to bark like a dog.""Alright," Luther agreed, obedient as ever.They hooked their pinkies, sealing the deal.With Luther's emotions stabilized, Isabella felt a bit more at ease."Bella..." Luther, eyes half-open, his voice softened.Isabella responded gently, "yes?""I'm feeling dizzy. Everything seems to be spinning," Luther said."You're just drunk. You'll be fine in the morning." Isabella got off him, holding his hand to help him up. "Come on, let me tak
"Why do you sound a little disappointed?" Annie began to pry.As Annie was her best friend, Isabella was rather straightforward. "Is it strange to want to cuddle and kiss someone you like?""Are you really just thinking of innocent cuddles and kisses?" Annie expressed her skepticism.Isabella countered with a question, "What do you think?"She was an adult, after all. Luther was undeniably handsome, in great shape, and, most importantly, her boyfriend and future husband. It was normal for her to have such thoughts occasionally, but most of the time, she just enjoyed teasing him."Anyway, just a warning. Given your and Luther's physical conditions, there's a high chance you might get pregnant on your first time. Be prepared and use protection in case anything happens," Annie warned."Got it," Isabella replied.Annie added playfully, "Alright, that's it. Go and get some rest. Let's hope you get what you wished for tomorrow morning!" Isabella smiled slightly and concluded, "Stop
"Kind of." Isabella nodded. She stepped forward and straddled him when he was not paying attention.Luther was caught off guard. When he smelled Isabelle's subtle fragrance, his gaze darkened. Then, he lifted her and seated her beside him."What's wrong? Can't I sit on your lap?" Isabella pretended to be puzzled."Not right now." Luther stood up, not wanting Isabella to notice his awkward situation. He kept his cool and added, "It's not right.""Even for couples?" Isabella inquired."Mm.""Then how about giving me a hug?" Isabella stood up and requested.Luther lifted his hand and embraced her. Feeling his slightly rapid heartbeat, Isabella smiled in return. She deliberately got close to his ear and whispered, "I have a small request.""What is it?" Luther had been restraining himself, suppressing the desire ignited by Isabella.Isabella leaned in closer, tiptoeing as she kissed him. It made Luther's heart beat faster, and the hand around her waist tightened a bit."Can
Not surprisingly, most search results pointed to two possibilities.It was either the boyfriend was cheating and did not care about their partner, or he had performance issues and did not want to be discovered. Luther was definitely not the type to cheat on Isabella, so there was only one possible conclusion: he had performance issues.Isabella became worried. How could she bring that up with him without hurting his self-esteem?When Luther came out after freshening up, he noticed Isabella seemed troubled. He approached her and asked concernedly. "What's wrong?""I was talking to my close friend about something. She asked me to help her come up with a solution, and I can't think of one right now," Isabella said, feigning a sigh as she looked at the fabricated chat records on her phone."What's it about?" Luther inquired.Isabella hesitated, looking at him before finally saying, "It's not appropriate for me to discuss it with you."Luther raised an eyebrow in confusion."I c
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