"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
Luther understood what was going on. He looked into Isabella's sparkling eyes and asked directly, "Do you think I have an issue?""Isn't it?" Isabella suddenly felt unsure.Luther walked over, wrapping an arm around her waist, and kissed her lips. While she was in a daze, Luther took her hand and placed it somewhere on him.That made Isabella's fair and rosy face suddenly flush, and even her ears turned red.Why did she think Luther had an issue?Luther released her, feeling mixed emotions as he observed her delicate features. Soon, he whispered, "Do you still think I have a problem now?""No..." Isabella wished she could find a hole to hide in. That was the most awkward situation she had ever experienced.Luther continued to look at her, pondering what might have led her to this conclusion.Abiding by the philosophy that it would only be awkward if the other person felt so, Isabella pretended as if everything was fine. Then, she grabbed his hand and asked, "Since you have no
"Leave?" Isabella was slightly puzzled, puzzled as to why he would say such a thing.Luther stayed silent, looking at her with a turmoil of emotions within him. "Do you want me to leave?" Isabella asked."The decision is in your hands..." At this moment, Luther was just Luther, not the esteemed president of the prestigious Neal Group. "I won't stop you."Isabella took several steps toward him and said, "Then open the door."Luther was completely puzzled. "What door?""The door to your heart. If you don't open it, how can I walk in?" Isabella replied matter-of-factly, a hint of mischief in her captivating eyes.A simple sentence triggered a profound change in Luther's heart. Isabella was incredibly close to him, and their eyes locked. She questioned him, "After watching last night's surveillance, you should know our promise."Luther did not say anything, but he remembered it well. "Now, I want you to fulfill the promise and tell me why you said that just now. If you aren'
"Why?" Luther was puzzled.Isabella answered matter-of-factly, "Because it's still you."Isabella's reply lingered in Luther's mind."In everyone else's eyes, my perceived personality is cheerful, lively, and a happy-go-lucky person. But I also have bad moments... Moments of melancholy, sadness, and even times when I get irritable. Are you going to dislike me when I show these emotions?" Isabella explained."No," Luther answered.Isabella nodded. "See? That's it."Still, Luther had his reservations. He could be decisive and straightforward in all matters, handling them without hesitation. However, this... he struggled."You can tell me anything. We're a couple, and we're meant to walk through life hand in hand. I hope we can understand each other, wasting less time on speculation, doubt, and insecurity," Isabella said, holding his hand. "This lifetime isn't long, and I want to spend more of it with you," Isabella expressed sincerely. Deeply moved by these words, Luther final
"Did you do something behind my back? Even though you're great and I really like you, cheating is absolutely unacceptable," Isabella teased, knowing he would not."That's not it," Luther replied.Isabella pressed on, "Then what is it?"Luther hesitated about whether to tell her. After careful consideration, he decided he should. She had been so good to him, understanding his insecurities and awkwardness. Even so, he had misunderstood her. Hence, he owed her an explanation.Five minutes later, Luther laid down his heart. Isabella was stunned when she heard Luther's confession.Apparently, his avoidance was also due to her personality."I'm sorry..." Seeing her silence, Luther held her, feeling anxious. He was afraid that she might get angry. "You can punish me however you want as long as you don't leave me.""Although I get along well with everyone, not everyone is my boyfriend," Isabella explained. She was not angry; she was just worried he might misunderstand again. "You're t
Could it be because they had been spending too much time together?Roderick replied, [I do, but I'm just curious. Mr. Brooks never used to hold hands with you when you walked together, but he actually did today. Congratulations!]That simple statement somewhat annoyed Luther. Instead of typing a response, he sent a voice message, "Should we get some fireworks to celebrate?"Roderick had just returned to his office. While browsing through his files, he opened Isabella's voice message. The moment he heard Luther's voice, he froze.Damn it! How did Isabella's phone end up with Luther?Despite the shock and panic, he swallowed hard and sent a voice message, "I'm sorry..."However, Luther did not reply to Roderick and continued with his work instead.Not long after, Jojo called. Luther's gaze darkened when he saw the caller ID. After careful consideration, he suppressed the jealousy bubbling up in his heart and handed the phone to Isabella, saying, "Someone's calling.""Who?" Is
[For Uncle Hunter, finding someone of equal status for Jojo after his failed pursuit of you is the best way to help him move on,] Isaiah explained to Isabella.Isabella was at a loss for words.How could things end up this way? Isabella became worried and replied, [Jojo doesn't like arranged marriages.]None of their friends intended to enter into arranged marriages; they all wanted to be with someone they loved. Isabella asked, [Is there any way we can help Jojo?] Jojo had been great to her, helping her in many ways throughout their lives. Hence, she hoped to return the favor when he faced difficulties.[No need for that. Jojo has already figured out a solution. Going abroad is part of the conditions he negotiated with Uncle Hunter.] Isaiah responded to her, telling her about Jojo's plan.As long as Jojo achieved his set goals once abroad, he would have control over his marriage in the future.Isabella simply replied, [Okay.]Then, she pondered how to tell Luther about
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