Everyone was left speechless.Was Nick really naive or pretending to be dumb?Jojo was well aware of his current situation. Hence, he refrained from mentioning the past. He simply replied, "Isabella's marrying Luther.""It doesn't matter who she is marrying now. The purpose of your stories isn't about winning; it's about which one is more meaningful to Isabella. Everything from childhood holds significance," Nick tried to instill some sense into Jojo.After finishing his drink, Jojo said to Luther, "Let's continue."In the subsequent rounds, Luther and Jojo took turns drinking. Annie was still in the corridor talking on the phone. As soon as the call connected on the other side, she asked, "Where are you?"Isabella was heading to the hotel to talk to Luther about Jojo's visit tonight. "On the road, driving. What's going on?""Why aren't you here?" Isabella continued driving while the call was on speaker, saying, "I can't come over right now. I have to go to the hotel to find L
"Luther just went to sleep the last time. He didn't act crazy. Don't make things up," Annie retorted, irritated by his lack of insight."You didn't follow them back. How would you know?" Nick felt a bit annoyed, not understanding why Annie was siding with Luther. Annie replied, "I talked to Isabella. That's how I know."Jojo's emotions churned despite Annie's defense. Watching Luther's composed face, he could not help wondering if Luther was holding back or genuinely not drunk. "Can you still drink?" Nick asked."I can," Luther replied calmly.Jojo kindly advised, "Don't force yourself."Jojo wanted to see how Luther would behave when drunk, but it did not mean he would force him to keep drinking. After all, Luther was Isabella's boyfriend. Since Isabella considered him a brother figure, Jojo thought he should act like one and be the bigger person. Luther glanced at everyone and said, maintaining his calm demeanor, "I'm not. Let's stick to the original plan."Jojo reluctant
Jojo asked, "Isabella is coming?""I was worried about you guys drinking too much earlier, so I called her. She happened to be looking for Luther too," Annie explained, glancing at her watch.As if on cue, Isabella opened the door, panting.She walked in and asked, "Why wasn't I invited to the gathering?""It's not a gathering. We just wanted to see if your boyfriend is worthy of you," Nick, an honest person, revealed.Isabella looked at Jojo, realizing that this was probably Jojo's idea."I'm sorry. We shouldn't have done this to him without your permission." Jojo took the initiative and apologized, aware that their actions might not have been appropriate."It's okay." Isabella understood he meant well but added, "Just don't do it anymore. You should trust my judgment. I haven't made a wrong choice in my life.""Are you saying rejecting Jojo was the right choice?" Nick blurted out, never thinking before saying anything. Annie did not hesitate to kick him again.Nick looked
"Really?" Luther's dark eyes revealed a glimmer of hope.In his state, he exuded a mix of coldness and innocence, making it irresistible to take him home and care for him.Isabella patiently affirmed, "Yes.""Then, can you not play with him in the future? I don't like him," Luther said, glancing at Nick."Okay." Isabella agreed.Nick was taken aback and complained to Isabella, expressing great dissatisfaction with her behavior, "Are you serious? We've been friends for so long. How can you throw our friendship away just for him?""Because you bullied him."Nick turned to Luther and said childishly, "I even spoke up for you earlier. You're so ungrateful!"Holding Isabella's arm, Luther remained silent, clearly harboring some resentment toward Nick.Jojo felt a bit annoyed with the whole situation. He finally realized that he had fallen into Luther's trap. It seemed that Luther agreed to drink with him just to show off his affection for Isabella in front of him. It was undeniab
Isabella knew everything. When Luther held her arm and called her 'Bella' in front of everyone, she knew Luther did it intentionally. After all, she understood Luther's personality very well. Even if drunk, he would maintain his composure as long as others were around. If he did not, it was intentional.This fool. Why did he have to express his love for her in such a way?"Bella..." Luther tilted his head, looking at her affectionately.Isabella drove while soothing him, "You can nap now. I'll wake you up when we get to the hotel.""Can I ask you a question?" Luther was unusually well-behaved at this moment.Isabella replied, "Go ahead.""If one day, both Jojo and I fall into the river, would you save him or save me?" Luther urgently wanted to know the answer, and the alcohol gave him the courage to ask.He knew it was somewhat unreasonable, possibly even annoying Isabella. However, he still wanted to ask, to know her choice."I'll save you. Jojo knows how to swim," Isabella bl
Isabella nodded.Luther was foolish as he tried various means and tests to confirm her love for him. Jojo could not hold back anymore. After careful consideration, he decided to speak up, "I actually think he's quite clever, very strategic in every aspect."Isabella caught on, and she directly asked, "Are you referring to him getting drunk?" "You're aware of it?" Jojo was somewhat surprised."Mmhmm. He just lacks a sense of security and confidence. That's why he tries various methods to test my love for him," Isabella confessed, hands resting on the railing, enjoying the pleasant breeze.Jojo noticed her expression and asked another question, "Aren't you tired?""Why would I be tired? The less secure he feels, the more I want to make him feel safe." Isabella genuinely loved Luther and would always be patient and affectionate with him. Jojo's tense heart eased a bit. Even so, seeing how much she cared for Luther still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable."Jojo," Isabella su
Luther spoke calmly, "Jojo confessed to Isabella, and they're really close."In other words, as the current boyfriend, he would really have to drink."Really? Why do I feel like you intentionally got drunk just to let them know about your relationship with Isabella?" Joshua saw through him.Luther was caught off guard, asking in a hoarse voice, "Is it that obvious?""Quite," Joshua said.Luther leaned back on the bed, feeling frustrated about this situation. His mind was filled with thoughts of whether Isabella had noticed and if she had, what she might think of this."Get up, and let's eat first." Joshua got up from the sofa, putting down the magazine he was reading. "Isabella was worried you might not have an appetite when you woke up, so she specifically instructed the hotel kitchen to prepare your favorite dishes."Luther obediently got up. During the meal, his mind was a mess, so much so that he had little appetite."Uncle Joshua," Luther called out, unable to hold back an
"If you're referring to this afternoon's incident, I am not angry. But you're not allowed to do this in the future," Isabella continued, not letting him linger in suspense."Okay," Luther agreed.Yet, he could not help but overthink. Unconsciously, he wondered if Isabella's words meant she was still a bit upset, but because she liked him, she let it go."You can ask me anything." Isabella saw through his thoughts at a glance. "I'll be with you forever; you don't need to showcase our love to Jojo and the others so foolishly.""I'm sorry," Luther quickly apologized."What for?" Isabella ruffled his hair, still smiling warmly. "I just feel that getting yourself drunk over this is not worth it."Luther instinctively looked up at her, surprised that she cared about this. "In a while, we'll get engaged, and after some time, we'll get married. You must take care of your health as part of our preparation to start our family. You can't stay up late or drink recklessly."Luther hesitate
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