It was nighttime at Sovereign Heights of Jiverton. Two people sat facing each other in the spacious and bright living room. A divorce agreement lay between them. The man, wearing a well-pressed suit, had perfect facial features and an indifferent expression. His whole body exuded a strong sense of oppression. His cold eyes fell on the silent girl opposite him, and his gaze was as dark as the midnight outside. "We'll get a divorce on Monday. Besides the compensation in the divorce agreement, you can ask for anything else you need," Joshua Neal stated firmly, and his words were cold and his voice was low. "Why so sudden?" Cynthia Yates' voice was cold. Joshua's response was simple. "Jayleen is back." Cynthia knew who Jayleen was. After a short silence, she agreed, "Okay." Joshua paused, seemingly not expecting her to agree so readily. Cynthia opened the divorce agreement, saw the densely packed words, and remembered her past with Joshua. They had met at Jiverton's Eveni
His reason was simple. That was, before Jayleen returned, he needed someone to help him deal with his family's elders. Cynthia was well-liked by his parents and grandfather, which made her the perfect candidate. Sometimes, she wanted to ask him a question. Did she look like a fool? Otherwise, why would Joshua assume she would be willing to help him and his elders conceal his affair? Now that he had suddenly brought up divorce, her chest felt tight. Even after half a year of mental preparation and knowing he was a scumbag, she still could not help feeling emotional. She exhaled, walked over to the sofa, sat down, and took out her phone. Cynthia opened WhatsApp and found a contact saved as 'Little Jerry'. She opened the chat that she had not used in two years and typed a message. [Look into whether Neal Group has been facing any difficulties recently, and Joshua…does he have a terminal illness?] Immediately after sending the message, she received a reply. [Little Jerry: !!!!][L
"Mr. Neal, should I book a restaurant?" Mr. Cheyne asked after careful consideration. Joshua pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "No need for that." He knew Cynthia was venting her frustrations. If spending money made her feel better, he would let her do so. Just as he said this, another payment notification arrived on his phone, a purchase worth over four million. Mr. Cheyne and the four bodyguards kept their eyes to themselves, not saying a word, accompanying him silently. Cynthia came out after making her purchases. The jewelry was naturally handed to Mr. Cheyne, who had his hands free. Just as she was about to continue shopping, Joshua's phone rang. His irritated mood eased a little when he saw the caller's name. His furrowed brow relaxed, and he answered the call with an exceptionally gentle voice, "Jayleen." Mr. Cheyne and the four bodyguards were speechless. Had he forgotten that Mrs. Neal was still here? "Mr. Neal, Jayleen had a car accident on her w
Seeing this, Mr. Cheyne quickly came over, took the keys, and assumed the driver's role. Cynthia opened the passenger door and sat down, not looking at Joshua again for the entire journey. Mr. Cheyne was apprehensive, fearing that Cynthia might blurt out something shocking later. He hesitated. "Mrs. Neal, you..." "Drive." Cynthia's voice was light but cold. Mr. Cheyne glanced at the rearview mirror, and seeing that Mr. Neal had no reaction, he drove out of the parking lot in silence. The atmosphere inside the car was so heavy that Mr. Cheyne felt as if he were being suffocated. Neither Mr. Neal nor Mrs. Neal seemed inclined to speak, and an icy chill emanated from both of them. While he understood Mr. Neal's temperament, Mr. Cheyne could not figure out why Mrs. Neal, who had been in a good mood just moments before, was now so cold. He kept his concerns to himself. Joshua sat in the back seat, his gaze uncontrollably drawn to the silent Cynthia in the passenger seat. He
Jayleen looked at Joshua and said something ambiguous, "I'll listen to Joshua's orders." "Joshua, are you willing to show me?" Cynthia's beautiful eyebrows lifted slightly. Joshua looked at her feigned innocence and, without saying much, picked up a phone from the table, opened WhatsApp, and handed her the conversation after scrolling through the chat history. Cynthia took it and read the contents. [Mrs. Neal: If you help me get rid of Jayleen, I'll pay off your debt and give you another hundred thousand.][Driver: How do I know you'll keep your word?][Mrs. Neal: I'm Joshua's wife; a hundred thousand is nothing to me.][Driver: I'll trust you this time, but if you back out, I'll make a scene at Neal Group!][Driver: Send me a photo.][Mrs. Neal: Picture][Mrs. Neal: Make it clean.] Cynthia finished reading and asked, "That's it?" Joshua looked down at her, searching for a hint of panic on her face but found none. "That's it." Cynthia returned the phone, calmly anal
"Well, poor me. My husband doesn't even know my true character after two years of marriage," Cynthia blurted out. Joshua was speechless yet again. Was she really not satisfied unless she provoked him? "Let's go home." He loosened his tie, grabbed her purse, and held her wrist as he walked out. Cynthia hesitated. Joshua paused as well. Both of their gazes landed simultaneously on the purse in Joshua's hand. Did he mistake her for Jayleen? That was Cynthia's first thought. Without further explanation, Joshua strode out quickly. This scene was witnessed by Jayleen, who was in the hospital room. The gentleness on her face vanished, and she did not even care about the red marks her nails left on her palms as her hands gripped each other hard. In a moment, the door to the hospital room opened. Jayleen's friend walked in, voicing her confusion, "Didn't Cynthia hire someone to hit you? Why is Mr. Neal still..." "It wasn't her." Jayleen furrowed her brows. At first, she
Cynthia put the remote control down, appearing indifferent. "Fine, I don't want it." Joshua was confused. "When you're desperate to give Jayleen a legitimate status, you'll offer me a higher price to leave," Cynthia said in a dead serious manner. Joshua's demeanor turned icy. No one had ever threatened him like this before; Cynthia was the first. "Do you really think I can't do anything to you?" "Of course not," Cynthia replied, switching to another reality show. She continued earnestly, "You can freeze the cards you gave me, limit my spending and freedom, lock me away in a remote place, and even..." As her suggestions grew increasingly outrageous, Joshua's anger strangely dissipated. He suddenly found himself wanting to know. How was it possible for someone, who could now infuriate him with just a casual remark, to have been gentle for two whole years? "But this way, Jayleen can only remain a hidden lover. You probably don't want her to be the subject of gossip," Cynthia
After replying to the messages, Cynthia tried to call Mitchell but could not get through. Knowing that she had to go to the old villa tonight and not wanting any surprises, she sent him a message. "Text me when you arrive in Jiverton. We'll meet tomorrow." If Mitchell came looking for her on his own, she would be at a disadvantage. It would be better for her to take the initiative to talk to him. She sighed inwardly. She could have refused more easily if it were old man Yates, but it had to be Mitchell... Time passed quickly. By the time she got dressed and was ready to leave, it was almost six o'clock. After receiving a call from Mr. Walters, she quickly left the house. When she got into the car, she saw Joshua was there as well. He was still wearing the same suit from earlier that day. His disheveled hair framed his cool, indifferent face, giving him an air of disarrayed beauty. Cynthia did not start a conversation with him, and the car smoothly headed toward the old villa. As
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