Cynthia remained quiet, and the others appeared to be in a bad mood.Duane carefully considered his words and ultimately said, "Dad, honestly, your favoritism is showing.""And yours isn't? Have you ever seen anyone who's unbiased?" Old Man Neal retorted without a hint of amiability.Duane pretended not to grasp the implied meaning, clearing his throat before continuing, "I'm referring to your treatment of the younger generation. George and Kimberly are your own grandchildren. Why haven't you shown the same protection toward them?"Old Man Neal let out a cold snort, his displeasure evident. It was apparent that he was displeased. "Why should I protect them?"Old Man Neal could not care less about the others' feelings. As the eldest and most authoritative figure in the family, he was always direct and straightforward."They're your biological grandchildren. Have you ever seen a grandpa who favors his daughter-in-law more than his own flesh and blood?" Duane emphasized, unwilling t
Old Man Neal snorted. Would Joshua even dare to object?Joshua remained quiet. "You're not showing off any skills by comparing yourself to me in something you're good at. We should compete in something I'm good at." Kimberly did not like this feeling. She believed everyone should cherish her."What does what you're good at have to do with Grandpa?" Cynthia fired back. In the two years since Cynthia married into the family, although Old Man Neal initially did not like her, he never said anything offensive. As they gradually interacted more, she discovered that he was actually a lonely old man. He did not adhere to traditional ideas of favoring male descendants over female ones and cared for and valued each child equally. However, he realized that some people were not worth it.Kimberly despised her, saying, "You only know how to flatter Grandpa. What good is that?""That's still better than lacking respect for the elderly," Cynthia replied simply, seemingly unaffected by these
With only family members present, Cynthia knew that the purpose of that night had finally arrived. Old Man Neal, Felix, and Daphne were likely to persuade her to postpone the divorce."Cynthia, have a seat," Daphne greeted her with gentleness and elegance, showing that she genuinely liked Cynthia.Cynthia walked over and took a seat.Then, Old Man Neal and Daphne began their discussion. Felix, as before, sat on the side reading a newspaper while Joshua stood there like an unwanted orphan with no one to care for him."What are you doing?" Old Man Neal grew angry when he saw Joshua sitting beside him. "Is this where you're supposed to sit? Go over there!"Joshua was annoyed but did not complain and moved to the other side.Unexpectedly, he also faced disdain from the other side. "Cynthia and I don't want to be near you. Keep your distance."Joshua could tell they disapproved of him because of the impending divorce from Cynthia. Without saying much, he conscientiously moved to
Joshua stiffened. Felix glanced at Joshua and warned him, "When you go out, don't mention that you're our son. It's embarrassing for us.""Who was the one proudly flaunting me around, saying that I was their son?" Joshua did not expect his father to turn against him."Who?" Felix raised an eyebrow and asked.Joshua refused to speak to him.Just as the father and son finished their conversation, Old Man Neal's conversation with Cynthia echoed in the room."How about you and Joshua wait until after my birthday to get the divorce certificate? I really want you to attend my birthday party as a member of our family." Old Man Neal wanted to delay their divorce."Joshua and I have already agreed to get the divorce certificate the day after tomorrow..." "Joshua, come over here!" Old Man Neal interrupted Cynthia.He really did not want Cynthia to divorce Joshua.After all, Cynthia was a great person!Why could this brat not appreciate her?"You can get the divorce certificate afte
Cynthia's dark, clear eyes continued to gaze at Joshua.Joshua could not quite figure out what she was thinking, asking, "What's wrong? Afraid to record it?""Of course not." Cynthia shifted her gaze away from his incredibly handsome face and slightly adjusted her body to look at Felix behind him. "But before recording, Dad, please put down your phone."Joshua and Felix were surprised.Felix was shrewd, and he calmly placed his phone down, putting the newspaper on his lap and pretending to be confused. "What?"Joshua grew even more bothered, thinking this was how Felix used all sorts of tricks to deceive his kind and innocent mother into his grasp."The phone beneath the newspaper. You should have just sent a message to the secretary department, right?" Cynthia found the phone's position with just a glance, but her expression was still gentle.Joshua and Felix were both taken by surprise.Felix's gaze fell on Joshua as if saying, 'Cynthia is too smart! What should we do?'Jo
Once they truly accepted Cynthia as their goddaughter or granddaughter, Joshua could not be with her anymore. Instead, they would only be siblings for the rest of their lives. This thought struck Joshua, and he froze.After divorce, they should not have any further contact. Yet, why did he subconsciously feel like they would reconcile?Old Man Neal and Felix glanced at each other, satisfied with their achievement, and went about their own business. One sipped tea leisurely while the other read the newspaper. They were both at ease. Only Joshua's mind was in chaos.After Cynthia and Daphne left the room, Daphne spoke up not long after. She held Cynthia's hand, caring for her like a mother to a daughter. "Have you decided about the divorce?""Mmhmm." Cynthia nodded."I know about your situation. It was Joshua's foolishness and his wrongdoing. He let you down." Daphne looked down at Cynthia's fair and slender hand with a hint of apology.Cynthia did not know how to respond.
Joshua did not know where he wanted to go. It was already late at night, so going to the office was out of the question, and Sovereign Heights did not appeal to him either. He drove aimlessly, pressing the gas pedal, gripping the steering wheel, and staring ahead, but his thoughts drifted away.If Joshua had not received a call from Chyler, he would not have known how long he had driven. He responded in his usual cold tone. "What's the matter?""Can you come and deal with your soon-to-be-divorced wife? You have half an hour to come here and take her away, or I'll call the police." Chyler's words were colder than usual. Seeing Cynthia showing up at his door uninvited angered him.Joshua frowned slightly, not quite understanding what Chyler was saying. Call the police? Take her away?"Did you hear me?" Chyler sounded fiercer than usual.Joshua remained calm, and even his tone only held a hint of confusion. "Cynthia is at your place?"Chyler, on the other end of the phone, rem
The scene completely shocked Chyler!What was going on? Were they in a TV show?"If you don't hand over Ellora soon, I can't guarantee that I won't make a mistake," Cynthia threatened, her usually indifferent eyes now filled with coldness.Upon hearing her words, Chyler instinctively took a step back. If that small playing card had come toward him with the same force and speed, he would definitely be done for. Who exactly was Joshua's wife? How could she possess such abilities?Cynthia, seeing that he had not moved, once again produced a playing card in her left hand, this time showing a nine of diamonds."Wait! Just wait a moment," Chyler spoke up.Saying that, he went inside the room.First, he ordered the bodyguards to keep an eye on Cynthia, and then he dialed Joshua's number."When are you going to arrive?" Chyler was already feeling intimidated by Cynthia. Just the thought of those flying playing cards that seemed straight out of a TV show made him feel like his life wa
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