"Why are you so stubborn, little girl? Trust me, start with one hundred meters." Michael genuinely hoped that Cynthia could win.Cynthia remained silent, her gaze still fixed on Joshua. She was waiting for his response. If he wanted to start with one hundred meters, she would have to go along with it, one hundred meters at a time.Joshua considered it carefully and decided to tell her, "The difference between three hundred and fifty meters and fifty meters is not just about the distance. Are you sure you want to compete with me at three hundred meters directly?"Cynthia replied, "I'm sure.""Alright," Joshua agreed."Can you be a little fair?" Michael patted him on the shoulder. "Is it appropriate to bully a young girl like this?"Joshua did not say much and picked up the gun again. This was not bullying. It was him giving himself a chance."You go first." Joshua did not want to pressure Cynthia. "No need," Cynthia refused. She wanted to win against Joshua fairly. "Let's f
"Cynthia, are you interested in joining the military? I can have my dad write you a recommendation letter," Michael asked his address, genuinely interested in her, Before Cynthia could answer, Joshua approached. Then, he grabbed Michael's collar and pulled him back. "She's not joining, so don't bother her.""This is a rare shooting talent...""Say one more word, and I'll have Yosef discipline you."Michael glared at Joshua. He was always using Yosef to intimidate him. He truly lived up to being a scumbag!Cynthia stood there without moving. She was not some shooting prodigy. Her marksmanship came from firing one bullet after another.Joshua's gaze darkened. He pulled Michael back, and his deep, bottomless eyes fell on Cynthia. "When did you become so skilled in marksmanship?""I'm not obligated to answer you," Cynthia replied.However, the more she acted this way, the more curious Joshua became.Cynthia glanced at the target again and spoke directly, "Since it's a tie now
Joshua glanced at him coldly. Did this guy have a death wish?Pretending not to notice, Michael continued to wait for Cynthia's response.Cynthia did not care much about how she was addressed as long as it was not too cheesy. Hence, she accepted, "Sure."Joshua's eyes deepened suddenly. He had never called her by any nickname before."Just heard from Joshua that you two are divorced. Is that true?" Michael asked casually as if it were just casual conversation.Cynthia replied calmly, "It's true.""So, you're single now?""Yes.""Well, I'm so handsome..." Michael had yet to finish his sentence when Joshua interrupted.His chilling aura grew even stronger, and his voice was as cold as the Arctic, "Michael!""Let's eat, let's eat." Michael's eyes revealed a meaningful smile. He had figured out that Joshua was reluctant to divorce Cynthia, and maybe their earlier competition was related to their relationship.Tsk, tsk, tsk.Michael scooped a bowl of soup for Cynthia and t
Joshua was someone Alfred admired, and his anger subsided. Michael felt a sudden relief in his heart, knowing he would not be scolded anymore. "After having a meal with them, I'll go back and make sure not to delay anything."Alfred looked at Michael sternly, but he did not say anything. Michael knew that his father had agreed.Michael thought of Cynthia and immediately came to her side with a joyful smile, introducing her to Alfred, "Oh, by the way, Dad, let me introduce you to an amazing person! Earlier, Cyn had a shooting match with Joshua at 300 meters, and she hit the bullseye with a single shot!""She's incredibly talented!" Michael's face beamed with joy, genuinely happy.Alfred followed his gaze and paused momentarily when his eyes met Cynthia's. Was it her? Cynthia's gaze met his, and even though they did not say a word, they expressed everything they wanted to say to each other through their eyes."Are you eager to recruit her to your side?" Michael knew his fath
Moe glanced at the quiet Cynthia through the rearview mirror and asked, "Ms. Yates, is something bothering you?"Cynthia leaned back against the seat, rubbed her weary forehead, and replied, "No, you don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend anymore. I talked to Joshua about it last night.""Alright."Cynthia felt a bit exhausted and closed her eyes to rest. The meeting with Alfred reminded her of some distant memories.She did not belong to the military; she was just a civilian. Hence, she could return when the captain needed her and return to her everyday life when she was not needed. It had been a long time since her last mission.The car continued driving, and Moe noticed that Cynthia seemed off today. Instead of taking her to the company, he brought her back home—the home with Jonathan and Shirley. Cynthia did not say much.Upon arriving, she went upstairs to sleep. Today, only she and Jonathan were home, as Shirley had already returned to school.After handing over th
How did Cynthia know?! Who told her?"H-How did you find out?" Jonathan was truly shocked, never expecting it to be like this.Cynthia felt a surge of emotions in her heart, but she suppressed them and said something Jonathan never expected, "Only when it comes to that person, you become so hesitant. Find a time and arrange a meeting. I want to meet her."Jonathan was so taken aback that he even forgot how to respond. His expression showed extreme shock and surprise. Cynthia..."A-Are you really willing to meet her?" Jonathan stuttered.Cynthia did not beat around the bush; she spoke plainly, "I'm not approving of you being together, and I won't forgive what happened in the past. I'll meet her just to prevent our family from becoming a mess."Jonathan getting married to that person was almost a certainty. She could not stop it, and it would not make a difference. If that was the case, she should at least formally meet that person.Shirley said she was a good person, but
Michelle was still sulking, knowing that she was in the wrong. However, the thought of losing all the efforts she had previously put in because of Cynthia made her feel upset. After a while, she finally asked, "Will Uncle Yates accept me again after this?"Mandy looked at her for a while but did not say anything. She knew what kind of person Jonathan was, and based on what had happened with Michelle, it seemed unlikely she would have another chance to be accepted."Rein in your behavior first. One wrong step can lead to a total loss. I hope you understand this," Mandy finally spoke after a long pause.Michelle held her anger inside.In the following days, Cynthia shuttled back and forth between the Yates Group and Arch International Group. Although Moe took care of most of the work, as the company's owner, there were still things that Cynthia had to handle.As for Joshua, he had not appeared again after their last encounter at the shooting club. It was as if he truly kept his prom
None of them had eaten well, including Cynthia, who was not a picky eater. As they reached the end, everyone had put down their utensils, which was the most crucial moment of the meal.Jonathan sat beside Mandy, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Then, he glanced at Cynthia and Shirley, asking, "Regarding the marriage registration with Mandy, what do you think?""I have no objections," Shirley casually replied. Over the past two years, Jonathan had introduced her to Mandy, and she knew that Mandy was a kind person who treated her with gentleness and patience. Not only that, but she even cooked delicious food for her, giving her a motherly feeling.If Jonathan were to be with her, it should be fine.Upon receiving the answer, Jonathan turned his gaze to Cynthia. "Cyn, what about you?""I have a question for Madam Quinn," Cynthia's formal address created a sense of distance.Mandy's face softened. "Ask away.""Do you know my mom?" Cynthia's clear eyes stared directly at her, the
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