"Grandpa, please don't be too hard on my sister. Cyn has only recently gone through a divorce, so I'm sure she's not in a good mood these days. She needs time to recover," Michelle spoke up, being extremely obedient.Her words caught the attention of both Cynthia and Old Man Yates. Before Old Man Yates could say anything, Cynthia glared at Michelle, speaking with unprecedented seriousness, "My mom only gave birth to one sister besides me, and her name is Shirley Yates. Ms. Shayne, please mind your words."Michelle was taken aback. She had not expected Cynthia to be so frank in front of Old Man Yates."Divorce? What did she mean by that?" Old Man Yates immediately wore a stern expression.Cynthia answered, "Literally.""When did you get married? Who did you marry? Why did I not know about it?" Old Man Yates frowned, his face showing deep displeasure.Cynthia glanced at Michelle. Jonathan could not have told Michelle about the divorce. During their previous argument, Michelle mig
"I was at work, but there was an issue at the company that needed Cynthia's attention. I couldn't find her there, so I came to look for her," Kendrick calmly explained, sounding completely natural.Old Man Yates still appeared stern. "So, the company can't function without her?""Indeed," Kendrick replied with a smile. He never cared about Old Man Yates's attitude. "You have no idea how capable Cynthia is. She recently negotiated a profitable partnership for the company.""She should focus on refining her skills and taking care of her appearance. What's the use of staying in the company?" Old Man Yates looked at Cynthia's professional attire and expressed his dissatisfaction.As soon as these words were spoken, Kendrick's gaze changed slightly. Cynthia, on the other hand, remained unaffected. She knew exactly what Old Man Yates was scheming—marriage alliances for maximum value."Just look at the daughters of those socialites from other families. They all dress up and present the
If the person in front of her was not her elder, Cynthia would have turned around and walked away without a care. However, she had been taught to respect her elders, and even if she did not like the topic, she had no choice."Who do you want me to marry?" Cynthia asked directly."In three days, there will be a gathering for you youngsters, and I've registered your name. You just need to attend." Old Man Yates maintained his stern expression."Understood," Cynthia replied calmly.She had grown accustomed to his commanding communication style, which was also why their relationship was strained.Afterward, there was no further communication between the two. Kendrick spoke to Old Man Yates for a while and then left with Cynthia.After leaving the old manor and getting into the car, Kendrick finally asked, "Why didn't you let me speak up for you earlier?"Since Old Man Yates mentioned the arranged marriage, Cynthia had been hinting at him not to intervene."Whether I speak up or not
The assistant pursed her lips and obediently took the flowers to throw them away. The others outside the office saw that, and the place suddenly became lively with discussions."Is Ms. Yates really that cold-hearted?""I wonder who sent the flowers to Ms. Yates. Having your intentions thrown away just like that must be quite painful.""Perhaps Ms. Yates believes men will only hinder her from earning more money.""I agree with that."Cynthia was unaware of the discussion once she entered work mode, and she paid no attention to the outside noise. However, someone found out about this.The Neal Group.Joshua had finished discussing the collaboration and returned to Nexuria. As it was almost time to leave, he glanced at the clock and asked the person beside him, busy with work, "Did Cynthia receive the flowers?"Yoel froze. He could not find a way to tell Joshua that Cynthia ruthlessly threw the flowers."Are you deaf?" Joshua's tone was cold. "She did receive them…" Yoe
Joshua kept deleting what he typed, hesitating. Amidst various complex emotions, he finally sent another message.[After this matter is resolved, I won't bother you anymore if you still loathe me.]These past few days, he had also come to understand that regardless of whether he liked Cynthia or regretted what happened in the past, he should not disturb Cynthia anymore if she genuinely disliked him.Cynthia looked at his message and eventually replied with a single word, [Okay.]Joshua did not know how to describe his emotions upon seeing that response. Sometimes he wondered if Cynthia had ever loved him. If she had, why was she so calm throughout the divorce?It was as if she would… never feel sad.Over the next two days, Joshua continued to send flowers as usual, and Cynthia continued to have her assistant dispose of them. Jayleen had only mentioned that Joshua was pursuing her but did not indicate any reciprocal interest. Therefore, Cynthia did not need to pretend and could
Others did not know Cynthia, so they chimed in and defended Michelle. "If Old Man Yates blames you, let us know, and we'll help you out.""That's right!""Forget about her. Let's go."They walked away with Michelle.In other circumstances, Cynthia might not have cared, as other people's opinions had nothing to do with her. However, this was different. Although she had not socialized with these socialites and heiresses, she had some understanding of them. Apart from Michelle, the people who attended today's event came from strong backgrounds, each cherished by their families.Cynthia did not care about her reputation, but she cared about Shirley's. This was her first appearance in this circle, and if Michelle succeeded in tarnishing her reputation, there would be exaggerated stories circulating within the industry. Even if Cynthia's identity were revealed later on, people would only think of Shirley having a sister with a bad character.However, before she could say anything,
That statement was like a slap to Michelle's face. The people around also realized that Michelle had made up the things she said earlier, which left her feeling embarrassed and infuriated. She truly wanted to ruin Cynthia.Michelle could not contain her anger and retorted, "But Grandpa did ask me to keep an eye on you and find a suitable person for you to marry. After all, it's not easy for someone who's been divorced to remarry."As soon as those words were uttered, everyone's gaze fell on Cynthia. It was as if they never expected Cynthia, Shirley's sister, not only to have never appeared before but also to have had a secret marriage and subsequent divorce."Ms. Shayne, aren't you a funny one?" A gentle voice suddenly sounded, and Mitchell, with his refined demeanor, walked over with a smile. "Regardless of how many marriages Cynthia has had, countless people want to marry her.""How come you're here?" Cynthia was genuinely perplexed this time.Michelle was here because she e
Joshua was sitting in Yosef's car, looking at the person in the driver's seat coldly. "I'll wait for you in the car. Just tell me after the party is over.""You have to come with me," Yosef insisted, pulling him."I'm not going."Joshua remained resolute. What would he do if he went and accidentally got caught on camera, causing Cynthia to misunderstand?"If you don't come, how can I prove that I didn't do anything after entering? For the sake of my innocence, you must stay with me throughout." Yosef continued to pull him, showing his determination to take Joshua along."If you don't want to come so badly, why don't you just refuse?" Joshua could not understand him."Not everyone enjoys the same freedom when it comes to marriage as you." Yosef let go of his hand, feeling somewhat defeated, and sat back in his seat. "My parents don't support me being with Madison. If I don't come here, trouble will find Madison."Yosef could not be by Madison Howard's side 24/7 and was well awa
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