"Hmm." The conversation between them was exceptionally brief. Joshua, today, was in no mood for much talk, and the usual banter he enjoyed with Yoel was missing. Yoel felt a touch of sympathy for him. Even though Joshua was indeed reaping what he had sown, Yoel could not help but feel sorry for him. "Should we inform Ms. Yates about this? It seems that she is investigating this as well," Yoel queried. "For now, let us keep it quiet. Once I have resolved everything, you can tell her. Consider it... a form of restitution on my part," Joshua replied, a plan forming in his mind. He knew that, given Cynthia's abilities, she could easily get to the bottom of the matter. However, he wanted to handle this personally. After all, Samantha's actions had repeatedly exacerbated his conflict with Cynthia until they ended up strangers. "Understood," Yoel acknowledged. That very night, Joshua invited Yiordan, who was filming in Nexuria, for a drink. Within the confines of a private room in
"Go and apologize to her sincerely. Try to make amends as much as you can," suggested Yiordan, who had always thought about things rationally. "She won't accept it. Besides, she doesn't need my apologies," responded Joshua. "Whether she accepts it or not is her business. If you feel you've done wrong, you should apologize," Yiordan stated gently. Joshua remained silent, his mind seemingly elsewhere. "Or is it that you're hoping to win her back?" "She won't give me that chance." As Joshua spoke, Yiordan could see a change in his demeanor. What had happened between them? Joshua set his drink aside, reclining against the back of the sofa, his gaze fixated on the faintly lit ceiling. His emotions seemed to have reached a tipping point, demanding release. "Joshua," called Yiordan, concerned. He had never seen Joshua so fragile, as though he were a porcelain doll, ready to shatter at the slightest touch. With a blink, Joshua hid his tumultuous emotions behind closed eyes. O
Yoel escorted the two of them home. While Yiordan was in the bathroom, Joshua, who was lounging on the sofa, called Yoel over, not particularly enthusiastic. Yoel looked very innocent. "Mr. Neal, what's up?" "What did you mean by what you said in the car?" "Just what it sounded like." "Who told you that's what I was thinking?" "Aren't you convinced that Ms. Yates wouldn't leave you because of your good looks?" Yoel said honestly. Joshua was silent. He did not want to see Yoel anymore. "The door is to the right, I don't want to see you right now." "Alright." Yoel turned around and left. Joshua stared at the closed door, his chest filled with a jumble of emotions. Maybe it was the liquid courage, or maybe something else. He took out his phone and opened Cynthia's WhatsApp. He typed in [I'm sorry] but hesitated before sending it. In the end, he deleted it and sent a [Are you there?] instead. He waited a few minutes, but it felt like centuries. When Cynthia did
"You are expected to manage the company next year. If you don't come to the team-building event and get to know the management, you won't know who's in charge of what later." Kendrick casually dropped a significant bombshell on her. Cynthia was dumbfounded. "Who told you I was going to manage the company?" "Uncle Jonathan, he has already decided to hand the company over to you," Kendrick replied nonchalantly. Cynthia furrowed her brows. Had she not made it clear that she would not manage the company? "Aren't you managing it quite well?" "Who wouldn't want a bit of freedom in life? Tell me, for how long have I been managing this for you? Do I not deserve to find love and get married?" Kendrick said seriously. Cynthia responded earnestly, "The company's affairs aren't that burdensome." "If you attend the team-building event tomorrow, I might consider helping you manage for another year. Come or not, it's up to you." "Understood." With that, Cynthia ended the call. It wa
The situation compelled her to ponder what other roles Cynthia might secretly hold. Why was her information so thoroughly concealed? However, on Cynthia's end, she was oblivious to these thoughts, and even if she were aware, it was doubtful that she would care much. After departing, they headed directly to the vacation villa Kendrick had mentioned. By the time they arrived, it was past three in the afternoon. No sooner had Moe parked the car than they heard someone calling, "Cynthia?" Cynthia was slightly taken aback. She glanced to her side to see Chyler just getting out of his car. Without waiting for her to speak, Chyler opened his car door again, fetched something, and started walking toward her. "Good that you are here. I have something to discuss with you." "Go on," Cynthia responded in her usual terse manner. "I'd like to have a thorough discussion about Ellora," Chyler stated, lifting the divorce agreement in his hand. "Alright," Cynthia consented. So, Chyler led Cy
For his barrage of questions, Cynthia only had four words, "She is my friend." "So what if she's your friend?" Chyler was dismissive. "Would you think that Joshua and Yiordan are friends with you because of money? If they both hit rock bottom one day, will you stop associating with them?" Cynthia said. "I am not that kind of person," Chyler retorted. Cynthia fell silent, simply maintaining eye contact with him. She had been working hard, learning, and earning money so that she could help her friends when they encountered difficulties in the future without having to rely on her family. Now, she has achieved that goal. Ellora was a person worth helping. "Friendships without benefits tend to last longer. The disparity between your family background and Ellora's is too great. Over time, problems between the two of you will arise," Chyler continued. "None of the issues you worry about will ever occur between me and Ellora. You just need to divorce her and then leave her alone,"
What a shame that such a wonderful girl had to encounter someone like Chyler. Moe's gaze rested on Cynthia, a hint of something more lurking in his otherwise cool eyes. "I feel the same," he said. "Hmm?" "I feel bad for you." The four words were spoken with utter sincerity. His boss, Cynthia, deserved nothing but the best. A surprise flitted across Cynthia's face, quickly followed by a soft smile. Her heart warmed. "Boss," Moe intoned each time he addressed her with such gravity. "What is it?" Cynthia asked. "Although I have said it before, I would like to offer you some advice. If you ever decide to get married, please consider all aspects. Ideally, let me help you screen your prospects," Moe began. "Alright," Cynthia agreed. At her acquiescence, a subtle shift appeared in Moe's mood, yet it faded as quickly as it appeared, replaced with his usual cool demeanor. Without any further delay, they made their way to the location arranged by Kendrick. It was a leisurely ho
"Right," began Mitchell, adjusting his glasses to make himself look more sophisticated. "Moe, what made you decide to become Cyn's assistant in the first place?" Caught off guard, Moe looked somewhat stunned, as if he had never expected Mitchell to pose this question. However, he quickly regained composure and replied, "The boss was hiring." It was an impeccable answer, leaving no room for criticism. Mitchell raised his eyebrows, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, but he said nothing more. Cynthia found his reaction puzzling, unable to fathom the point he was trying to make. She chose not to probe further and continued chatting casually. As evening approached and the sky began to darken, Kendrick glanced at his watch and announced, "You all carry on. I need to prepare something." It was the main event of the evening, and he did not want anything to go wrong. Cynthia, without giving it much thought, let him proceed. Once Kendrick left, Cynthia finally asked the question she
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