Cynthia was still confused. She thought Matthew's reaction was off, but she did not expect Jimmy's reaction to be so extreme.In the Seven Dwarf's group chat… [Little Jerry: Captain is back and even brought breakfast for Cynthia.][Riley: ?][Gaby: ?][Little Bee: ?][The Most Handsome in the Group: ?]A series of question marks filled. Even the two who had not been very active before were taken aback.[Riley: Cyn, listen to me and run away now.][Little Bee: The memory of Captain bringing me food last time is still vivid in my mind. It's not a good thing! Run!][The Most Handsome in the Group: Captain gave me a water bottle, and I had to run ten kilometers with extra weight.] [Cynthia: …] Mitchell looked at the various messages in the group and replied, [Is it really that terrifying?]Little Bee initiated a group call.The call connected, and seven people appeared on the phone screen.As soon as Cynthia answered the call, Little Bee quickly said, "Cyn, we're not
[Riley: Don't even think about outsmarting Captain. Even the cleverest mind can't compete with him.][Gaby: No one can handle Captain's tricks.]After replying to them, Cynthia stared at the breakfast, lost in thought. Half an hour later, she decided to block out all those thoughts in her mind and take it step by step.Until the person behind Jayleen was dealt with, Cynthia could not ignore everything completely, especially when that person not only had a connection with Joshua but also with the rest of them.With that in mind, she left to meet Shirley and her boyfriend.Matthew had been sitting in the living room all this time. He knew Cynthia was going out, but he did not go out this time. Instead, he was chatting with Mitchell.At eleven o'clock, Cynthia arrived at the restaurant's private room they had booked.Shirley's eyes lit up when she saw Cynthia, and she happily stood up and called out, "Cynthia! You're here!"Cynthia had composed herself and replied, "Mhm.""This i
As soon as those words were spoken, the young couple looked at Cynthia in unison as if they had not expected her to say that.Shirley froze and finally blurted out, "Cynthia...""Hmm?" "Thank you, Cynthia!" Zachary quickly stood up and bowed to Cynthia. "Cynthia, please rest assured that I'll take good care of Shirley and never let her suffer any grievances!""Mm." Cynthia's expression softened slightly.Shirley's face lit up, and she smiled brightly. Then, she walked over and hugged Cynthia, feeling emotional. "Cynthia, I love you."Cynthia loved her so much, so how could she not agree with her relationship? Shirley felt so foolish!"I love you too." Cynthia felt somewhat relieved.Since they entered the restaurant, she had been observing Shirley's boyfriend, making sure he treated Shirley well. She noticed how he knew what Shirley liked and disliked, and his attention to detail and the almost unnoticeable acts of care confirmed his love for Shirley. After the meal, Cyn
As Cynthia listened to Shirley, suddenly, everything became clear to her. Then, she looked at Shirley with a doting gaze and drove her to her apartment.At half past one in the afternoon, Cynthia arrived with Shirley in the neighborhood. Shirley had just gotten out of the car and was heading toward the elevator when she saw a tall, handsome man dressed in a black coat with two suitcases getting out of his car.Shirley's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness! Cynthia, that guy is so handsome!"Compared to Joshua, he was equally impressive! Cynthia locked the car without paying much attention. "You're already in a relationship.""It's not for myself, but it's for you to see. Just take a look at how handsome that man is! He must be around 6'3" tall, with a straight posture and an exceptional presence. He's a perfect match for you," Shirley mischievously replied,Cynthia, curious about who could earn such admiration from her sister, followed Shirley's gaze. Both of them were fans of good
"It's just a meal, so it's not a big deal. Or do you think I'm so poor that I can't even afford to treat you to meals?" Matthew chimed in."Captain..." Cynthia thought about slipping away for the umpteenth time. At this moment, she seemed to suddenly understand why the others asked her to run when they found out about this news. Matthew was constantly causing her psychological pressure.Ding! The elevator had stopped at their floor, and Cynthia just wanted to escape.Shirley joined Cynthia while Matthew carried the suitcases and followed behind the two. He looked at Cynthia, who was trying to slip away, and a barely perceptible smile flickered in his eyes, but it vanished instantly.After Shirley followed Cynthia into the apartment, she sensed something was amiss. "Cynthia, do you have a bad relationship with Matthew? Did he offend you?""No.""Then why don't you like him?"Cynthia stopped in her act of changing shoes. "Do I give off that impression?""Yes!""Maybe I've
Shirley could not help but take a few more glances."Mitchell and Jimmy called and asked us to come over now. I came here to let you know." Matthew's voice was pleasant. Cynthia remained calm. "I still have some...""Little Cyn." Matthew saw through her lie at a glance.Cynthia felt guilty. This was Matthew, her captain. The last time she lied in front of him, she was punished."I'll go change clothes," Cynthia said."Mhm."In no time, Cynthia came out in a more casual outfit. With this attire, if Matthew wanted to punish her with frog jumps or something, it would be relatively easy to do.Matthew's gaze swept over her, seeming somewhat surprised at the drastic change in her style for the day. However, he did not say anything. As long as she liked it, it was fine.Before leaving, Cynthia informed Shirley of her plans. When she sat in the passenger seat with Matthew, Cynthia felt that the car was too cramped for the first time. The car was so quiet that they could hear eac
However, Cynthia had no idea of the impact those words had on Joshua. Friends... Did she mean boyfriend?Did she not dislike being too close to others?Why did she not move away when this man was so close to her? Did she like him? Joshua's mind was in a mess.If it were not for logic triumphing over emotion, he might have acted as he did before, grabbing her and leaving without care, questioning her about her relationship with this man. Thankfully, he was rational now. Joshua was aware that he was just her ex-husband and that he should not disturb her.Matthew broke the tense atmosphere. "Let's go. Mitchell and Jimmy are still waiting for us."Cynthia nodded and did not spare another glance at Joshua again, passing him as if he were a stranger.They distanced themselves from each other until they were no longer part of each other's worlds.Joshua froze. The image of Cynthia passing by him with a distant and indifferent demeanor played in his mind repeatedly, in slow
Watching the intense match, Joshua knew it was the right time and told Yoel not to follow him as he approached Cynthia.Seeing him walking over, Jimmy muttered, "Cynthia, your ex-husband is here!""You don't have to keep saying he's my ex-husband. He's only half a stranger to me," Cynthia replied calmly.Right now, she was only concerned about one thing. She hoped Mitchell could hold on a bit longer so she would not have to go on the court.Just as Cynthia was thinking this, Joshua arrived by her side. Matthew, who witnessed the scene, felt a surge of emotions running through him, and he hit the ball harder than before.Mitchell, who received the ball, looked at Cynthia's direction out of instinct and instantly understood everything."Cynthia," Joshua called out to her.Cynthia glanced at him, but there was no hostility in her gaze. "What's the matter?""Well…" Joshua was no longer as cold, but his gaze became extremely complex. "I want to talk to you about the person behind
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