Cynthia replied to the messages, including Joshua's. As soon as she finished replying, Joshua called her. "Where are you?""In the taxi," Cynthia gave a direct answer and talked to him for a moment. "If anyone asks you if you helped Jayleen look for her phone, remember to say you did."No matter the situation, Cynthia was always prepared. The person might not investigate, but it was better to be one step ahead.Joshua wanted to ask why, but he trusted that Cynthia had her reasons for saying so and agreed, "Okay."Cynthia was somewhat surprised. Given his personality, he would always ask the reason."Has Jayleen really been discovered?" Joshua still cared about this matter. Cynthia's eyes darkened as she spoke, "No. The person is just suspecting her. As usual, pretend you don't know anything and continue living your normal life.""Alright," Joshua responded.Cynthia wanted to end the call and said, "That's it. Bye." "Wait." Joshua stopped her. It had been a long time sinc
Jimmy hung up the phone happily, still covered in sweat. Then, he immediately reported the situation to Mitchell and Matthew, saying, "Cynthia is done with her errands, and she's on her way here."Mitchell glanced back and forth between Jimmy and Matthew, then pushed his glasses up and remained silent.Matthew had been looking at him since Jimmy was on the phone with Cynthia.Jimmy was puzzled.What was going on?Why were Matthew and Mitchell not saying anything?"Why are you so quiet?" Jimmy walked over, completely confused.Just as he picked up a bottle of water, he heard Matthew ask nonchalantly, "You get along well with Cynthia?""Of course!" Jimmy did not realize it was a trap and continued, "I was the first to know about Cynthia's marriage and divorce, even before Mitchell and Gaby."Mitchell cleared his throat.After finishing his water, Jimmy looked puzzled and asked with concern, "Mitchell, are you getting a cold?""No," Mitchell replied.Jimmy was even more confus
"Mitchell." Matthew glanced over at him.Mitchell remained calm and composed, replying, "I'm not sure. Cynthia probably only told Jimmy."Jimmy was taken aback. Damn it! Mitchell was so shameless!"You clearly know!""Know what?" Mitchell looked puzzled, frowning.Jimmy blurted out, "You know Cynthia went to..."His sentence came to an abrupt halt. In an instant, he understood everything and accused Mitchell, "Mitchell, how could you trick me!"Mitchell intentionally pretended to be ignorant, knowing that this matter could not be discussed in front of Matthew.The audacity he had! "What?" Mitchell still appeared bewildered."Nothing! I'm the only one who knows, so drop it!" Jimmy huffed, feeling indignant.Mitchell's expression remained unchanged, showing little emotion. However, little did Jimmy know Mitchell's heart was pounding, as he had never lied to Matthew before.Hopefully, he could get away with it.After a while, Cynthia arrived.The moment Jimmy saw her, he
Matthew did not say anything earlier. Could it be that he thought she disliked him and was bothered by it?"Because you offended him?" Mitchell asked."Something like that."Cynthia was conflicted, mainly because she was worried about Matthew's unpredictable traps.Mitchell continued, "Captain isn't as serious as you imagine. Sometimes he might just genuinely want to be good to you without any ulterior motives."Being familiar with Mitchell, Cynthia spoke, "Maybe if we're in the same position… But he's our captain, so traps are everywhere."Mitchell was speechless. Suddenly, he became worried about Matthew's pursuit.Compared to the calm conversation happening here, Jimmy's side was much more tense. Not for any other reason.Just Matthew's question to him. "Come on, tell me. What are you guys plotting behind my back?" Matthew asked as he drove. Although his tone seemed casual, Jimmy was still scared. He sat there awkwardly, avoiding Matthew. "It's nothing, really!""
"I know," Cynthia calmly replied.Matthew glanced at Cynthia several times but eventually started the car and followed behind Mitchell, knowing that Cynthia was definitely keeping something from him.Later, the four had dinner, rested, and went home separately.Usually, they should have had drinks during this meal, but Matthew declined, knowing that Cynthia could not handle alcohol well. After all, he would not be able to resist prying for information if she got drunk.Matthew did not want to find out about her situation in that way.It was past nine o'clock at night, and Cynthia returned with Matthew. Before leaving, she took her laptop with her.After arriving home, Cynthia was about to go inside when she remembered the contract and told Matthew, "Captain, just go directly to Arch International Group tomorrow morning. I'll have Momo take care of everything for you.""Alright," Matthew responded.Cynthia entered her apartment but did not immediately rest. Instead, she went to
Nana's frustration resurfaced, and she blurted out, [Honestly, if he hadn't told me that K is a girl, I would still think you're a sloppy, nerdy male who eats instant noodles all the time.]Cynthia's eyes darkened, and she knew exactly who Nana was referring to.Although they had disguised themselves during that mission, her gender was still apparent. Back then, her codename was K.Cynthia ended the conversation and casually sent a virus into Nana's laptop and server. After finishing these tasks, she shut down her laptop and went to wash up and sleep. The virus she planted would keep them busy for a while, and Jayleen's side was also temporarily safe.As for Nana…Upon seeing the virus in her laptop, she propped her head up and said, "K is truly relentless. She didn't even spare my laptop.""What's wrong?""My laptop got infected with a virus, and the server in the room is affected too. The database was attacked, and all the data is gone." Nana seemed unfazed.The man was t
"Really?" Moe's cool gaze finally showed some signs of emotion.Cynthia nodded. "Yes."Moe quickly regained his composure and held the contract, adding, "Alright. I thoroughly reviewed the documents during my vacation, and everything is in order. You can sign them.""Thank you.""No worries. I'm your assistant, after all."Cynthia smiled faintly, feeling touched. Suddenly, she seemed to understand why Moe was offended at her hiring an assistant.It was like an established combination suddenly having an outsider added to it. Cynthia thought it was normal because she was familiar with Matthew, but Moe did not know him, so he naturally opposed it.At ten o'clock in the morning, Matthew arrived at the company. Then, the receptionist directed him to the elevator without hesitation, as Cynthia had informed her beforehand. Matthew expected Cynthia to be waiting for him, but to his surprise, Moe was there to greet him.Moe frowned when he saw the handsome Matthew, knowing that thi
"It's been almost a month since Grandpa's birthday celebration. Your menstrual cycle fluctuates around the 20th of each month. You should be pregnant." Joshua's gaze was softer than before.With that, Cynthia immediately recalled the man ordering Jayleen to keep an eye on whether she was pregnant, probably intending to further his plan.She frowned and replied, "I'll talk to Jayleen.""Cynthia…" Joshua's throat tightened, and all the words seemed to be stuck as he was unsure of how to express them. At this moment, he felt extremely distressed.Joshua did not want Cynthia to treat him like an irrelevant person. He hoped Cynthia interacted with him, even if it were anger. Cynthia met his gaze. The distance and complex gaze made Joshua's heart ache.Ignoring this feeling, Cynthia calmly said, "Go on.""I'm sorry..." Joshua's voice became hoarse. His messy hair made him seem burdened, as if he had been crushed.He admitted that he regretted it. Regretted the past, regrette
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