Could it be Yoel? "I have other matters to attend to. As you wish." Joshua said, standing up. His face was carefully composed, but inside, he was his usual self. "Wait!" "Yes?" Chyler's fists clenched, his eyes burning with anger. He steeled himself, his voice filled with gritted determination, "Big brother." Joshua nearly cringed at the sound. Disgusting indeed. Seeing Chyler's reluctance, he replied, "If you're going to sound like that, you might as well not." "Big brother!" Chyler repeated, his words brimming with contempt. Joshua finally found some sense of accomplishment. He wondered if Cynthia would praise him if she found out. "Three times." "Big brother," Chyler repeated, each word filled with more loathing than the last. "Continue." "That was three times already!" "The first one was so reluctant, can it even count?" "Big brother!" Chyler's anger grew. 'Joshua, just you wait. Once I sort out Ellora's situation, it's your turn.' "Can you tell me now
"Can't you covertly help her rise to the top? As for her dreams, they don't conflict with making money." Joshua did not feel like talking to him anymore. Chyler clenched his fists. If it were not for Joshua making sense, he would have given him a good scolding for acting so smug. "You talk as if you're a genius. Have you forgotten about your divorce with Cynthia over Jayleen?" With a plan in hand, Chyler did not care about offending Joshua anymore. "So?" Joshua asked nonchalantly. "Who was it that regretted so much it was pathetic?" Chyler scoffed. Watching Chyler's smug expression, Joshua replied calmly, "You better watch your tone when speaking to me. If I get annoyed, I might just reveal your upcoming plans to Ellora. You wouldn't want her to know, right?" Chyler sighed in exasperation. "Moreover, I did regret it, but Cynthia has already forgiven me and even let me move into her house." Joshua felt this was his most triumphant moment yet. "Impossible!" Chyler blurted
Chyler had originally wanted to confront Joshua, but his newfound knowledge had shifted the balance of power. "How did you manage to get along so well with Cynthia? Could you share some advice?" he asked. He was not asking for a reunion, just for Ellora to forgive him and treat him kindly. "No. You handle your business, I've got things to do," came Joshua's curt response. Not waiting for a reaction, Joshua rose from his seat and left, not forgetting Cynthia's recent words. Shirley and the others. This suggested that besides her sister, others were accompanying Cynthia on her shopping trip. He wondered if Matthew from next door was there. After ending the call, Cynthia resumed her shopping with Shirley and the others. The sisters walked side by side while Matthew and Zachary trailed a bit behind them. "Cynthia, who called you?" Shirley asked as they continued shopping. "Joshua." "Didn't he go back? Why is he calling you?" Shirley had little love for her former brother-in-l
"I get it. I'm not misunderstanding. Just relax and go. I'll handle everything else," Shirley said with a naive and innocent smile on her face. Cynthia did not say anything, but she knew Shirley was definitely misunderstanding. "You can come to my place at noon on the 29th. As long as they see you, whether we have lunch or not doesn't matter," Matthew offered, not wanting to put Cynthia in a difficult position. "Really?" asked Cynthia. If this were true, it would indeed be the best choice. Matthew simply nodded in agreement. Once the matter was settled, the four of them began their dinner. Zachary took meticulous care of Shirley throughout the meal, often serving her the dishes she wanted even before she reached out for them. His attention to detail made Cynthia feel a bit inadequate. Sometimes, she wondered whether her future brother-in-law's spoiling of Shirley would lead to her becoming spoiled. However, she quickly dismissed the thought. Shirley had always been indep
"Cyn…" Jonathan was somewhat flustered. He had not anticipated Cynthia's return on this particular day. Would Cyn misunderstand? He had only allowed them in as a last resort... "Yes. Busy?" Cynthia looked up and walked over with Shirley. From their vantage point, they could not see into the living room. "Not really. Mandy and the others said they had some business with me. Considering the heavy snow outside, I allowed them in to talk." Jonathan still did not know why Cynthia and Shirley had come. Cynthia paused for a moment. The bodyguards had clearly said that their father initially tried to stop the women from entering. The bodyguards would not lie to her, so her father must have left out that detail after failing to prevent their entry. "I see." Cynthia nodded. "You are not upset, are you?" Jonathan was inwardly anxious. "I'm not upset, as long as they don't stay for dinner or spend the night here," Cynthia responded, before adding, "Dad." "Huh?" Jonathan was a littl
If Cynthia had not returned unexpectedly back then, none of this would have happened, and their lives might not be as they are now. "Cynthia, Shirley," Michelle greeted them first, starkly contrasting her previously brash attitude. Cynthia and Shirley both responded politely but with noticeable coldness. Mandy's anxiety escalated. Sometimes she wondered why Cynthia, merely a woman in her twenties, seemed to have a stronger aura than even Jonathan. Whenever Cynthia was present, Mandy struggled to keep her thoughts and feelings hidden. This time was no different. "Have you eaten yet? Let's have dinner first," Mandy asked, attempting to change the topic and ease the tension. "Thank you for your concern, Madam Quinn. You go ahead and discuss with father. We know how to feed ourselves. Please, continue with your business," Shirley said, knowing her elder sister was not fond of small talk. Mandy looked awkward, and Jonathan offered her no additional chance for small talk. He cut s
Jonathan glanced at her, preparing to respond but refrained, fearing his words would hurt Cynthia. Cynthia, however, recalled it quite clearly and calmly laid it out. "Do you remember what she said as I was preparing to go home with you after our talk on Madam Quinn's birthday, Shirley?" Shirley pondered and suddenly, the sentences popped into her mind. "Jonathan… let's just give up. Cynthia is right, the disparity between us is too vast. If you marry me, people in our circle will surely gossip." "Tomorrow, Michelle and I will pack up and leave. Thank you for all the care and attention you've shown us, Chairman Yates." She relayed the conversation to Cynthia and asked, "Are these the ones?" "Correct," Cynthia replied coolly. She never questioned what her father and Madam Quinn discussed that day, and frankly, she did not care. Shirley had talked with their father about it, but Cynthia did not know the specifics. "I was just afraid of losing you," Mandy defended herself, a
"But my father will be released from prison soon. He will definitely resent my mother for reporting his domestic abuse. We won't have any peace," Michelle said, biting her lip, looking pitiful. Shirley frowned slightly, displeased by this comment. She despised domestic abusers, but their father could not support them forever. Cynthia's gaze shifted. It all started when Mandy sought their father's help due to domestic violence. He found her a lawyer, which led to the subsequent events. A complex tide of emotions surged in her heart. "The property I've given you has excellent security, with shopping resources available exclusively for residents within the complex. As long as you don't go out of your way to contact him, he can't get in," Jonathan said nonchalantly. Mandy had divorced that man. Even if he wished to cause trouble, he would not be able to bypass the community's security. "But we will have to go out..." Michelle protested. Jonathan cut her off. "If you en
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