Mandy continued, "It's all because of Cynthia that we were kicked out. Since someone else will take care of the aftermath, there's no reason not to agree."Hearing this, Michelle's heart trembled, and she said, "Killing is illegal, and Cynthia... she has never actively provoked us."Upon careful thought, it seemed that they had always been the ones provoking Cynthia ever since she returned. They were the ones who wanted to take away Jonathan. Michelle disliked Cynthia, just like Mandy, thinking that their current situation was all because of Cynthia's return. However, standing in the spacious villa during the New Year and looking at the long string of numbers in her bank account, she felt a sense of guilt toward Cynthia."Didn't you always want to escape from our current life? Haven't you always wanted a better background? Now there's an opportunity right in front of you, and you're not cherishing it?" Mandy suddenly chimed in. "Mom..." Michelle felt her principles were starting
Yoel maintained his silence. As long as he acted well, Joshua would assume that his signal was terrible. When Joshua did not hear any response, he glanced at his phone, confirmed that he had a full signal, and called out, "Yoel."As there was no reply, Joshua decided to send a message instead. Yoel promptly turned off his phone. After all, he was still on vacation, and turning it off would not be much trouble for a day or two. He felt fortunate to be single; otherwise, he would not go without contacting his girlfriend for twenty-four hours.Joshua had not expected Yoel to be so daring. After sending the message, he did not bother with it and slept.However, Yoel could not just let this highly abnormal behavior of Joshua go unnoticed. Hence, he borrowed his father's phone and called Cynthia.Cynthia was still busy, but when she saw an unfamiliar number calling, she casually answered, "Hello, who is this?"Yoel could not directly expose Joshua, but he had to remind Cynthia."Ms
Jimmy asked, "Joshua? What's he got to do with this?"Cynthia briefly explained the situation. Jimmy was quite nosy among their small group, but he was tight-lipped about things outside their circle and would not spill the beans."He's not faking it, is he? The last video he posted seemed pretty normal." Jimmy guessed after hearing her explanation. "I asked him to act according to his previous personality. Go ahead and have fun. Once I'm settled with Joshua's matter, I'll treat you all to a nice meal," Cynthia clarified.To gather material, she reviewed a lot of surveillance footage. It was precisely because of that footage that Joshua did not blow his cover after returning.Riley took Jimmy's phone and chatted with Cynthia, "No problem. Just bring him along."Cynthia and Jimmy were surprised by Riley's suggestion.What the hell was she thinking? Was she trying to put Joshua, the ex-husband, and Matthew, the current pursuer, in a ring and fight it out?Riley continued, "Ask hi
Joshua waved his hand in front of her, his tone resembling a seventeen-year-old as he called out, "Cynthia."Cynthia snapped back to reality and did not say much. "You can do your own thing for now, and I'll take you there in the afternoon.""Okay."Once Cynthia returned to her room, Joshua called Yoel to arrange things for the evening. Since he would meet Cynthia's friends, he had to clarify his status in Cynthia's life.Joshua tried calling once, then twice, but Yoel's phone was still off. Then, he decided to look up Yoel's information. Once he found Yoel's family's phone numbers, he dialed one of them.Yoel's father answered the call, and upon hearing it was Joshua looking for Yoel, he immediately became very polite and went to find Yoel while scolding him, "You brat, why did you turn off your phone? Mr. Neal is looking for you."Yoel, who was watching a documentary, was taken aback. "Mr. Neal?"Yoel's father handed the phone over to him with a stern expression. "He's on the
Though Jimmy was intimidated by Matthew, he still asked, "Captain, how's your relationship with Cynthia progressing? How was the meeting with your parents during the New Year?"Matthew played with his wine glass and replied, "It went smoothly," "What about your relationship?""Stagnant."Jimmy, Mitchell, and Riley were puzzled.Riley exclaimed, "You're joking, right?""She's currently not interested in romantic relationships. So, there hasn't been any progress," Matthew explained earnestly."Make sure Joshua doesn't steal her away," Riley remarked, sounding serious.Matthew remained silent, deep in thought. Cynthia had told him about Joshua's mental state reverting to that of a seventeen-year-old, and he had thought Joshua would keep acting like a five-year-old forever."Captain.""Hmm?""You should confess your feelings to Cyn," Mitchell suddenly said.Riley and Jimmy both looked at him.Matthew was caught off guard, but he still replied casually, "Until I'm certain th
"Should we decorate this place a bit? Isn't a confession supposed to be romantic?" Jimmy asked.Matthew still prioritized Cynthia's preference and replied, "No need. She likes simplicity. I'll find a moment to talk to her later.""Alright."They did not offer any more suggestions. After chatting briefly, Jimmy suddenly thought of a crucial issue and asked, "Joshua is coming with Cynthia. What if he sticks to her all the time, and you don't get a chance to confess?""Mitchell, please handle that." Matthew thought of this too.Mitchell agreed, "No problem."A little past seven o'clock, Cynthia and Joshua arrived. Seeing them, Matthew stood up and offered his seat to Cynthia. She walked over, paying little attention to seating arrangements, and sat down without hesitation. Observing this, Jimmy and the others breathed a sigh of relief as the first step was successful.Later, they ate some quick bites before playing games. They often played mystery games in the past, but today'
In this round, only Cynthia and Joshua did not bend their fingers. Joshua looked at Cynthia, wondering if she had not learned to hack."It's my turn. My hair length is below my shoulders." Riley surveyed the group and came to Cynthia's rescue.Only Cynthia bent her finger.Mitchell played it safe in the first round and said, "I have a 100% win rate in the lawsuits I've handled.""I'm not afraid of ghosts." Joshua bent a finger, glancing at Cynthia.Apart from Jimmy, Mitchell, Riley, and Matthew all bent a finger.In an instant, all eyes were on Cynthia, who seemed deep in thought.Should she bend her finger? Joshua had already suspected her last night, and not bending her finger would mean she was not scared of ghosts. More importantly, not bending it would undermine the sincerity of the game."Cynthia, you're not afraid either, so why didn't you bend your finger?" Jimmy was the first to speak.Riley chimed in, "That's right."No one present noticed anything amiss, assumi
Jimmy was utterly shocked.Riley drank to hide her emotions too.What on earth was happening?"Do you like Cyn?" Mitchell decided to address the matter directly."I do," Joshua admitted, "Even though she rejected me before, I'll keep liking her. She's the person I want to protect for the rest of my life."Cynthia knew Joshua was doing this intentionally, but she could not say anything about it."Well, it's obviously too late for you!" Riley casually retorted.Joshua looked at her.The stunningly beautiful Riley wanted to help Matthew confess, so she suggested, "Let's continue the game. This time, we'll be playing Truth or Dare. Those who can't fulfill the challenge have to drink three glasses.""Let's go!" Jimmy had been waiting for this. Fortunately, he had practiced a few tricks to avoid getting into trouble."Let's use poker cards," Jimmy said, as it was the only type he had practiced, "Hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, with the king being the highest and the ace of spades
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