When Sean arrived at Yves's place, he instantly changed his expression. It was not entirely an act; he did feel upset about his research being rejected. At this moment, he did not hold back and let his emotions flow freely. Unlike others who tried to hide their vulnerable side from the ones they liked, Sean wanted Yves to see it all. Only then would Yves understand that Sean would be unhappy without him. Sean hoped that by showing his vulnerability, he would finally receive Yves's long-lost care and concern, giving him a glimmer of hope.Sean knocked on the door.Yves saw him looking desolate and moved aside to let him in. Sean hesitated for a moment but decided not to say anything and entered.Yves did not notice anything unusual and simply closed the door after Sean walked in. They were not the type to show much concern and care. "The water is over there. Help yourself if you're thirsty. I've already eaten dinner. Order whatever you want if you're hungry," Yves said without mu
When Cynthia returned home, Matthew had prepared dinner, waiting eagerly for her to join him at the table. Cynthia was never picky about food, but tonight's dinner seemed especially sumptuous, with its enticing colors and flavors."Why did you make so much?" Cynthia asked casually, noticing Matthew was still busy in the kitchen."To celebrate.""Celebrate what?" Cynthia wondered, trying to recall if there was any special occasion today.She could not think of anything remarkable happening on this day.Matthew put down what he was holding and approached.Cynthia looked at him with a puzzled expression. What was going on?"Should I remind you what today is?" Matthew's tone was calm, trapping Cynthia in front of him.Cynthia racked her brain but could not figure out what day it was. Was it someone's birthday? Matthew's birthday had already passed, and hers was yet to come.What day could it be?Matthew gently pinched her cheek, feeling her soft skin. "Today is the day we
As these thoughts swirled in Joshua's mind, he felt his emotions slipping out of control bit by bit. The suppressed anger and negative feelings erupted, and he could no longer contain them. Joshua could not understand why Cynthia, who had been kind to him before, suddenly chose someone else in the blink of an eye."If you don't like me, why did you save me? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if I died?" Joshua asked Cynthia, genuinely puzzled. Cynthia frowned. Was he losing control of his emotions?Matthew approached them. Joshua's emotions were further agitated, and the negative feelings burst out uncontrollably, engulfing his heart and mind. He was about to speak, but Matthew swiftly hit his neck.Bang!Joshua passed out.Matthew caught him just in time. Cynthia was taken aback by his unexpected action. "Captain...""There's medication in my bag in my room," Matthew said. He had thought through everything carefully. "Bring it, and I'll administer it to him." Cynt
"Get up and have some food. We'll change the bandage after the meal," Cynthia urged.Joshua did not move. He had been staring at Cynthia since she entered the room. He was curious…If the past never happened, would Cynthia still choose him?Noticing that he did not answer, Cynthia asked concernedly, "What's wrong? Is the wound hurting, or do you feel unwell?""No," Joshua said hoarsely. He seemed to have made a decision as he threw off the blanket, sat up, grabbed some clothes to put on, and then stepped outside in his slippers. Each step he took felt unusually heavy.Cynthia wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.Matthew saw Joshua and observed his emotions before confirming that everything seemed fine. He asked, "Ready to eat?""Yeah," Joshua replied softly.Matthew served the reheated dishes, and Cynthia also helped set the table.Watching them interact warmly, Joshua felt a sense of melancholy. Perhaps Matthew was indeed the best person for Cynth
It seemed as if Joshua would ruin his moments every time, even though they did not have any real grudges between them!Yves noticed Sean was staring at his phone without answering and said indifferently, "These are for you. Dinner is on the table outside. Remember to eat after you're done with the call.""Yves," Sean called out to him.Yves glanced at Sean coldly.Sean felt a mix of emotions, hesitating before he asked, "Do you still care about me?""Answer the call," Yves replied and walked away, not giving a direct response to his question.Yves did not know if he still cared about Sean, but he was certain he would not forget the past, and letting Sean stay at his place was purely out of pity. As the door closed, Sean stared at his ringing phone, angry. If only Joshua did not call him, Yves would have given him an answer. After taking a deep breath, Sean finally answered the call."Mr. Neal, why are you calling me at this hour?""Are you at the base?" Joshua's tone was c
When Cynthia left the decision to recover his memories to Joshua, Sean thought it was risky. He believed Joshua would never agree to it. Yet, now...What could have happened to make Joshua give up on Cynthia?Sean felt conflicted. He wanted to ask Cynthia about it, but then he remembered Joshua's words from earlier. If he told Cynthia about Joshua's decision, the consequences would be disastrous.As these thoughts swirled in his mind, his emotions became more complex. If being rejected by Cynthia and Yves when proposing the research was upsetting, now he was questioning everything in life.Joshua's current situation had far exceeded his expectations. He went outside, finding the living room empty, and decided to look for Yves upstairs, who was engrossed in a book.Yves glanced at him but did not pay much attention."Are you busy?" Sean tried to control his emotions and approached Yves. "I want to talk to you about something.""Go ahead," Yves replied. "It's about Joshua's co
The following day, Cynthia freshened up before heading out to check on Joshua. However, she noticed a sticky note on his door.[Cynthia, I'm out with Yoel. Don't worry.]Reading the message, Cynthia texted Joshua to ask if he would return for lunch. Joshua replied that he would not be coming back. She then messaged Yoel, asking him to take care of Joshua and inform her if anything happened.Yoel replied with a simple, [Okay.]Once Cynthia confirmed that Joshua was indeed with Yoel, she felt reassured. As she was about to start preparing breakfast, Matthew came over and asked her to come for breakfast."I'll take care of your meals from now on. You don't have to bother cooking anymore," Matthew offered, knowing Cynthia was not good at cooking.Cynthia instinctively declined his offer. Matthew looked at her, reminding her, "Little Cyn.""Hmm?""I'm your boyfriend.""I know.""It's my responsibility to take care of you. Or are you planning to reject my kindness and find an excus
"Mmhmm.""Kiss me," Matthew teased with a seductive voice.Cynthia was taken aback. Kiss him?Matthew playfully tapped her forehead with his hand, obviously doting on Cynthia. "There's a gift in the middle of those flowers. Why don't you have a look?"Cynthia examined the bouquet closely and found a necklace hidden inside.She had never been interested in necklaces, earrings, or bracelets, and she rarely wore any jewelry except for formal occasions. In fact, she had not bought any new jewelry in years and often gave Shirley the latest pieces gifted by renowned brands.However, as Cynthia looked at the necklace nestled among the flowers, she found herself inexplicably drawn to it. She took it out, carefully inspecting the design, and could not help but smile.Seeing her reaction, Matthew knew he had chosen the right gift. Girls liked to be loved, after all. Despite Cynthia being excellent in all aspects, independent, and caring for others, she was ultimately just a girl who nee
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