After that, Cynthia led Matthew away. Once they were in the car, Cynthia received messages from her two close friends, Riley and Gaby. She had not even opened their group chat when she guessed that their messages would not be anything serious. Her guess was correct.[Riley: Cyn, you're as impressive as always.][Riley: Just a friendly reminder, Captain is drunk, so take it easy when handling things. You know what I mean.][Riley: I'm not talking about the ring size measurement, you know.][Gaby: Honestly, I never thought you were the daring type.][Gaby: Go for it!][Cynthia: ...][Cynthia: What on earth are you both thinking? I'm just going to measure his ring size.][Riley & Gaby: Sure.]Cynthia fell silent. Sometimes, it was best not to reply when the conversation was getting out of hand. After changing the topic by saying she was getting some rest, she temporarily turned off her phone's screen. On the way back, she kept a close eye on Matthew's condition. Once she saw
Cynthia noticed Matthew's damp hair and grabbed a nearby towel to help him dry off. She then took a hairdryer and carefully blew his hair dry. Throughout the process, Matthew was incredibly cooperative.After guiding him to sit on the bed, Cynthia prepared some honey water for him to drink. All the while, she felt a slight nervousness, unsure if Matthew was completely asleep. What if he suddenly woke up when she was about to measure his ring size? That would ruin the surprise.Lost in these thoughts, time slipped away unnoticed. Before she knew it, ten minutes had passed. Listening to his steady breathing, she softly called out to him, "Captain?""Captain...""Are you asleep?"She whispered several more times, but Matthew did not respond. Matthew was genuinely asleep and had let his guard down with Cynthia. Moreover, he decided to just sleep to cooperate with her plan, but Cynthia had no way of knowing this.After fetching the ring sizer from the bodyguard, Cynthia asked in t
The 14th and 15th were back-to-back days. Jonathan was concerned that if Cynthia went back on the 15th, it might disrupt their plans."Are you not bringing me along to meet your dad?" Matthew asked, recalling the overheard conversation.Cynthia's body tensed up, and her gaze showed a noticeable hint of nervousness. Then, she pursed her lips and pretended to be clueless, saying, "So soon?""It does seem a bit early. Why don't you freshen up and come down for breakfast? I'll drive you back." Matthew ruffled her hair, not trying to pressure her."No need.""I'm driving you back."Cynthia fell silent. She was well aware that arguing with Matthew was a losing battle. When it came to matters like driving her home, as long as she did not have a strong reason to refuse him, he would insist on taking her back.After breakfast, Matthew drove Cynthia back home. Jonathan and Shirley had been waiting. Upon hearing the sound of a car outside, they stepped out to greet them at the entrance.
"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked when he noticed her silence.Cynthia did not tell him the truth, just responding with, "It's nothing. Let's go in. It's quite cold out here.""Alright." Jonathan and Shirley both accompanied her inside.Once inside, Jonathan fetched her a glass of water and cautiously asked, "Why didn't you tell me that you're dating someone?""I thought I'd wait until things are more stable.""Isn't it stable now?"Cynthia hesitated. Things were stable, but she wanted to wait longer in case Matthew's interest in her was based on their past interactions and not on who she truly was. Cynthia wanted him to know her as she was now before telling Jonathan.Jonathan became concerned, and he said in a serious tone, "Are you two okay? What happened?""We're doing well," Cynthia replied sincerely.Jonathan glanced at Shirley as if seeking confirmation. Shirley hinted and reassured Jonathan that Cynthia and Matthew were doing great.With this, Jonathan felt at ease.
[Cynthia: What's going on?]Felix glanced at his son, who seemed quite different from usual, and replied simply, [Nothing.]At the same time, everyone at the Neal family mansion was taken aback by Joshua's return. Old Man Neal frowned, asking, "Weren't you off to Nexuria to pursue Cynthia? Why are you back?""I'm not pursuing her anymore.""Why not?""She's got a boyfriend."Old Man Neal was shocked.Felix was not surprised by this as Cynthia had always been an exceptional young woman, and having suitors was entirely natural. However, he was curious how his son could accept this so calmly."Who's her boyfriend?" Old Man Neal inquired with concern. He truly regarded Cynthia as his granddaughter. "Is he treating her well? Have you checked his background?""The Quier Group's Matthew Quier. He's honest and trustworthy, someone worthy to be Cynthia's partner," Joshua calmly uttered words that cut deep into his own heart. No one wanted to see the person they liked with someone els
Old Man Neal began to bring up old issues, saying, "Do you remember what you said the first time Cynthia told us about the divorce? You knew Joshua was going down the wrong path, yet you, as his father, didn't offer any advice or discipline him."Felix froze. It was true that he had not handled that situation as well as he could have. He was joking when he teased Joshua for treating Cynthia as a replacement for Jayleen, a passing comment without much thought. Felix knew Joshua had a first love but did not know anything else. Little did he know that Joshua would indeed divorce Cynthia for that person. He would have certainly intervened if he had known the whole story back then. Nonetheless, it was clear that Joshua and Cynthia were not meant for each other and were not meant to spend the rest of their lives together. "I really don't understand what Daphne saw in you. Your mom and I were so deeply in love. How did we end up with a jerk of a son like you?" Old Man Neal could not
Felix smiled, choosing not to expose him, and engaged in a casual conversation. "Since you took over the Neal Group, I haven't seen you sitting in this courtyard much. What brings you here?""Finding inner peace," Joshua responded naturally."Is your mind a mess?""It's manageable.""You're not being entirely truthful with me, are you?""Did Grandpa send you?" Joshua changed the subject."Yes. He's quite concerned about you. When he noticed you were not feeling yourself, he asked me to talk to you. He even scolded me about it." Felix crossed his legs, toying with his teacup. Joshua was in low spirits, only replying, "Oh.""Just an 'oh'?""Do you need comforting?" Joshua retorted.Felix sipped his tea and spoke frankly, "No, I don't need comforting. The one who needs it is you.""I don't need it.""Your state doesn't quite reflect that.""I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. I want to pause and reflect on the wrong paths I've taken. Once I've sorted things out, I'll move forwar
During this time, Old Man Neal had the butler send Joshua some fruits and snacks. Joshua remained consistently calm, which was strange to Felix, Old Man Neal, and even the butler.In fact, after the butler brought him a cup of hot tea, Old Man Neal inquired about the situation, "How's Joshua doing?""He's just sitting in the courtyard, soaking up the sun. He's not reading or playing on his phone. Although his mood seems about the same, something feels slightly off," the butler reported truthfully, as he had a good rapport with Old Man Neal. "What's off?" Old Man Neal asked."It's his demeanor. While he used to be polite and courteous with me, there's a noticeable difference from before," the butler explained.Old Man Neal sighed. As expected, Joshua was still struggling to overcome his emotional setback. "Mr. Neal Senior is out with Mrs. Neal Senior. Before leaving, he told me to relay a message to you if you asked about him," the butler informed, aware of the family's whereab