Cynthia could not see Matthew's phone and assumed he was checking the timetable for Arch International Group. It was when she heard a beep that she realized he was calling Moe."Momo is probably asleep by now...""Shh." Matthew placed his index finger gently on her lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Given his routine, he's either handling company matters or working out at this time."Cynthia was surprised at Matthew's understanding of Moe. Soon, the call was answered, and Moe's voice came through the phone. "What's up?""Is Cynthia busy with any projects these days?""Ahem!" Cynthia suddenly coughed, interrupting Moe before he could answer.Moe, relying on his understanding of Cynthia, quickly said, "Yes. In fact, there's an urgent document that Ms. Yates needs to handle right now. Is she with you? Could you remind her for me?"Matthew smirked, amused at how intuitive these two were. "Moe's on the line." Matthew handed the phone to Cynthia, watching as she performed.Cynth
"Why are you here?" Cynthia looked at the now-open door, feeling a bit guilty as if caught in the act."Just came in to see what you're up to, Ms. Yates. And to check if there's anything I can help with." Matthew said playfully as he strolled over.Cynthia turned off her phone screen. "Not for now."Matthew reached her side, looking at her dark computer screen. Then, he teased, "Ms. Yates, you have quite a unique way of handling work."Cynthia was confused by the comment. "You're getting work done even with your computer off. Can you teach me how you do it? I'll pay you." Matthew enjoyed the small traces of frustration on her face.Cynthia had a talent for improvising, replying, "I can't teach you. This skill requires advanced hacking techniques, which you can't achieve.""Why do I feel like that's not the case?""What do you mean?""Even the most skilled hacker needs a computer to operate, right?" Matthew paced back and forth beside her, pointing to the power strip. "The com
Cynthia nodded. "I don't like it."With a charming smile, Matthew said in his magnetizing voice, "Well, I quite like it." Cynthia met his gaze and threatened, "Then I'll call you by your nickname.""Sure." Matthew did not seem to mind. After all, it was just 'Matt', which was slightly better than the title 'Captain'.Cynthia felt helpless. After all, Tracy told her that Matthew once beat up Zayn for calling him by his nickname. Why was he so indifferent now?"Go take your bath." Matthew walked over and carried her as if taking care of a child.Cynthia moved sluggishly. When they reached the bathroom door, she could not help but ask, "You really don't mind if I call you by your nickname?" "Yep.""Really?""Mmhmm."Cynthia did not believe it. If she were Matthew, she would not like to be called by that nickname. In her contemplation, a bold idea emerged, perhaps influenced by Riley and Gaby's encouragement."You should take a bath too. Then, wait for me in bed. I have som
Cynthia felt a bit awkward, and her desire to take the initiative immediately disappeared.Matthew smiled as he noticed her reaction. He looked at her with a tender and affectionate gaze.A few minutes later, her hair was dry. Matthew placed the hairdryer down and took a small box from the pocket of his robe, handing it to her. "I'll leave the next step to you."Seeing the box, Cynthia could not help but feel a bit uncomfortable. Even though this was not her first time, she still felt a sense of unease."Or..." She hesitated."Yes?" "Never mind, you can lie down."It did not make sense to get nervous before even starting. No matter what happened later, she was determined to take charge and leave Matthew satisfied. While she was psyching herself up, Matthew obediently lay on the bed, observing her with an amused expression. He had a pretty good idea of what was going through her mind."If you feel uncomfortable, we can switch roles," Matthew suggested casually, his tone ca
On the other hand, Cynthia felt guilty. The last time, they had stopped because they lacked the necessary items. Now she was hesitating due to her own nervousness. Matthew was a young and vigorous man who had been single for thirty years.Would she be… too cruel to treat him this way?Amidst these conflicting emotions, Cynthia suddenly turned to face him, but Matthew interpreted it as her finding a comfortable sleeping position. However, Cynthia suddenly rolled over and pinned him beneath her. Then, she summoned her courage and said earnestly, "We agreed to do this tonight. I can't back out now.""Didn't you say you couldn't?""I can."Cynthia was dead serious.Matthew chuckled, looking at Cynthia dotingly. "Sure. You can."To prove herself, Cynthia leaned down and gently kissed his lips. Her movements were tender yet awkward, clearly indicating her lack of experience in this matter. Matthew endured with patience and played along. Unfortunately, Cynthia's inexperience was ge
Matthew chuckled and playfully pinched her cheek. "You're quite the schemer, aren't you?"Cynthia was even more confused now. What was he talking about?"Is this your way of hinting you want a second round?" Matthew teased.Cynthia's eyes widened in realization, and she immediately retorted, "No, that's not it.""Well, I'm not letting you have another go now. Get up, freshen up, and then we'll have breakfast downstairs." Matthew knew she was embarrassed and effortlessly smoothed over her unease."Okay.""Just 'okay'?""I'll go wash my face and brush my teeth." Cynthia obediently complied.As he watched her hurry off, Matthew adjusted his own state before getting out of bed. The reason he had said that earlier, aside from easing her discomfort, was because he knew how dangerous he could be in the morning.After everything had calmed down, he slipped on his slippers and headed to the bathroom.When Cynthia saw him in the mirror, she felt uneasy again."Little Cyn." Matthew squ
"Okay." Cynthia obediently went over to have breakfast.While they were having breakfast, Cynthia read Jonathan's message, asking what she wanted to eat for lunch. Then, she asked Matthew, "Captain, are you free today?""Yes. What's up?" Matthew replied."I want to take you home to meet my family.""When?""Can we do it later?""Sure."With this, Cynthia replied to Jonathan, [I'm not picky. Just let the servant prepare for one more person. Matthew will be joining me.]When Jonathan saw this message, he immediately froze. He looked at the message Cynthia had sent, handed the phone to Shirley, who was at home, and asked, "What does Cynthia mean by this?""She's bringing Matthew over for a meal.""I know, but I want to know what she means by this."Shirley blinked her eyes and replied, "Dad, are you... overthinking it?""No." Jonathan snorted. Then, he added, "Is she bringing Matthew home to meet me?""I think so.""Don't tell me 'I think so'. Just tell me if she is or isn't
Jonathan was unwilling to let go of both of his daughters at the same time. He wanted to let them go one at a time, giving him some buffer time. "Hmph!" Shirley understood what he meant, and she simply threatened, "I'll go find Cynthia."Jonathan sighed, knowing Shirley was banking on the fact that he would listen to Cynthia."When Mom was alive, Mom was in charge. When Mom passed away, Cynthia had the final say." Shirley understood their family dynamics well, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "But Cynthia loves and cares for me and agrees to all my requests. In other words, I'm in charge now.""Aren't you getting a little full of yourself, huh?" Jonathan felt that Shirley was getting courageous.Shirley slyly smiled while Jonathan pretended to be angry and gave her a stern look. Their playful banter showed their close relationship.As noon approached, Cynthia and Matthew arrived. Shirley was the first to rush into her embrace, followed by a greeting to Matthew. After exchangi
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