Cynthia was as obedient as can be. Matthew pinched her delicate cheek, saying, "Then let's go with what you said."Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief. It was not until dinner that she realized whether she wanted to sleep with Matthew was her choice. Not to mention, even if they were engaged, legally speaking, there was no requirement for spouses to share the same bed every day. So... why was she scared?"What are you thinking about?" Matthew picked a piece of meat for her.Cynthia pressed her lips together. "Nothing."It was better not to argue with Matthew. Given his stance, she would not win. Instead, she should just consider it as her accommodating him. With that in mind, her mood lightened instantly, and she found the food on the table even more delicious.After dinner, Matthew went to his study to handle some work while Cynthia sat by the window, engrossed in her book. Both of them were occupied.By ten at night, Cynthia was starting to feel sleepy. Matthew accompanied
"Never mind. I can't step away from Arch International Group right now. It's been quite busy lately," Cynthia decisively declined and came up with a reason."Moe said that there hasn't been anything major happening recently," Matthew exposed her lie."You're not with Arch International Group anymore, so naturally, he won't tell you the truth. I'm the boss. I know best if the company is busy or not," Cynthia responded seriously.Matthew knew she was lying but did not call her out on it. After all, she was his fiancee, and he could not always embarrass her.Not long after they finished their meal, a person in a suit and glasses arrived. Cynthia was wondering who this person was when Yunis came up to Matthew. He took a file folder out of his briefcase and handed it over. "Mr. Quier, everything you asked for is ready."As he said this, Yunis unconsciously glanced at Cynthia and immediately thought Matthew liked a good-looking partner like any other person."Yunis Ricky, the Quier G
Real estate: Value incalculable.Shares of other subsidiary companies: Value incalculable."It's not a marriage of convenience. We don't need this," Cynthia told Matthew."I understand where you are coming from, but I still hope you'll accept it," Matthew replied. He was prepared for this. "Only when you accept it will I be sure you won't run."Yunis was surprised. After all, while others feared someone taking the money and running, in Matthew's case, having the money was a guarantee that Cynthia would stay.Cynthia wanted to refuse, but Matthew continued, "Or are you saying you're not planning to marry me?""If I weren't planning to marry you, I wouldn't have proposed to you," Cynthia said, knowing he used this to make her accept the 'gifts'. Moreover, there was no need for him to transfer all his assets to her, and just the thought of it would be enough. Yunis' eyes widened in surprise. "Proposed?"Both Cynthia and Matthew looked at him.The nosy Yusno asked, "Is it the ki
"In that case, Mrs. Quier, you should still sign this. After all, you and Mr. Quier are family now, and it doesn't matter whose name it's under," Yunis persuaded, knowing he would have to help them with the paperwork later.If they were trying to outsmart each other, things would not end up the way it was. However, Matthew trusted Cynthia, and Cynthia's heart belonged to Matthew. It did not matter whose name the assets were under."If you don't sign the document, I'll assume you want to run away," Matthew said. He was doing something he had never done before—forcing her. Cynthia pursed her lips and ultimately signed. Nevertheless, she could not help but ask, "Aren't you afraid I'll run away with your assets?""You can run, but you can't hide.""Yes, I can.""I'll tell your dad."Cynthia stopped bickering with him. It seemed like the seemingly serious Matthew was actually quite childish. "Go handle the procedures," Matthew handed the stack of documents to Yunis and ordered, c
"Before you ask that question, I have a question for you," Matthew said calmly, knowing she wanted an answer.Cynthia was surprised. "What?""You've been through a bad marriage before. Why do you still want to marry me?" Matthew was serious as he asked, "Aren't you afraid that I might leave you for someone else?""No. I trust you," Cynthia replied genuinely.Matthew smiled, resting his chin on top of her head.After a while, he said, "Your answer is also my answer."Cynthia met his gaze.At that moment, she felt at ease.After all, it made sense. She and Matthew would be together for a lifetime, and if he wanted to give her his assets, she would accept them.Only a few people knew about this matter. Aside from Yunis, only Cynthia, Matthew, and a few others, including Jonathan, Hank, and Tracy, were aware. The elders did not interfere; they entrusted the decision to Cynthia and Matthew.In the blink of an eye, it was October.Matthew and Cynthia attended Zayn and Rebecca's
"Long time no see," Cynthia replied naturally to Joshua's greeting. Joshua nodded slightly, a whirlwind of emotions churning within him. Then, he looked away unwillingly, walking out of the club.As they went their separate ways, parting at the crossroads of their lives, the remnants between them dissipated completely. They split onto their individual paths, leaving behind the past."Wasn't that Joshua just now?" Zayn whispered to Rebecca, trying not to be heard by Matthew.Rebecca responded nonchalantly, "Mmhmm."Zayn immediately turned his gaze to Matthew, anticipating a confrontation between the ex and the current partner. However, he was left disappointed as things did not escalate."Let's go," Matthew said, still holding Cynthia's hand.Cynthia replied, "Okay."Once inside, while Cynthia was conversing with Rebecca, Zayn took the opportunity to approach Matthew. His curiosity was piqued, and he questioned eagerly, "What did you feel when you saw Joshua just now?"Matthew
"There's a popular saying online.""What is it?""The best way to forget someone is time and to get a better one. Love is the cure for all psychological emotions. Of course, the most important thing is… " Matthew said.Zayn's curiosity was piqued. "What?""Cynthia is a rational person."Maybe emotions could overpower reason when in love, but when Cynthia's bottom line was touched, she would not continue it. She would not forget the pain of past scars so easily.Zayn looked in Cynthia's direction. In the end, he did not say anything. After all, he understood that people as straightforward and decisive as Cynthia were rare."It's good that she's with you too. You might lack emotional intelligence, but you're devoted." Zayn admired Cynthia and considered her one of their own. Matthew glanced at Zayn and retorted, "That statement suits you better."With that, he stood up and walked toward Cynthia. They returned home late that night.On the way back, Matthew asked Cynthia, "Wha
Countless ribbons and confetti floated down.Suddenly, Moses jumped out from behind the curtains, dressed like a clown. "Joshua, happy birthday!""Joshua, happy birthday!"Felix and Daphne also emerged from behind the curtains with all smiles, sincerely wishing their beloved son.This scene was almost the same as last year, with the most significant difference being that on his twenty-eighth birthday, he received a 'happy birthday' from Cynthia, but on his twenty-ninth, it was a heartfelt 'long time no see'.Pop, pop, pop—Moses and Yoel held party poppers together. Many glittering ribbons, confetti, and flower petals fell onto Joshua's head.In this world, many things could heal a person, but what worked best for Joshua was the care and love of his family."Why are you all here?" Joshua's face softened. Just a while ago, Yoel had said he needed to take pictures for Daphne, so how did everyone end up here? Moses put down the party popper and put an arm around Joshua's shoulde
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