"If you spill the beans, I'm done for!" Chyler knew Joshua was trying to intimidate him, but he relented. "Ellora has finally started to see me differently. If my parents find out, she'll definitely give me the cold treatment again."Joshua raised his glass. "If you don't want me to tell them, watch your mouth.""Got it!" Chyler immediately made a zipping motion across his lips.Joshua did not say anything more, just drinking glass after glass.Seeing that Joshua still had something on his mind, Chyler blurted out, "Actually, I have a way for you and Cynthia to reconnect."Joshua raised an eyebrow, puzzled. When did he ever say he wanted to reconnect with Cynthia?"Have a child now. If it's a boy, you can arrange for Cynthia's daughter to marry into your family, and if it's a girl, she can marry into hers. That way, you and Cynthia become in-laws," Chyler suggested mischievously."And if they're all boys?" Joshua thought Chyler had lost his mind."That's even simpler!""What
"Mmhmm.""Alright." Chyler did not try to persuade him. In their circle, this kind of arrangement was quite common.The next morning, Joshua set off for Jiverton. Felix, Daphne, and the others were all waiting for him at home, knowing that he had witnessed Cynthia and Matthew's wedding.To be honest, they were all worried about him."Joshua," Moses called out as soon as he saw him. Old Man Neal, Felix, and Daphne all turned their gaze toward him.This scene had occurred before, the day he brought Cynthia home."What's the matter?" Joshua remained as composed as ever, walking inside.Old Man Neal looked a bit older than before, with worry in his eyes as he asked, "Did you see Cynthia?""Yes.""Did you talk?""We did. I've let go." Joshua concealed his emotions in front of them. Moses was somewhat surprised. "Really?""Mmhmm.""You didn't cause any trouble, did you?" Felix asked.Joshua was stunned. Of course, his own father would be the one adding another stab to her he
Felix and Daphne watched Joshua's retreating figure, their brows furrowing with complex emotions. Moses observed this and offered some reassurance, saying, "Don't worry too much. Joshua will figure things out on his own."Daphne, however, could not help but feel uneasy. "Let's hope so," she replied, still visibly concerned.Felix, on the other hand, appeared more composed. Standing beside Daphne, he spoke earnestly, "What you should be more concerned about right now is not whether he can let go but whether he might make another foolish mistake."Daphne inquired, "What do you mean?"Intrigued, Moses also asked, "Yeah, what do you mean?"Felix, with his knack for hitting where it hurts, responded seriously, "He loved Cynthia and couldn't have her. Who's to say he won't find someone similar to her and spend the rest of his life with her?"Daphne and Moses were shocked by Felix's reply. "Joshua is not that kind of person," Moses eventually interjected because he felt the need to
"I'd like to be alone for a while."Matthew was confused."I just want some time alone," Cynthia explained. Being watched over 24/7 was rather stressful for her, and most importantly, Matthew had prevented Riley from meeting her. Matthew's heart skipped a beat, and he replied gentler, "Are you feeling unwell?" "No, I just want some time alone." She knew her request might hurt Matthew a little, but she had to help her friend in need. "Can you please let me have some time to myself? I need some peace."Matthew hesitated before saying, "Of course."After he led her to the yard and set everything up for her, he left her alone. As soon as he walked away, Cynthia cleared her throat twice, signaling Riley. Riley immediately emerged from the nearby bushes and came over to her. She casually picked up a grape from the table and began eating it, asking, "How did you manage to get Matthew to leave?""I told him I wanted to be alone for a while."Riley was shocked, and she nearly droppe
Riley was confused. Her initial reaction was that Matthew had called someone to capture her. She had contemplated making a run for it, but upon closer consideration, she realized that as long as it were not Matthew but Mitchell and the others who came, she was confident she could escape. With these thoughts in mind, she decided to wait.Before long, a handsome man with a gloomy expression walked over. He was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, looking coldly at Riley. Oh, snap! Travis!Riley barely had time to think before climbing back over the wall and escaping. Her mind raced with questions about how Matthew allied with this guy and how they even knew each other.Matthew glanced at Travis and said, "I've given you the information. Watch her closer, and don't let her ruin someone else's marriage again.""Okay," Travis replied and left the yard.At the same time, Travis ordered his men to chase after Riley.When Cynthia overheard the phone call, she wanted to stand up and hel
Matthew tried to convince her, "Do you not notice that she likes Travis?"Cynthia thought for a moment and then shook her head. So far, she could only sense that Riley had some interest in Travis. After all, if Riley truly liked him, she would not come to Cynthia for help with cover."It's normal that you didn't notice. These past few months, she and Travis have had several encounters. If you actually help her, it will ruin their little game." Cynthia was intrigued. "Little game?" Matthew uttered, "It's a game of cat and mouse. She's running, and he's chasing."Cynthia had not heard of this before, and she was puzzled. "When I was pursuing you, would you have liked it if someone had interfered in our matter?" Matthew asked her.Cynthia thought about it and replied, "I'm okay either way."Regardless of interference or not, if fate led two people together, they would be together. If they were not destined to be together, they would not be together, no matter what."But I woul
While Cynthia was messaging Riley, Matthew sensed that his phone had vibrated, and he knew the call was connected.Riley had found a safe hiding spot and was puzzled by the call. "Captain?"She waited for a response but heard nothing from the other end. Just as she was about to hang up, a voice from a distance came through. "What did Riley reply?""She hasn't replied to me yet." Their voices were barely audible, but Riley immediately understood the call's purpose.It was a trap.Matthew suggested, "Why don't you call her? Regardless of what she says later, I still believe their game is meant for the two of them, and you shouldn't interfere."Cynthia agreed, "Okay."Matthew promptly hung up his phone.In the past, Cynthia would have noticed such a subtle move from him, but her pregnancy had slightly distracted her attention, causing a delayed reaction. Nevertheless, she remained smarter than most.Cynthia dialed Riley's number. Riley picked up, secretly mocking Matthew's cr
Cynthia finally understood the situation clearly. They were not just playing a game of 'cat and mouse' but were genuine companions."Do you still have to ignore me because of her?" Cynthia realized she was in a tight spot and hastily added, "I won't actually ignore you. After being together for so long, don't you understand me by now?"Matthew looked at her, obviously implying that her explanations would not work this time."I'm hungry." She switched tactics.Matthew always cared about her eating and drinking habits and did not continue pressing the issue. "What would you like to eat?""Beef stew.""I'll make it for you. Stay put.""Okay!" Cynthia agreed promptly. Matthew went to prepare the ingredients to cook for her. Ever since he got married to Cynthia, he had hired chefs from various cuisines to teach him how to cook. He did this so that he could prepare meals that suited her taste during pregnancy. Online sources claimed that during pregnancy, women's tastes often ch
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