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
"We've replaced all the locks in the house with smart locks. Didn't you notice?" Matthew stated with utmost seriousness.Cynthia pondered for a moment. Could she honestly say that she had not noticed?Matthew explained, "If we were still using the old locks, I'd be worried that you'd faint inside a room one day, and I'd have to waste time looking for the keys."With the smart locks, unlocking the door was as simple as using a fingerprint scan. Cynthia used to think Matthew was unyielding, seemingly unaffected no matter how tough the training was. However, he had become incredibly cautious and attentive ever since she became pregnant."Alright," Cynthia conceded without pressing further."Your beef stew will be ready soon," Matthew reminded her, gently pinching her cheek. He added, "Don't do anything risky."Cynthia wholeheartedly agreed.At noon, Jonathan, Hank, Tracy, and the others arrived. Since Cynthia became pregnant, they would make regular visits. Originally, they intende
Kendrick had long coveted these two adorable kids. Finally, he could have them in his care this time."There's one more thing," Cynthia said as she pulled a document out of her bag.Kendrick, immersed in joy, asked eagerly, "Tell me."Cynthia handed over the document. "Remember to send them to after-school classes. The ones Isabella doesn't know, Isaiah can tutor her."Kendrick took the document without thinking, but as he flipped through the thick stack of papers, he frowned. Then, he could not help but accuse, "Aren't you two a bit too strict with the kids? There are so many classes? Can they handle it?"He recalled how he had been forced to take many classes as a child, and he still remembered the pain vividly. Moreover, Kendrick was aware that Cynthia had been an advocate for liberal education, so why did she suddenly take this stance?Cynthia glanced at Matthew and said to Kendrick, "We didn't make them do this. It's what they wanted." Initially, Cynthia had never though
"Mommy, don't worry, I'll take good care of Isabella," Isaiah said. Even though his voice was still childlike, his words carried an unusual sense of maturity for his age. "Whenever you want to come back, Uncle Kendrick and I will pick you up.""No need for that." Matthew casually brushed off his words.Cynthia and Kendrick were at a loss for words at Matthew's attitude. Isaiah's voice grew softer, clearly indicating his displeasure with Matthew. "I'm talking to Mommy, not you.""I'll take care of my own wife; you don't need to worry. If you have the time to concern yourself with this, you might as well focus on your height and physique," Matthew responded.Isaiah's little fists clenched instantly. Anyone who knew him well would understand that he cared deeply about his height and physique. Now, his annoying father was using these as cheap blows. "Mommy…" Isaiah lowered his head as he gripped Cynthia's hand. "Do you also think I'm not good enough?"Cynthia gently stroked his he
Cynthia thought Isaiah was a great kid."Then think about how I've spent these past years," Matthew reminded her in a friendly tone.During Cynthia's pregnancy, he had not touched her once, fearing he might harm her or the babies. After childbirth, he had been there with her throughout the postpartum recovery. Then, he had been preoccupied with taking care of the children.Initially, they could have left these responsibilities to the babysitters, but considering these were their own flesh and blood, he took his role as a father very seriously. When the children grew a bit older and were somewhat easier to handle, they enjoyed some precious moments of alone time as a couple.However, this period ended abruptly when the children turned three and entered kindergarten. Isaiah, in particular, seemed to sense when they wanted some private time and would find ways to interrupt them. Their alone time had dwindled significantly since the children were three, to the point where even basic
As for Isabella, she was having a blast with Kendrick, both fully immersed in their medieval skit within the villa. Kendrick was playing the role of the villain, and Isabella was the adorable daughter of the king. The story progresses to the point where Kendrick, as the villain, captures the king's daughter and plans to use the little girl to negotiate with the king for an antidote.However, as they continued acting, they suddenly realized something was amiss. They were missing a crucial character—the king!"Isaiah! We're missing a king; can you play with us?" Isabella jumped over from Kendrick's grasp, her voice as sweet as honey. "Isaiah, come on!" Kendrick was also enthusiastic.Clearly, he had finally found a like-minded playmate."No. You haven't finished your homework for today, and you still have lessons to catch up on," Isaiah declined, saying something that would hurt Isabella's heart."It's still early; let's play!" Isabella just wanted to have fun.Isaiah thought o
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