The adults wanted them to have nutritionally balanced meals and did not allow them to be choosy with their food. There was no way for them to become as fussy as Isabella with that sort of habit drilled into them and maintained to this day.“Nana definitely would have considered it thoroughly while choosing someone for Mr. Austin. She wouldn’t have chosen Ms. O’Connor if Mr. Austin couldn’t handle her, even if she thought highly of her.“I think Grandma May has great judgment. She understands you guys like the back of her hand and knows what sort of ladies suit her grandsons.“Like for Mr. Zachary, he’s cold and indifferent to women, so Grandma May forced him into a marriage of convenience with Serenity. She leveraged his strong sense of responsibility. “She knew that once they were husband and wife, he would feel the need to do his best as her husband, and he would pay more attention to her. Then, after they got to know each other, feelings would naturally develop.”The York men

Imogen asked, “Can you really do it in two years?”“Imogen, you should be supporting and encouraging me, not questioning whether I can do it. I can do it!”“I wasn’t questioning that. I just meant that establishing a company and getting it running smoothly in a year or two is extremely difficult unless the industry happens to be at its peak. But right now, very few industries are in such a position.”This guy had twisted her words. Her question was not about his capability, but whether the timeline was feasible.Dylan looked at her and said, “Imogen, how about we make a bet?”“What kind of bet?”“A bet on ourselves. If I can get our Huntington branch running smoothly within two years, you marry me.”“And if you lose?” Imogen countered.Dylan leaned back and spread his hands. “Then I marry you. If I win, you pledge yourself to me. If I lose, I pledge myself to you.”Imogen scoffed. “What a swindler! The outcome is the same either way.”“It’s different! One way, you marry me an

Once in the car, Dylan asked, “What kind of movies do you like?”Imogen replied, “Anything except romance. I love fantasy adventure, horror—pretty much everything else.”Dylan chuckled. “Don’t most girls like romance films? Do you have a favorite celebrity?”“Nope. I’ve never really admired actors. I prefer those who’ve made great contributions to the country and society.”For someone of her status, it would be easy for her to encounter a celebrity she idolized. She could sign them to her family’s entertainment company in a heartbeat and have them work for her.Dylan nodded. “I see.”It was no wonder she liked to don disguises and roam the world. She must have watched too many fantasy adventure films and dreamed of being a heroic swordswoman.However, Dylan was wrong. Imogen wore disguises for two reasons. First, she could not reveal she was a Doyle, afraid it might affect the family’s reputation. Plus, as a noble heiress, everything she did was constrained and her family had

Dylan said, “If that’s what you want, I’ll spare no effort to make it happen for you.”“Aren't you afraid I'll take all your money and then kick you to the curb, leaving you with nothing?”Dylan grabbed her hand, his expression full of trust. “I believe in your character. You wouldn’t do that. And if you did, it would still be my fault.”“How would it be your fault?”“You’d only kick me to the curb because I didn’t do well enough. I would have failed to earn your complete trust and love, to make you willing to spend your life with me.“So the issue would be with me, not you.”Imogen stared at him for a long moment before suddenly reaching out to pinch his cheek, though she remained silent.During the movie, Dylan’s attention was entirely on her. He had no idea what the film was about because he was too busy feeding her snacks.When the movie ended and they left the theater, Imogen scolded him, “I’ve been eating snacks all night and I’m stuffed! It’ll ruin my sleep. You’re comin

Apple was the daughter of the Pines, ranked fifth among Huntington’s wealthiest families. Though not as prominent as the Doyles, the gap was not vast.Apple and Imogen were classmates for two years. Utterly obsessed with pitting herself against Imogen, Apple constantly tried to outshine Imogen, but always fell short, cementing her view of Imogen as her rival.Imogen initially did not pay her any mind, but she kept trying Imogen’s patience. Imogen was not a saint either and had a temper of her own. One day, she finally ran out of patience and retaliated against Apple, solidifying their feud.Now, both were working in their family businesses. Imogen had risen from entry-level to vice president through merit. Meanwhile, Apple, who was less capable, held only a nominal position, which was another loss to Imogen.When Dylan first pursued Imogen, Apple took notice. Though initially unaware of his identity, she had still seethed with envy at his striking looks.Upon learning he was one o