The engineers felt that they were being humiliated, and proceeded to talk to Martin. But before they could get a word in, Martin turned to them and said, "Just listen to her."This rendered them speechless, for they were not expecting Martin to give free rein to Nicole."Mr. Wyance, I don't know how close you are to this woman, she knows next to nothing about what we're doing, but she sure as hell knows how to pretend. She even insulted us. We demand an explanation from you, and you shall give us one, or I'm afraid that we can't continue working together in this," the middle-aged engineer took the lead and said.Martin was just about to speak when the equipment began functioning as it should, with parts being churned out.In response, the engineer swallowed his pride as he watched the machine working the way it always should have. He maintained his silence when Nicole and Martin proceeded to check the quality of the parts being made.Examining the product, Martin said, "This one i
"I'm happy that you're finally able to resume mass production, but I think I can make you a little happier," Nicole said in a soft voice as she looked out of the window.Martin turned to her in confusion. "What do you mean?""I want to order a thousand pieces of The Beacon," Nicole said, looking at Martin with a solemn expression."A thousand? Why do you need that many of them?" Martin asked, shocked to hear that Nicole wanted a thousand of those."Don't worry about it," she said. "I have my own uses for them.""Alright." He nodded. "Where do I deliver them to?""Tell me when you've completed the order," she said. I will get someone to pick it up for me.""Okay, no problem.""I will also be asking you for the subsequent needle refills at any time, so you should always be prepared.""Okay. I will stock up on as many injections as you want."Nicole returned to the villa, where Jared was already waiting with a meal served for her."It smells so good." Nicole caught a whiff of t
"What can I say? I'm an expert in that regard."The duo continued with the topic at hand throughout dinner. After the meal, Jared brought Nicole into the living room, where she leaned her head against Jared's shoulder, catching whiff after whiff of his scent."It's really comfortable, you know, leaning on you.""Comfortable? Is that all you have to say about it?" Jared turned his head sideways and gazed into her face which was nothing short of angelic to him."Okay, there is also the air of positivity around you, and I like that."Jared smiled with satisfaction. "You went to Martin's factory today. How are things going over there?""The first batch of The Beacon was successfully mass-produced today, and it looks really good," she explained. "When I was there, there was a minor issue with the equipment. It just wasn't working properly. I saw Martin, and he was a nervous wreck. He wasn't in the mood to talk to me at all. All he could think about was the malfunction, and how to get
Nicole woke up to the sound of Jared's voice. "Who just called?""The hospital did. They have gotten us a suspicious individual." Jared told Nicole as he got dressed.The instant she heard that something had transpired in the hospital, her eyes widened and she quickly got herself dressed at once. "I'm coming with you."Jared glanced at her. "Alright, let's go."The two of them did not even have time for breakfast, as they had to race off to the hospital. Upon arrival, Jared and Nicole made a beeline for the ward to check on Mr. Johnston Sr. When the bodyguards at the door saw Jared approaching, they greeted him."How is Mr. Johnston Sr.?" Jared asked, concerned about his grandfather."He is safe. The suspect did not manage to enter.""Good." Jared pushed the door open and walked in. Mr. Johnston Sr. was still lying serenely in his hospital bed, and all the surrounding equipment were working as they should."Stay here with Grandpa, while I'll head to the security room to see
"Don't accuse me of not giving you the chance to make that call. I'll count down from ten. If you don't tell me, I will put it away and you'll never get another chance to do so.""Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." Jared gave his bodyguard a nod, and the latter walked over and snatched his phone back."If you don't want to call the police, then at least tell me who sent you." Jared said, his expression so piercing that he looked as if he could singe the man with his gaze."I'm really a doctor. Why won't you believe me?" Conrad sputtered, still unwilling to tell Jared the truth."You are still tight-lipped, eh?" Jared said. "Alright, which department are working in?""I-I am a surgeon." Conrad fumbled after a moment of hesitation.Even if what he said was true, there would still be no legitimate reason for him to enter Mr. Johnston Sr.'s ward."You're lying through your teeth," Jared retorted. "You've never been a surgeon. You're just trying to weasel out
As the security detail left, Jared thought about Henry, who made his sudden and coincidental appearance just as Conrad was about to confess. With that in mind, the young Johnston could not help but take a deep breath and consider the idea of Henry being involved in all of this.Back in the ward, Nicole was having a conversation with the doctor when Henry pushed the door in. "You're here, too, Nicole.""Uncle Henry." Nicole greeted.Henry nodded in acknowledgment and turned to the doctor. "Didn't you say that the patient was about to regain consciousness? A few days have passed, so why isn't he awake yet?""The catch is, everyone has a distinct physiology. Some individuals are stronger and may recover in short order, while the ones who are frail may take a much longer time to heal. Take this patient, for instance. The latter applies to him," the doctor explained."I didn't know that one's physique has any bearing on one's recovery. It seems that we all need to improve our health an
After a long while, Mr. Johnston Sr.'s finger moved again. This time, Nicole saw it, and she excitedly called out to Jared. "Your grandpa's finger moved."Jared immediately looked at his hands. "Where is it?""It just moved."Jared stared at his hands with unblinking eyes, and suddenly his finger moved again. This time, both of them saw it. "Grandpa, can you hear me? Open your eyes and look at me if you can."Nicole saw this and said to Jared, "Your grandpa seems to hear you. Talk to him more."Jared glanced at Nicole and continued to talk to Mr. Johnston Sr. about his childhood. The clock was ticking, and Jared held his grandfather's hand and kept talking to him, while Nicole watched nervously. Suddenly, Mr. Johnston Sr. opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling with confusion. Jared and Nicole saw this and immediately went up and asked, "Grandpa, are you awake?"Mr. Johnston Sr. heard the voice and turned to look at Jared and Nicole with a smile at the corner of his lips. Jared
"What do we do now? Will Grandpa still remember the perpetrator's vehicle?" Castor asked, looking at Henry."How should I know? Where did the man Jared freed go?" Henry looked at Castor."He is probably on a train to another state by now.""What is the point of going to another state? Send him and his family out of the country the same way you did last time." Henry ordered in a stern voice."Send out of the country? It is too late now that the train has left.""Immediately send two teams of people, one picking up his wife and children, and one picking him up at the next station, and then book the next flight to send him away immediately.""Dad, there is no need to be in such a hurry.""Your grandpa is awake now. The sooner these people are taken care of, the better. Just do as I say. Also, have you dealt with the car and the driver?" Henry could not wait any longer; one more day of delay and Jared might find out."It has been taken care of. Jared will never find out in his life
"Let's go, it's time to head down. The ceremony will start soon."The group laughed and talked as they left the bridal suite. Jared and his friends, Spencer and Preston, were also guided out by everyone.Now, only the family of four remained in the bridal suite, getting ready for their big entrance."Mommy, it's almost time. Let's get ready," Nolan said, pulling on Nicole's hand.Nicole gently patted Nolan and Lana's cheeks, whispering, "Okay."As she made to stand, Jared extended his hand toward her. Lifting her gaze, she caught Jared in a moment of elegance, his charm unmistakable. A smile bloomed on her face as she placed her hand in his.With a gentle tug, Jared drew her up, his touch tender against her palm.In a swift move, he pulled Nicole into his arms, his other hand circling her waist to pull her close.As Jared looked at Nicole, admiration shimmered in his eyes. "You look truly beautiful today," he remarked."Daddy, Mommy is beautiful every day," Lana chimed in, til
Nicole laughed off the debate between Lulu and June, saying, "Both are lovely. I'm happy with either."Both sets of jewelry were beautiful, and she felt that either would do."Exactly. Nicole will shine in anything," Cindy said, picking a set. "Let's go with this one."Lulu gave June a victorious look. "Told you this was the one."Cindy then suggested, "Why not wear this for the ceremony and switch for the reception? That way, we use both.""Great idea," June agreed, smiling at Cindy's suggestion.Nicole smiled. "Sounds perfect."With everyone agreeing, the stylist went ahead with preparing Nicole.Lulu watched Nicole, amazed by how calm she seemed. "Aren't you a bit nervous?" she asked. Lulu remembered her own wedding jitters.Nicole bit her lip, a hint of nerves showing. "I'm more excited than anything," she admitted.She had been looking forward to this day, ready to face the future with Jared with hope and joy."Just finished," the stylist announced, stepping back to adm
"Do you think I don't want to meet someone? I just haven't found the right person," Gary said somewhat resignedly. He had long regarded Nicole as just a friend."Why don't we just try the dates our families set up?" Ryder suggested, calm and collected. He figured since finding someone on his own wasn't working, maybe arranged dates could help. In their circles, it seemed like good matches were meant to be."Arranged dates don't sound great. You hardly know the person. Are we really okay with deciding to spend our lives together like that?" Preston wasn't too keen on the idea."Emery's doing pretty well with it, you know," Ryder said confidently. "I trust our families. They wouldn't set us up with someone terrible. They've probably made sure we'd be a good match."Gary thought it over. "You might be right. Our families aren't just trying to make deals; they want us to be happy."As Gary and Ryder seemed more into the idea, Preston was still unsure. "You guys are serious?""Why not
Jared held Nicole close and looked at her. "After we get married, we'll move to the estate," he said.Their future home would be just theirs.He thought it was good for Nicole to spend more time with her family since she hadn't been with them for five years. But they knew they would move to the estate later."Okay," Nicole said, nodding. She was happy Jared made the estate close to her family, so she was okay with moving.Jared gently touched her hair and kissed her...****Time flew, and soon it was Nicole and Jared's wedding day.From the morning, San Joto was alive with excitement. Everyone was talking about Jared and Nicole's wedding.Politicians, business leaders, close friends, and business partners all came to wish the couple well.The Riddles were busy welcoming the guests, making everything look amazing."Patricia, hurry up, Charlie's here," Ellar called out as he spotted Charlie. He quickly got Patricia to come and greet him. Max, hearing the fuss, came over too.C
"You really need to rest. You shouldn't work for the next few days. Stay home and rest. A bride has to look her best," Gloria said, looking at Nicole and making the decision for her."Bride!" Nicole was surprised because she hadn't talked about any wedding yet."Yes, now that everything is settled, it's time for your wedding with Jared," Gloria said, deciding firmly. She used to think it was best for the kids to decide for themselves, but after several delays, she felt waiting longer made no sense. The wedding should happen soon."I was thinking that too," Jared said. They had planned the wedding after solving the Everett problem, but then they found out Lawrence had hurt Nicole in the past, causing more delays. Now, with everything sorted out, they saw no reason to wait. The wedding was the next big step.Nicole looked at Jared and, with a smile, agreed, "Okay." Their wedding had been waiting for five years; it was time, with no need to wait any longer."That's so cool, I'm the f
Patricia felt a mix of reluctance and happiness as she prepared to part ways with Charlie.Jared glanced at Charlie and said, "It's about time for us to board." He tenderly held Nicole's hand and led her toward the boarding gate."I need to go through the boarding procedures too," Patricia said, biting her lip. "You must find happiness as well.""I will," Charlie assured her with a gentle smile, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You've grown up, too. You don't need to cling to me anymore. I believe Ellar will take great care of you."Patricia nodded, then, leaning closer to Charlie, she whispered, 'When Mr. Johnston and Ms. Riddle get married, make sure you bring my future sister-in-law back with you.' Caught off guard, Charlie playfully scolded her, "You little rascal."Doretta, standing not too far away, overheard Patricia's whispered words. Her cheeks turned even redder."Let's go," Patricia announced, then turned to Doretta, adding, "We'll meet again.""Goodbye,
Lying in bed with Nicole cradled in his arms, Jared whispered gently, "Sleep for a bit.""Mhm." Finally feeling at peace, Nicole smiled slightly, and she quickly fell asleep.As Jared listened to her soft breathing, his eyes softened with affection, and he too closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.The next morning, as the group got ready to head back to San Joto, Zane and Doretta came to say goodbye."I still have things to finish here, but I promise to be at your wedding," Zane said with a big smile."And I'll be there to wish you well, Nicole," Doretta added.Saying goodbye is always hard, but everyone knew they had their own journeys to continue."Great, we'll see you in San Joto," Nicole said with a bright smile."It's time to go," Zane said, knowing they couldn't wait any longer without risking missing their plane."I've got the paperwork," Patricia said, ready to help with the travel documents for Jared and Nicole. Then, looking at Charlie, she asked, "Need help with
Nicole was quiet, thinking about everything. 'If I hadn't remembered everything, maybe Lawrence and I could have stayed friends. But after finding out about the airport, it's impossible...'Not only had she regained her memory, but she had also learned about the airport incident. Lawrence had gone to great lengths to prevent her from returning to San Joto."Thanks for saving me before, but you also hurt me. We're even now," Nicole said calmly, looking at Lawrence like he was someone she didn't know anymore.Jared squeezed Nicole's hand gently. "Let's go."They decided to leave the rest to Zane and head back."Wait." Lawrence's voice stopped Nicole. He sounded almost like he was begging. "Please, don't tell Nolan about this."Nicole paused, then said, "I won't tell him. Not for you, but because I don't want Nolan to see how bad people can be."With that, Nicole walked away with Jared.Lawrence sat down, watching her leave, with mixed feelings."Let's go too," Patricia said to C
"Your robots don't work anymore," a voice said, sounding very pleased. Then, a person came out from behind the crowd, looking pretty proud of himself."Carl!" Nicole was shocked to see him. 'It's Carl!'"It's been a while." Carl smiled and waved at Nicole.Carl had come as soon as Zane told him about the problem. He couldn't just do nothing when Nicole needed help.He didn't expect them to act so soon, which is why he was a little late. But he was still in time to help. Carl was surprised by Lawrence's robots at first, but luckily, the weapons he brought, which he had been working on for years, stopped the robots. This was a big help to everyone."We really need to thank Carl; we would have been in big trouble without him," Zane said, feeling relieved.Zane had asked Carl for help, hoping it would make them more likely to win, but Carl ended up being very important."Thank you," Nicole said with a warm smile. It was nice to see an old friend again."No need to thank me. I'm jus