Carl felt helpless upon realizing that Nicole could assert her dominance over him, even in a game such as this. "Yes, please."This prompted Nicole to grab her gun and clear the zombies on the right. The two of them worked together and soon, they eliminated their undead enemies, after which they gave each other a high-five. "Yeah!"This sense of teamwork and synergy carried onto the next few games, and they managed to clear every stage in one go."Well, that was fun!" Carl said."I don't think it was as fun as you think it was," Nicole said and strutted off to the other side of the entertainment section."What do you mean?" Carl hurried after her to the billiard table."Carl, do you fancy having a friendly match?" Nicole looked at him with raised eyebrows."Sure, you may go ahead and tee off."Meanwhile, Jared was back at the office when Max sauntered in with a contract for an international project. "Mr. Johnston, this is the contract. Please take a look.""Okay. By the way, I
"I'm sure he is in the office. You'll need to speak to him directly anyway, so just head to the thirty-fourth floor and see if he is there." Jared opened the door and ushered her out.To him, the longer she sat here, the more time he would waste talking to her."Okay, I'll see you some other time, then. I must make my way up there and meet Henry now." Fiorella rose and headed out the door."Okay, bye."Fiorella strutted out of Jared's office, took the elevator, and headed straight to the floor where Henry's office was, and when she had arrived at the reception counter, she asked, "Is Henry in?"The secretary who saw her did not recognize her, and she also felt that it was rude and inappropriate for the woman to call Henry by his first name. "May I ask who you are and if you have an appointment?""What? Now that Henry is the chairman, he needs an appointment made before anyone is allowed to meet him?" Fiorella eyed the assistant with her lips pursed and her brow raised. "Tell him
Henry, upon hearing what Fiorella had to say about the coffee, took his cup and took a sip as well. "It tastes good indeed."Fiorella darted him a glance and turned away with a sneer, knowing that Henry had echoed her sentiment without knowing what she had meant when she said what she had said."Mr. Johnston, are you interested in the collaboration that I had just proposed?" Fiorella asked, steering the conversation back to the topic."It seems to be an excellent project on paper, but it'll take three years for us to get any meaningful returns, which I think is a long wait," Henry replied.Although he was not as savvy as Jared when it comes to business, he was still able to call the shots thanks to his vast amounts of experience in the industry."That is expected of a project of such scale and quality," she said, attempting to persuade Henry so that she could work with Jared. "Breaking even in a matter of three years isn't slow by any measure. To get ourselves the highest amount o
"Why don't you start by getting the last ball in?" Nicole sneered and rolled her eyes at him.Carl narrowed his eyes and gave her a thumbs up. "Alright, I've got to admit that your confidence is admirable."Then, he went back to the table, took aim, and prepared himself for the winning shot, but before he went on to strike the cue ball, he glanced over his shoulder back at Nicole. "Are you sure you are not going to concede defeat?"Nicole waved her hand as if to dismiss him, and Carl proceeded to pocket the eight-ball. He walked over to Nicole with a look of smug satisfaction on his face. "You refused to concede even after I've given you the chance, but I've won anyway.""What's so humiliating about that? It is just a game. Now that we have eaten and had our fun, let's get out of here." Nicole walked out with a confident gait, as if she had not lost the game at all."You know, there is something about your composure that tells me that it is not genuine," Carl ran after her.Soon
Nicole produced a knife out of nowhere and stared at Carl. "If you don't believe me, you can go ahead and try cutting yourself.""Come on, do you think I'm that stupid?""You don't seem very smart, either." Nicole sheathed her knife and walked into one of the office rooms. There, she caught sight of someone she knew, and without hesitation, she walked over and tapped the person on the shoulder."Nicole!?" Kelly whirled around and shouted out in surprise at seeing Nicole."What are you doing here?" Nicole asked, her eyes fixed on what Kelly was holding."Nothing much. Just getting something done for Mr. Wyance. When did you get here, by the way?" Kelly said, happy to see her."I just arrived and here I am, bumping into you!" Nicole replied and smiled.Kelly responded with a giggle."You don't ever get bored working here, do you?" Nicole looked at Kelly."Not at all. I've got to say, each day is a fulfilling one, as there is so much for me to do," Kelly replied, though she looke
"Gosh, you're a genius! I can't believe that you actually invented something this futuristic! Can I buy one?" Carl asked, wanting to buy one because he felt that this device would be of use to him."Weren't you skeptical of it?" Nicole teased. "Why would you want to get one now?""How could I doubt it now? It's just that...I didn't know what it was capable of," Carl explained, his face flushing due to embarrassment."You don't have to purchase one." Nicole looked at Carl and smiled. "I'll gift one of these to you.""Are you sure about that?" He looked at Nicole in disbelief, thinking that she was just messing around with him."It's fine if you don't want it." She turned around and headed for the exit.Carl ran after her, stammering, "Oh, sure! Please, uh, get me one. When can I have it?""You'll get one later when I leave," she replied."Martin, when Carl comes over to receive his order, you may pass him the latest batch of The Beacon which I've just ordered." Nicole glanced to
Harvey stared at Carl and asked, "And who is this?""A friend of mine," Nicole replied, foregoing the need to introduce them to one another."Hi, I'm Harvey Ellison. A friend of hers too." Harvey extended his hand to Carl.Carl, sensing that Nicole was not on good terms with the man in front of him, gave a short reply. He did not even shake Harvey's hands.Seeing this, Harvey withdrew his hand, sat down awkwardly, and turned to Nicole, "What have you been up to lately? Has Mr. Johnston Sr. woken up?"Ever since Jared returned, Harvey had not visited the hospital."He's awake," Nicole said, before turning to Mrs. Riddle Sr. and introducing Carl to her grandmother. "Grandma, this is my best friend, Carl.""Hello, Mrs. Riddle Sr.," Carl greeted.Mrs. Riddle Sr., who noticed Carl's tall and athletic physique, laughed, "This boy over here looks fit. You better be eating more later on."Nicole turned to look at Carl. 'Grandma's right. He is buff indeed.'As Nicole and her grandmoth
All of them strutted to the beach with chairs and parasols in hand. When they had found a spot they wanted, Carl went about setting up the parasol as Harvey arranged the chairs, and Nicole and Tia sat Mrs. Riddle Sr. down."Grandma, you can just sit here and watch us play," Nicole said. "Whichever side the ball lands, you can go ahead and deduct points for that side."Mrs. Riddle Sr. kept nodding her head, but Nicole was not certain if her grandmother actually understood the instructions."Alright, let's split into teams." Nicole turned to the rest of them."What is the arrangement?" Harvey asked."I'll team up with Carl, and you'll be with Tia," Nicole said, not wishing to be in the same team as Harvey.On the other hand, Harvey wanted to team up with Nicole, but due to the fact that Nicole had already paired him up with Tia, he could not decline. Doing so would only make Tia feel awkward."Alright, let's move out!" Nicole said."The both of you can decide who gets to go first
"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