"What would that catch be? Let's hear it.""I'll be completely in charge," she replied. "With that said, I'd like Jared to be the one discussing the project details with me from here on."After Henry had heeded Fiorella's condition, he calmed down.He was trying to read the look on her face. 'Is she having feelings for Jared?'Indeed, if it was true, it would do them no harm at all. The only issue was that the project would be too lucrative and massive for Jared to manage."Fiorella, I can agree to that, but I have a little request of my own." Henry looked at her with a leer which he suppressed.Impatient, Fiorella frowned and looked at him. "What request?"Henry smiled and looked at Fiorella. "I want Jared to manage this project together with Castor. After all, it's a huge project. If Jared were to do it alone, it would be too much of a burden for him. Castor can assist him and together, they can share the workload."Fiorella gave it a quick thought. 'Jared would definitely be
"It's not just good news for me. It's good news for us." Fiorella smiled at Jared."Us?" The smile on Jared's face began to fade, and he looked at her with his forehead creased. "What do you mean by that?""This project will be managed by you and Castor," she replied. "Isn't that good news for us? In addition, the both of us will be working on this project together in the future."Fiorella was elated. She looked at Jared affectionately as if he was her boyfriend."Was this Henry's idea or yours?" Jared asked.Initially, Fiorella wanted to tell him the truth, but she was worried that Jared would object, so she blamed it on Henry. "It was Henry's idea of course. He must have thought that Castor couldn't manage such a major project alone, so he assigned it to you as well. Anyways, I think this is a good arrangement. It would definitely be tiring for a single person to do everything on his own. With the both of you working together, neither of you would be exhausted."Jared had a str
"I'm not hungry yet...""It doesn't matter," she interrupted. "It's already afternoon, and we still have to eat. Lunch is on me."Fiorella held her head up high and looked at Jared. She was waiting for him to get up and head out with her.Seeing Fiorella's insistence, Jared knew that he could not decline. Knowing this, he casually stood up and said, "Since you're here in my turf, I'll be buying us lunch instead.""You're always so thoughtful. I'll gladly accept, then." Fiorella smiled and walked out together with Jared.Back in the restaurant, a portion of Harvey and Nicole's order had been served."Sir, please enjoy your food. The rest of the order will be served shortly," the waiter explained in a soft tone."Alright.""Let's give it a try, Nicole." Harvey's eyes lit up as he stared at the dishes. "The plating makes the dishes look really inviting.""Well, it's pretty good," Nicole complimented after she took a piece of yam and chewed it."Yeah. Even these chunks of beef st
Jared did not answer Fiorella's question, as his eyes were still fixed on Nicole and Harvey. Fiorella, who was confused, proceeded to trace Jared's gaze, only to find Harvey serving Nicole some food. Seeing that, she smirked.Then, Fiorella pretended to give him a look of surprise. "I think that's Nicole and Harvey over there. Should we head over and say hi?"Once again, Jared did not offer her a forthcoming response. He had the urge to rush forward and ask Nicole, but when he recalled Nicole's cold attitude toward him, he gave up on the thought.Then, he turned toward Fiorella, "Let's just sit here?""Alright." Fiorella replied at once, not minding the seating position; her work was done as long as she managed to sow a sense of misunderstanding between the two of them."Hello, what would you like to order?" The waiter stood politely beside them, at the table, and waited to take their order.Fiorella held the menu up and glanced around. Then, she turned to the waiter and asked, "
"I wasn't expecting you to be so productive during your spare time." Fiorella smiled and looked at Jared, attempting to seduce him from time to time."How about you?" he asked. "What do you like to do when you're not working?""I like swimming. That sense of freedom it provides is amazing. On top of that, I can cut down on some weight. It's good for my health," Fiorella said, after which she looked at Jared with a grin on her face.The server approached them with a tray in hand. "Hello, these are the dishes you've ordered.""Their food seems authentic, and the aesthetics look pretty good," Fiorella said, as her eyes were drawn to each dish.The waiter proceeded to leave after serving them their meal."Jared, give this a try." Fiorella scooped from one of the dishes and placed a chunk on Jared's plate."Thank you." Jared took a bite. 'It is pretty good, I must say.Fiorella proceeded to dig in, whereupon she engaged Jared in a merry conversation, and from time to time, she would
"Would you be so kind as to further your explanation?" Nicole asked, unhappy at the sight of Harvey laughing all by himself."Things like these can only be understood through experience, not words," Harvey said with his brows raised. "I see that you are displaying a lot of interest in whatever they could be talking about. Why don't you head over and say hi?""I'm not going to do that. You do so if you want." Nicole rolled her eyes and continued eating."You're not even going to greet them, so why should I?" Harvey glanced at her.Then, he continued eating as if nothing had happened. However, he was leaping with utmost joy deep within.Nicole took a few bites and realized that she could no longer stifle her curiosity. She looked up and gazed off at Jared's general direction again. Coincidentally, her eyes met Jared's. Seeing this, she whirled around and averted her gaze at once.But to Jared, Nicole's actions made it seem as though she was hiding something from him. At this point,
With the thought lingering in his head, Jared, who was heading home, quickly turned around and drove back to the restaurant.Just as he reached the junction, he came across Nicole's car, which he could recognize through the windshield, and decided to follow her.As Nicole's mind was racing with all that had occurred at the restaurant, she became a little too distracted while driving. When she had reached the junction, she did not pay attention to the stoplight, and continued driving forward. At that exact moment, a truck came careening over from her flank, and before she knew it, the truck had slammed into her.Jared, who was tailing her from behind, became as pale as sheet upon witnessing that scene. He pulled over at once and dashed over to Nicole.As soon as he had approached the driver's side of the car, he wrenched the door open and yelled, "Nicole, are you okay?!"Nicole, whose hands were on her forehead, looked up and saw him, "Jared? Why are you all over the place?"Upon
Nicole, you're still in pain. Why did you lash out at Jared? What happened to the both of you?" Martin stared at Nicole, confused and curious."Nothing happened. Can I just go home now?" Nicole asked Martin."Yeah sure, but you can't go home on your own." Martin helped her up and walked out. "I'll take you.""Thank you." Nicole looked at him and nodded."There really isn't a need for formalities." Martin shook his head. "I really don't understand the both of you."Then, he helped Nicole into his car and drove her home."Give me the address of your house," Martin asked Nicole the moment he got into the car."You've been to my house before, haven't you?" she asked as a hint of doubt flashed across her eyes."In your current state, do you think I should send you back to Mrs. Wallace Sr.'s house? Are you sure she won't get mad when she sees you the way you are?" Martin eyed Nicole, not knowing what to say to her anymore.Nicole sighed. She really did get hit on her head, or else s
"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