"You may continue with your work," Ike said to all of them. "Miss Riddle, this way please.""What is that thing they're working on?" Nicole glanced at Ike and asked."They're developing a chip," Ike said."A chip? Why aren't we using those developed by professional chip manufacturers?" Nicole looked at Ike with her brows raised."The manufacturers out there couldn't meet our needs. To them, our requirements are just too high. They just can't meet our standards, so we could only produce them on our own. Besides, it will be much more convenient for us to improve on the project if we have our own supply of chips," Ike explained."I see. Although it's not a walk in the park to develop, we'll definitely have an upper hand in the future, as it's our own technology," Nicole analyzed."That's right. We won't have to be at the mercy of the manufacturers anymore. Furthermore, we could sell these chips to others if we play our cards right." Ike grinned."Now that's a good idea. We're killi
"No, it's just that the display out there really caught my eye, and so, I walked in." Nicole smiled at him.With Nicole having to businesspeople on a daily basis, she had trained herself to maintain a graceful smile on her face, so that no one could guess what her actual thoughts were."Oh, that was our design from the previous phase. The extended his hand as a gesture of invitation. "Over here."Then, he led Nicole in."What you're looking at now is modelled according to the previous iteration. After a few alterations, we came up with a new sketch. The previous one was based purely on our imagination, so it did not quite cut it in terms of utility and realism. The one we have now is much better, but we're still trying to improve on it," the chief designer said, introducing the latest design to Nicole."It looks amazing. The fact that your team could bring your imaginations to life is amazing." Nicole complimented."We are flattered," the chief designer replied."Looking at your
"Harvey, you seem to have improved a lot this time around," Nicole said upon arriving at that sudden realization and patted him in the shoulder."No, you're wrong," he argued. "I've always been this good, alright?""That doesn't matter. It's a good day for me. I'll treat you all to something nice!" Nicole said, acting like a generous sister to all of them."I guess we should think hard and decide what we want to have." Harvey narrowed his eyes and looked at Kelly.Kelly chuckled and covered her mouth while Nicole's lips began twitching. 'Did Harvey come all the way here just to clown around?'"Have you decided?" Nicole urged, trying to get Harvey to hurry up. "Make up your mind or I will change mine.""Yeah. Let's head to the western restaurant by the Winborg River. I've heard they have blue lobsters of the highest grade. I want to give that place a try," Harvey suggested, on the verge of drooling in front of the ladies."Winborg River? Where is that?" Nicole asked, having never
"Yes, I saw that. Please spare us the theatrics," Nicole said, having had enough of his antics."Ms. Riddle, is our work done for the day?" Kelly asked Nicole."Yeah, we can hang around in the afternoon and you can go wherever you want." Nicole turned to Kelly."Really?" Kelly smiled. "That's great!"While they were busy chatting with one another, the waiter came over with steaks and other snacks in hand, and placed them on the table. "Enjoy your meal.""Their steak is pretty good." Nicole cut a small piece and took a bite out of it."Yeah," Kelly added.After a while, two men carrying a large chopping board approached Nicole's table. "Excuse me."The empty plates were taken away. Then, two handsome waiters hefted the gigantic lobster and placed it on the middle of the table, and just like that, the entire table was filled."How do we eat such a huge lobster?" Harvey looked at the waiter.Another waiter brought a set of mallet and kitchen shears to the table.The three of th
The three of them ended the scrumptious meal with happy tummies. They were all slouching against their chairs by the end."Nicole, where would you like to go later?" Harvey asked Nicole."We're going shopping later. You can head back to the hotel and catch some rest," Nicole said, not wanting Harvey to come along as she could shop with Kelly."I'm coming with the both of you," he said. "As I'm so bloated right now, I could use some exercise to help with the digestion."Harvey's intentions were clear. He came all the way here just to accompany Nicole. Naturally, he would pass on any opportunity to spend time with her."Suit yourself," Nicole said, as she could not care less.After they had left the restaurant, they drove to the bustling commercial street. It was crowded and filled with excitement.Just as the car came to a stop, Nicole and Kelly got down and walked into the commercial area. Perhaps they were so stuffed after the meal that Nicole, who had never liked shopping, act
"That's right. When he was showing the apple to others, he was secretly reaching into his pocket with the other hand. I guess that is when the switch occurs," Harvey confidently explained."Ah, I see." Nicole finally understood.Knowing that it was a trick, she lost all of her interest in watching the show and left."Why are you leaving already?" Harvey asked, and hurried after Nicole."Since you've solved the mystery, what's the point in watching it anymore?" she replied."Ms. Riddle, there's an escape room there. Should we try it out?" Kelly pointed to the place following a short walk.Before Nicole could speak, Harvey stepped in and said, "Where is the fun in that? Let's head to the front instead."Looking at Harvey, she understood why he had stopped them from going. The previous incident with Ike had occurred at an interactive indoor level, so, he might be worried that something of that nature would happen again."Yes, I've been there before. It's not that fun. Let's keep w
Nicole fired a few more shots, causing bang after bang as the balloons burst.Seeing this, the owner's eyes widened. 'That first shot might have been luck. But for each consecutive shot she had placed since then, I'm convinced it's not luck anymore.'Before he knew it, Nicole had destroyed twenty balloons, and that was when he sat down, "Lady, I see you've shot down twenty. I'm telling you that it's better to not push your luck. A medium-sized plushie will do. If you keep going, you'll have to pay me money if you lose.""It's fine. Since we've made a promise, I'll follow through it. I'm not afraid of losing." Nicole looked at the boss and smirked.In the face of Nicole's determination, the boss could not help but sit down.Soon after, Nicole shot ten more balloons, and when she looked over to her periphery, she could see that the owner of the booth was dripping with cold sweat. 'Those binoculars. I'm going to get it!'With the three consecutive bangs that followed, the man was le
Nicole placed her phone down and began typing on the keyboard. When she saw the notification on the computer screen, her eyes darkened.'Seems like someone is planning to get firearms,' she thought."Zeke, activate the firewall I've created for now. If anything happens, contact me." Nicole sent the procedure over and continued her investigation on this issue.Meanwhile, Jared had gone to visit his grandfather."Jared, do you have any updates regarding your Uncle Henry?" Mr. Johnston Sr. asked."Not yet. Searching for someone who's holed up in another country takes time, so my people are still working on it. We'll probably hear from them soon enough if Uncle Henry hasn't flown to a third country," Jared responded."No one else knows about this, right?" Mr. Johnston Sr. asked as he looked at Jared."No.""Good. Do not ruin the name of our family. Let's just settle this matter privately.""Sure.""You should head back to work.""Take care, grandpa. Bye for now." Jared stood up
"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