"I see." Harvey twitched his lips. 'Nicole did not mention this to me, and just like that, I've been embarrassed.'Meanwhile, Jared had sent Nicole off to the laboratory."We're here. I'm going in now." Nicole was about to step out of the car when Jared stopped her."Did you forget something?" Jared leaned in closer with his cheek.Nicole looked at him shyly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then, she waved at him, "Bye.""I'll pick you up tonight," he said.Nicole nodded and walked up to the entrance. Just as Jared was about to leave, Harvey's car drove pass.Harvey immediately recognized Jared's car, and he muttered, "Don't tell me he's here too."Hearing his muttering, Kelly asked, "Mr. Harvey, what were you saying?""Nothing. Let's get down." Harvey glanced at Kelly, got out of the car and walked up to the entrance.Nicole was swiping her card at the door when Harvey walked up to her and greeted, "Morning.""Morning, you've arrived pretty fast, I see." Nicole said,
"Hey, Nicole. Are you already working this early?" Ike asked, carrying two cups of coffee in his hands as he approached Nicole.Seeing that Kelly was there too, Ike placed one of the cups beside Nicole and handed the other to Kelly."Thanks, Mr. Ike." Kelly said politely.Ike nodded. Then, he took the other cup of coffee and passed it to Nicole. "Take a break.""Thanks." Nicole took the cup of coffee from Ike and gave it a sip."How is the design? Is there anything I can help you with?" Ike smiled at Nicole."I just need to sort out some data, and after that, I'll be needing help from your team to proceed." Nicole looked at Ike."Alright. I can't wait." Ike looked at Nicole with a smile while Kelly was observing Ike's body language and expressions in secret.As Ike and Nicole were chatting, Harvey happily sauntered into the room with the freshly brewed coffee in hand. When he saw the back of Ike, the smile on his face faded. 'Jeez, I just stepped away to make coffee for a while
"No, I'm not even exaggerating. I think I made a mistake earlier. You must be the most capable person I've met so far," Ike praised as he looked at her with his piercing black eyes.'It is said that the eyes are the most honest,' he thought.Kelly could not bear to hear those words anymore, and so did Harvey Ellison, who was seated at corner facing her.He proceeded to stand up and interrupt the flirting between the two. "Ike, I'm not making fun of you. I get that your foundation is so huge, but do you really not have a single expert who can pull this off?"Ike turned around and looked at Harvey. "To be honest, even though we do suffer from a lack of professionals, there is nobody who could give Nicole a run for her money. She easily outclasses any other expert if we are going to make a comparison.""Oh, if you put it that way, yes. There is only one Nicole in this world after all. I doubt anyone could surpass her capabilities, well, perhaps those who aren't even born yet," Harvey
Nicole, Harvey, and Kelly made their way toward the restaurant while Ike was already waiting inside.When Ike saw Nicole walking in, he waved at her, prompting her to wave back. Harvey followed Nicole in, and upon noticing Ike's ingratiating tendencies, he began to seethe from deep within.In the restaurant, Nicole found a quiet spot where she took a seat, with Harvey and Kelly sitting directly across."Nicole, are you still going to the foundation later?" Harvey said, wishing to talk to her more, as he did not have the chance to talk to Nicole all morning and during lunch."Yeah. What's up? You can't stay for much longer?" Nicole asked, as she had noticed Harvey's look of boredom a few times during the morning, during which she would silently chuckle and leave him be."No. I'm very comfortable here." Harvey looked at Nicole, pretending to be relaxed.Still, he was worried that Nicole would find an excuse to make him leave. He was determined not to give Nicole any chance to kick
After lunch, Nicole and Kelly went back to the office. Harvey, who had not followed them, went to the pantry alone instead.The pantry was particularly empty. There was no one there as it was past lunch break. Everyone was busy working on their tasks in their own departments. Seeing this, Harvey went to the bar, poured himself a glass of wine, and took a sip while glancing around.'This is a strange place,' Harvey thought to himself while realizing that he was the odd one out who had insisted in staying just so he could spend more time with Nicole.He took another sip of his wine as he thought about how annoying Ike was and how much he hated him. He took another sip once more and this time, he began thinking about what he could do to win Nicole over.After emptying the glass of its contents, Harvey placed it down and returned to Nicole's office. Nicole and Kelly both shot him a glance when he returned before they quickly returned to work. Harvey knew that they were busy with their
"Okay."After Nicole was done speaking, she went back to her desk and continued working. Kelly glanced at Harvey and flashed him a smile while giving him a thumbs-up. In return, he did the same, before centering his focus on the task at hand. Just like that, the office fell silent, with nobody getting bored enough to doze off. All that moved were the silhouettes of the three hardworking individuals.Nicole was thinking about what to write next, when Harvey's voice sounded out and startled her."Harvey Ellison, do you know that speaking that loudly in such a sudden way can scare others?" Nicole covered her chest with her hands and looked at Harvey with a glare.Harvey, realizing that his voice had frightened them, looked at Nicole with embarrassment.Nicole paused for a moment, before she looked at Harvey and asked, "Tell me, what is the matter?""There is something that I don't understand here. Can you come over and explain it to me?" Harvey asked.Although he understood most of
As Harvey stirred the coffee with a spoon in his hand, the image of Nicole leaning over in front of him appeared in his mind's eye.'Her curves are perfect, and I think I can still smell the fragrance of her lovely hair,' he thought.Kelly was already drinking her coffee while Harvey was still stirring his in a daze.Kelly at him in confusion and could not help but offer him a reminder. "Mr. Harvey, the coffee is done, isn't it?"Kelly's voice brought him back to reality. "Oh, yeah."Harvey took the coffee that he had brewed and drank it directly, forgetting that it was for Nicole.Seeing that, Kelly's eyes widened and she asked, "Mr. Harvey, isn't this cup for Miss Riddle?"Harvey's hand froze as he held the cup to his mouth.'Oh no,' he thought. 'Why did I even drink from the cup that I had made for her? What am I going to do now? Right!'Harvey spun around and looked at Kelly with a smile. "This cup of coffee has too much milk, so I won't be giving it to Nicole. I'll make a
"Kelly, did you see Harvey when he went out?" Nicole asked."No, I didn't see him." Kelly raised her head when she heard Nicole's voice.She had been working all this while, and so, she had not notice that Harvey was not in the office anymore.It was then that Harvey came sauntering in with some cakes in hand."Take a break and have a slice of cake." Harvey looked at Nicole and Kelly with a smile, after which he placed it down on Nicole's desk."You brought cakes for us?" Nicole stared at Harvey, her eyes wide.'Before this, he made me coffee because he wanted some,' she thought. 'It was a matter of convenience and I doubt he really cared, anyway. How is he so caring, all of a sudden?'Harvey knew that Nicole did not like him, and he was worried that Nicole would think that he was going an extra mile to show her that he cared, so he denied it. "Oh, I was going to go make myself more coffee, and I saw some cakes, so I took some back for the two of you to help with the fatigue."
"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