Alright, when the time comes, this old lady will be your witness." Mrs. Wallace Sr. could tell that Nicole's eyes were brimming with tears, and that made her feel a little uncomfortable.As Jared watched them embrace one another, he felt both a mix of happiness and sadness. 'Grandma is indeed getting old.'"Now, go upstairs and get some rest." Mrs. Wallace Sr. looked at Nicole affectionately."Okay, I'll accompany you back to your room first," Nicole said as she helped Mrs. Wallace Sr. up.Mrs. Wallace Sr. looked at Jared who was sitting on the couch at the side and said, "Jared, it's already late. If you don't have other important things to take care of, you can stay here for the night.""Oh, alright," he uttered.Initially, Jared was planning to head back home in a while, and as such, it surprised him when Mrs. Wallace Sr. asked him to stay."I'm off to bed now," Mrs. Wallace Sr. said, after which she made her way to her room with Nicole's help.After Nicole had brought Mrs.
The instant the wedding was mentioned, Nicole became weak in the knees. She had not given it much thought just. In fact, she had simply acted on the spur of the moment when she promised Mrs. Wallace Sr., as she saw how excited Mrs. Wallace Sr. was about their marriage."I only did that to make her feel at ease. If you have any opinions about the wedding, you can always talk to me about it." Nicole suddenly shot him a solemn look, thinking that Jared was unhappy because she had not discussed it with him and had promised Mrs. Wallace Sr. on her own."I do have my own opinions." Jared's magnetic voice sounded out to her ear."Tell me, what are they? If you don't agree to it, it's not too late for you to back out and find someone better for you." Nicole looked at him calmly."You're thinking about these things? Did anything happen abroad? Anything that I wasn't aware of after I came back here?" Jared's gaze became even more piercing.The people he was most concerned about were Harvey
"Nicole, look at me." Jared cupped her cheek."What will change if I look at you?" Nicole stared at Jared, her eyes cold."I've never touched anyone other than you. You are the only one in my life." Jared looked at Nicole, his eyes filled with affection and sincerity.Nicole was stunned upon registering the look in his eyes and how earnest he was. Initially, she just wanted to find out which woman had skin that was coarser than her. She had not anticipated such moving words from him."Jared, I see that you have a way with words and you're getting better at it now. At this rate, you are almost on par with Harvey," Nicole teased, refusing to cave in to his sweet talk.Deciding not to pursue it anymore, as she had weaseled away from Jared, she sat up and went to the bathroom to give herself a rinse.Just as she reached the bathroom, Jared passed her a toothbrush with toothpaste readily squeezed onto it. "Here you go.""Thanks." Nicole grabbed it and began brushing while looking at
Nicole thought it would be a ruin with nobody around. However, as soon as she got out of the car, she saw Claus.Claus immediately chuckled when he saw Nicole as he walked toward her. "Why are you here, Miss Riddle?"Jared had given him an arduous task early in the morning itself, making him think that he was going to be utterly bored for the entire day, which was why he did not expect Nicole to come over."Did Jared send you here?" Nicole guessed.Claus laughed. "M-hm. You're right, Mr. Johnston sent us here to claim everything that can be salvaged before clearing the area for reconstruction."'I've got to give him credit where credit is due. Jared really is efficient,' Nicole thought."Alright, carry on," she said. "I'll go and have a look."Claus quickly stopped her. "Miss Riddle! This place is already in ruins, what's there to see?! It's not safe to walk here. Please don't get yourself hurt."Nicole shook her head. "It's fine. I'm just going to look around."Then, she aske
"Yeah, are you having an off day today?" Nicole walked over and greeted Sean and Steve happily as well."Yeah, we came back to see mom and dad.""Aren't you supposed to be in Lanningbourg? Why did you come back?" Sean asked Nicole, confused."I hate to be that guy, but I think we should stop chatting here at the entrance. Let's get in. Mom and Dad would be ecstatic to see Nicole." Steve smiled at them as he pushed them into the house."Okay, we can walk in on our own accord." Sean shook his head in defeat.In the living room, Daniel and Gloria were watching the news on the couch while Spencer and Samuel were playing games on their phone."You two should lay off the phone for a bit. The screen really isn't good for your eyes." Gloria reprimanded, having taken note of the time they had spent playing games while she watched the TV."We're fine. We just started," Samuel responded."Are you sure?" Sean asked.The moment Samuel and Spencer heard Sean's voice, they responded without
"We've been keeping well. Was it tough working abroad? You don't look so good."Gloria was really observant, as she noticed that Nicole did not look like she had been sleeping well."Haven't you been sleeping well?" Daniel heard Gloria and had also noticed that Nicole did not look like she was in good shape."Ah... I do get enough sleep over there, but I came back in a rush yesterday. I'm probably just experiencing jet lag, so I'm fine." Nicole explained while feeling guilty.'It's all Jared's fault,' she thought. 'I won't be this tired if it wasn't because of him.'"Did you rush back here because Martin's factory had caught fire?" Daniel guessed.Judging by how hasty her return was, Daniel figured that it had something to do with Martin."Yeah, I was informed that his factory was on fire, so I took the earliest flight home." Nicole said without anything.She did not feel the need to hide anything from them as they were different from Mrs. Wallace Sr."It was a pretty big fire
"All you do is play video games. Nicole has been talking to us since she got back. You should learn a thing or two from her and engage in more productive activities. Look at her. She's already living independently abroad, and yet, here you are, still playing video games at home," Gloria lectured them, and would have forgotten about them if they had not interrupted Nicole and Sean."Mom, you said it yourself. Nicole doesn't come back very often, so you should stop nagging us. We're adults now, and we have our pride, okay?" Samuel stared at Gloria as he expressed his thoughts."You're always looking for excuses...""Don't lecture them anymore, mom. Just let them chill for a day. You can continue the nagging when I'm not around tomorrow." Nicole aided Samuel by persuading to let them off the hook."Since Nicole is here, I'm just going to leave it," Gloria said."How long will you be staying, Nicole?" Gloria hoped that Nicole could stay for a few days, so that their entire family woul
"You must've visited Mrs. Wallace Sr., right?""Yeah, I came over from her place," Nicole said."Nicole, you've been engaged to Jared for some time now. What's the plan?" Daniel studied Nicole with his eyes.Sean and Steve chortled as they immediately knew what Daniel was trying to say.Nicole was watching Samuel playing his game when she heard Daniel's question, and so, she lifted her head and asked, "Huh? What plan?"Daniel saw that Nicole did not understand him, so he pushed it aside. "Nothing. Go ahead and play your games. I'll see if there's any good food in the kitchen."Sean came to sit next to Nicole after Daniel had left. "Nicole, did you not understand dad or are you just pretending that you didn't?"Confused, Nicole looked at her with a frown. "What are you saying? I wasn't pretending at all."Sean looked at Steven when he saw that Nicole really did not understand what their father had meant, but they did not burst her bubble. "Seems like you didn't.""Why are you t
"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