Noting the strange atmosphere, Martin hurriedly butted in to lighten the atmosphere. "As everyone is here, I will order them to serve us our meals."He tapped the bell, prompting a waiter to come in a moment later."You may start serving." Martin instructed."Yes, sir," the waiter said.Kelly was also able to sense the awkwardness. She quickly got up and poured wine into everyone's cups. Just then, the waiter began to serve them their food."Let's all raise our glasses to Nicole, Harvey, and Kelly." Martin took the lead in toasting them.Everyone then raised their glasses in response, and that was when Martin said, "Welcome back.""Thank you." Nicole looked at Martin and thanked him, with Harvey and Kelly doing the same right after."You are the guests of honor today, so make yourselves comfortable." Martin sensed that everyone was rather uptight, resulting in a palpable tension of sorts, so he tried to liven it up."The man whom you said was tailing you at the airport has exp
"Actually, you could have dropped me a hint. I shouldn't have taken Kelly off the plane and left you at the airport by yourself." Harvey said, regretting what he had done at that time.Kelly was left stunned and frozen upon hearing what they said and looked at them in shock."It's all behind us. Am I not sitting here fine?" Nicole said, forced to assure Harvey that she was fine."Mr. Johnston, why did you let that man walk free after Nicole told you that the guy was the one who was stalking her?" Harvey suddenly pointed his finger at Jared, questioning him sternly."Harvey, I did what I did. Don't poke your nose into that which does not concern you and mind your own business," Jared said with a blank stare."Nicole's business is my business. I was on that flight back with her, so I had the responsibility to deal with any threats to her," Harvey retorted."Harvey, let me take care of this." Nicole gestured for him to stay out of it.Harvey shot Nicole a glance and could only keep
Jared grabbed his glass and struck it against Nicole's with a clink, after which he looked at her with affectionately. "You are wrong. I just like being your unsung hero."One minute, the two of them were arguing, and by the next, they started to act all lovey-dovey. Everyone at the scene was stunned, amazed by a man as smooth as Jared himself."Okay, let's get dinner started. Everyone has been waiting." Jared signaled to Nicole with his eyes that everyone was watching.Nicole quickly sat back down and said, "Sorry to keep everyone waiting."Harvey snapped out of his daze. "At least you know."Nicole shot Harvey a glare. 'Who said anything to you?'"Okay, let's get started." Martin smiled as he noticed that everyone was at ease, restoring the hospitable atmosphere that was there before."Nicole, this is good. Have some." Harvey said, about to serve a dish to Nicole.But before Nicole could say anything, Jared chimed in. "She doesn't like that."Then, he scooped a chunk from an
"Remember what I said on the rooftop at the base?" Harvey looked Nicole in the eye, and the two locked eyes, sharing a relieved smile.Jared was watching them when he suddenly interrupted their fond memories. "Shouldn't you share such a delicious cake with everyone?"Having bested Jared by a slight margin, Harvey glanced at him with a smug look on his face. "What is the hurry? We will share the cake right away.""Nicole, you make the first cut." Harvey handed Nicole a table knife."Me?""Yeah."Nicole took the knife and thought about it for a moment, after which she turned to Kelly and beckoned her over. "Come over, Kelly."Then, she he looked at Kelly and Harvey. "Since we are celebrating the return of all three of us, it is only right that we cut the cake together. Come on, let's do it together.""Okay." Harvey looked at her and grabbed her hand while Jared watched on.The three of them proceeded to cut the cake together, after which Harvey took the knife from Nicole, took t
Harvey was waiting for Jared to falter in his attempt to comfort Nicole so that he could swoop in. He thought that Jared would not understand the situation back at Lanningbourg, and that it would not help no matter how hard Jared tried.Harvey had even thought of what to say to her should that be the case, but was surprised when Jared successfully comforted Nicole in a single sentence. 'How did he do it in just one sentence? Gosh, I'm still waiting for my opening!'"Nicole, the plant will be ready to resume production soon. You can come over for a visit whenever you have time." Martin looked at Nicole."I'm planning on visiting, even if you don't bother to mention it, but it might take a few days for me to free up. I have a few things I need to take care of first." Nicole explained, looking at Martin."It is okay. You can come whenever you wish. Just take care of your side of things first. There is nothing going on at the plant right now. I'm just checking in with you," Martin said
"Okay, I will ask Max to take care of it." Jared agreed, knowing that he was the only one who could help Nicole feel better.Otherwise, she would be left to fend for herself again."Mr. Johnston, thank you very much. Here's a toast to you." Martin looked at Jared and raised his glass.But Jared did not respond to him, as his eyes were on Nicole, who got the hint and raised her glass to Jared. "Thank you. I will drink to you."After saying that, she tilted the glass and was about to chug it all down when Harvey attempted to stopped her."Nicole..."However, Jared beat him to the punch and grabbed Nicole's arm before lowering it slowly.Then, he looked at her with affection in his eyes. "You don't have to. I'm sorry that I didn't explain everything to you. I know it made you anxious, and it was on me because I didn't think it through properly, so I will down this glass as an apology to you."Instead of drinking from his own glass, he took Nicole's from her hand and downed it in o
Max drove Jared and Nicole gradually away from The Herald under the watchful eyes of Harvey, Kelly, and Martin.Martin then turned to Harvey and Kelly and asked, "Do you want me to drive you home?"Harvey waved his hand, and Kelly said, "Thank you, Mr. Wyance, but it's okay. I will take Harvey back to his home.""Well then, be safe. I shall leave now." Martin left in the car that had arrived to pick him up once he had said his goodbyes.This left Kelly and Harvey, who remained standing at the entrance outside The Herald on their own."Harvey, what is your home address?" Kelly asked.Harvey mumbled a few incoherent words and blacked out. Seeing this, Kelly had no choice but to help Harvey into a cab."Make your way to 455 South Avenue," she said.The next morning, Harvey woke up with his throat parched. He opened his groggy eyes, still feeling a little dizzy. It took him a while before he could see the furnishings in the room clearly."Where is this?" He looked around the room,
Jared spun around and saw Nicole looking at him. "You are awake? Why didn't you get more sleep?""I didn't see you in the bedroom and thought you were not feeling well again." Nicole looked at Jared.Jared looked at Nicole with a frown. "Wait, why would you think I was not feeling well when I'm not in the room?"Nicole was amused at the thought of Jared not feeling well. Last night, he had wandered around alone looking for the bathroom, and she ended up helping him in."What are you laughing at?" Jared asked, perplexed by the mocking look on Nicole's face."Nothing, just recalling some of your strange behavior last night." Nicole said, and erupted into a gale of laughter again.Jared could not help but shake his head, and returned to the kitchen to get busy, with Nicole following right behind to see what he was doing."What are you doing?" she asked."I'm cooking your favorite steak," Jared said."That's nice of you." Nicole looked at him with her brows raised."Not a problem
"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