Hearing that, Harvey gave the owner an obvious look of disbelief. "How could there be something so good in this world? And I could earn this much money? That's unbelievable!"The owner could tell that Harvey did not believe him. He began to feel annoyed, 'Why is he not buying what I'd said yet?'"It's true! Just a few days ago, someone had already received the money. I'm not lying to you!" the owner said to Harvey in utmost seriousness.Harvey continued to act as though he was in disbelief, and pretended to think for a moment.Then, he said, "If what you said is true, let me meet Ms. Jo."Otherwise, I won't be able to buy that. Why would money fall from the sky and land directly on my palms?" Harvey muttered.The owner stared at Harvey while looking troubled. It seemed that Harvey had really given him a run for his money."You'll take the job as soon as you meet Ms. Jo?" the owner asked as he looked at Harvey sternly."Yes. As long as I get to meet Ms. Jo and see her in person,
Little did Nicole know that Jared's men had been hiding behind the scenes, keeping an eye on the entire situation.Harvey, on the other hand, saw the line of cars parked in front of him and recalled the live broadcast he saw at the restaurant earlier.'Are there other families holding their ceremony here in addition to the McCarthys?' Harvey questioned in his mind.The owner was already several feet away by then. Once he turned around, he found Harvey standing still right next to his car."Brother, why are you standing there? Follow me," he called out, thinking that Harvey was intimidated by the sheer grandness of the ceremony.The further they went, the more men in suits they spotted. The owner was trying really hard to coalesce into the crowd while bringing Harvey along with him. After an interminable period of attempting to push their way in, Harvey was on the verge of giving up, because his feet were repeatedly threaded on by the people around him.Yet, he could only endure t
As soon as Harvey had walked in, he quickly took his clothes off."Do you have to be in such a rush?" Nicole teased as he watched him."Yes, I have to. These clothes aren't comfortable at all. It's too hot and suffocating to be in them," Harvey said, and tossed them onto the couch in disgust.Then, he walked up to Nicole's desk and sat down."We can't get rid of these clothes yet. Before we're done taking down the mastermind behind this whole incident, you'll have to continue acting like an average Joe in public," Nicole informed."What? Continue acting? Are you kidding me?" Harvey asked as his eyes widened."Didn't you say that you wanted to help me? It has only been a day and you're regretting it already?" Nicole retorted, using his words against him.Harvey wanted to retain his image. How could he go back on his promise, especially one that he had made for Nicole? Thus, he would have to stick to her until the very end."I'm not. I've never regretted helping you out." Harvey
"I was also shocked when I saw that it was Joyce. She had always struck me as the soft, vulnerable sort, so who would have known that she would be so despicable!" Harvey bellowed, as he hated anyone who would dare to hurt Nicole."Nicole, now that we know all of this is Joyce's doing, should we send someone to get rid of her?" Harvey asked.All he had to do was to make a call. Nicole did not even have to make a move on her own and Harvey could instantly get rid of Joyce on her behalf."It seems to me that she has hated me for a long time...""I'm more than grateful to you for helping me to this extent. For the next step however, I've decided that it'd be a personal matter between me and her. Because of this, I'll have to take care of it on my own." An icy glint flashed in Nicole's eyes, making Harvey, who was sitting directly across, shudder."Nicole, based on what we've learned from these few incidents, I can tell that Joyce is the ruthless sort. Even if you don't want me to get
"You're not going to let me in?" Jared asked upon noticing that the receptionist had frozen."I'm sorry, sir. I'll lead the way," she said.It was then that Kelly walked over and spotted Jared.Upon noticing him, she quickly approached him and said, "Mr. Johnston, what are you doing here?""He's here to meet Miss Riddle," the receptionist reported to Kelly."Sir, Miss Riddle is in there. I'll bring you there." Kelly politely led Jared to Nicole's office.Kelly knocked on the office door and said, "Mr. Johnston is here, Miss Riddle."The moment Nicole heard the word 'Mr. Johnston', she lifted her head at once and turned to the door. At the very next second, Jared appeared before her in the office."What are you doing here?" she asked."Didn't we agree that I'll be picking you up after work? Did you forget about it?" Jared walked up to her and sat down in front of Nicole.Kelly closed the door carefully and left."I did not forget about it. It's just that, I didn't know it was
"I've just been busy with the project. What's up?" Nicole asked him back."My men saw you at the site of the McCarthy family ceremony today. What's up with that?" Jared stopped and stared at Nicole as he asked the question.Nicole's hands froze for a moment, after which she took a bite of her dessert. 'Why does he seem to know about everything?'"You got someone to stalk me?" Nicole looked at him with her eyes widened and asked."It's not stalking when you were the one who appeared right where they were," Jared calmly said."What do you mean? You're keeping an eye on the McCarthy family?" Nicole asked, having caught a small detail."It's none of your business. Answer me, what were you doing there?" Jared questioned Nicole sternly.Nicole lowered her head and continued eating her dessert. 'Should I tell him or not? If I tell him, will he make a huge deal out of it? If Joyce gets away, it'll be hard for me to get to the bottom of this. What should I do?'"Are you thinking of a wa
"Alright, I'm going to go prepare a bouquet of flowers for Mr. Johnston Sr. to welcome him home after the discharge," she said."Okay, I'll drive you over to the florist tomorrow," Jared said and looked at Nicole with doting eyes.After the two of them had eaten their dinner at the restaurant, they made their way back to their residence.During the very next day, Nicole selected a large bouquet of flowers at the florist and held it in her arms. She turned around, and upon noticing that Jared's hands were empty, she asked the shopkeeper to bring them another large bouquet of flowers."One for each of us. It'll look better that way." Nicole looked at the flowers in their arms with satisfaction and said."Alright! Let's head to the hospital." Nicole clutched the flowers and made her way toward the car.In the corridor of the hospital, Jared and Nicole proceeded to make their way toward Mr. Johnson Sr.'s ward while holding the two bouquets they had purchased. They pushed the door ope
Mr. Johnston Sr. was already courteous enough, so Jared and Nicole could only nod their heads in agreement. Seeing this, Mr. Johnston Sr. turned to the old butler, who immediately understood what he had meant and strutted off to prepare lunch for them happily."Jared, I heard that you've found Henry." Mr. Johnston Sr. said as he shifted in his seat.Hearing that, Jared looked at him and thought, 'I had planned to interrogate him before letting grandpa know about this. I didn't expect that he is already aware of everything that's going on.'"Yes, it was a struggle, but after going through a few curveballs, we found him," Jared replied."Where is he now?" Mr. Johnston Sr. looked at Jared and asked."He's on the way back. He'll be here in the next few days," Jared replied.Mr. Johnston Sr. seemed to be aware of the situation and everything that had transpired.Meanwhile, Nicole looked at Jared and thought, 'I didn't expect that he had found Henry so quickly, and even got him in cus
"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