"I'm sorry..." Harvey uttered, unable to say anything else.Nicole then landed a series of punches on his chest. "I asked you to stall him. If you had done your damn job, he would have been fine...!"As she spoke, her voice choked. Harvey had never seen Nicole in her current state. He had seen valiant Nicole; the Nicole who was always calm, collected, brilliant, and capable of coming up with strategies to deal with any situation, but he had never seen her being so vulnerable and tearful.At that moment, he became overwhelmed with remorse. He could not help but hug Nicole and allow her to land a flurry of hits on him."Hit me. I did not think that things would turn out the way they are. Jared ultimately knew everything. He had people monitoring you at the hospital... He knew that Joyce had brought her men with her to make another attempt on your life, and knowing this, he left in a hurry..." Harvey revealed as Nicole continued to land a few blows on him.However, the more she knew
Martin was stunned. At this point, he became aware that Nicole did actually care about Jared, and that she loved him more than she loved herself. Harvey, who had been chasing after Nicole too, noticed this. He could not help but muster a bitter smile and hold onto Nicole.Then, he asked Martin. "How is Jared?"Although he was still jealous of Jared for his ability to acquire all of Nicole's attention and care, he could not pretend as if he did not care about him. He knew that if something grave were to happen to Jared, Nicole would never be the same person she used to be.Martin glanced at Harvey, who seemed to understand how he was feeling. He too, could not help but give him a wry smile. "He is fine. He's doing better now."Even though he shared Harvey's jealousy of Jared, Martin still gave it his all to save Jared, as he did not want Nicole to be devastated.Maintaining a reassuring smile, Martin continued, "He is heavily injured. Six broken ribs, a damaged kidney, and several
Without sparing him a glance, Nicole continued to stare at Jared. "No, I wish to stay with him."At this moment, no one was as important as Jared in her world. The only person who mattered was Jared. In response, Harvey looked at Nicole's steely gaze and gave up on his attempt to persuade her.Judging by the look on her face, Harvey knew that, regardless of what he had to say, Nicole would not leave this place. "That's fine. I'll be here with you then,"Harvey turned around to look at the unconscious Jared lying on the sick bed. He wished Jared would wake up sooner. That way, Nicole could be at ease.Nicole sat at Jared's sick bed, maintaining her silence. Both of her hands were cupping Jared's, not letting go even for a moment. Looking at his ashen face and tightly shut eyes, Nicole was desperately hoping that he would suddenly open his eyes and talk to her.Yet, as time flew by, all was silent, barring the beeping emanating from the vital signs monitor.When Max had returned an
Nicole looked at Harvey, who had done this painstakingly for her, and could only nod her head in approval. Seeing this, the corner of his lips lifted into a slight smile. His efforts were not in vain, after all."Take it slow, I'll support you," Harvey lightly held onto Nicole as he walked her to her sick bed."Look at this. You can see Jared here. Now, have some proper rest. There are people standing guard outside. If anything happens, you can call for them," Harvey said."Alright, you should go home. No need to worry about me. I know my condition. I can take care of myself," Nicole looked at Harvey with a lifeless expression on her face."Okay, then I'll be leaving. If there is anything, you must tell me. I'll come and see you again tomorrow," Harvey looked at Nicole and reluctantly made his way to the door.Even as he was reaching the bend in the corridor, Harvey was still worried and from time to time, he would stop in his tracks. Then, he turned around and walked out again.
"Put her on some medication, "Martin ordered the nurses by his side."Okay," one of the nurses said, whereupon she immediately approached Nicole.Nicole did not protest, and went on to allow the nurse to put her on some IV drip.Martin then walked up to Jared's sick bed and proceeded to examine him, for more than ten hours had passed since the operation.'Why is Jared still not showing signs of consciousness?' Martin furrowed his brows as he pondered.After some thinking, he surmised that there was no other way around this. He had done everything he could, and now, the only thing he could do was wait for Jared to wake up by himself.After checking up on Jared, Martin walked over to Nicole's sick bed to examine her as well."You were severely injured, so you are not allowed to get out of bed today, "Martin said sternly, thinking it would make Nicole take her injuries seriously.Nicole did not give him a reply, as her gaze was still fixed on Jared.Seeing that Nicole was keeping
With his eyes trained on Luke and his men as they left, restoring the corridor to silence once more, Harvey turned to the bodyguard by the door and said, "Tell Max to beef up the security in this floor, and do not allow anyone else other than the doctor and the nurses to enter.""Got it," the bodyguard said.After he had given the orders, Harvey pushed the door open and entered the ward.Looking at him, Nicole asked, "What happened out there?""Nothing much. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" Harvey asked, trying to shift her attention away from the topic.Nicole could see that he was hiding something, but instead of questioning him further, she replied, "I'm not hungry. Have you had breakfast yet?"Seeing that Nicole was suddenly so concerned about him, a faint smile appeared on the corners of his lips. "I've eaten already. Don't worry about me."He was very elated with the fact that Nicole had still found it in herself to be concerned about him, even during a ti
After he had finished his sentence, Harvey walked out of the ward.Nicole, sensing that she had upset Harvey with her curt remarks, immediately called out to him."Harvey."Harvey whirled around and looked at Nicole. "What's the matter?""Can you bring me a bowl of soup from the Blue Whale Cafe the next time you visit us?" Nicole said in a somewhat bashful way.A surge of warmth kindled Harvey's heart, and a smile crossed his face as he agreed. "No problem."And after he had said that, he left the ward.Once Harvey had left, Nicole looked at Jared, who was still lying quietly in his bed without displaying any signs that he would be waking up.Nicole began to pray silently. She could forget about the issue of the lipstick mark on his face. In fact, she would not be mad, let alone stay mad at him, as long as he regained consciousness.She then center he gaze back on the screen of her laptop. Right now, she wished to help Zeke out by completing his mission. This was something he
"Rotate the squads manning all the four gates. Let our comrades who've just engaged in battle recover.""Roger that." The operator in the central command said, broadcasting Carl's orders as ordered.After a few minutes, new squads moved in, replacing each and every single one of the men who were involved in the defense effort. In the lounge, the mercenaries who had been involved in the siege were also being treated by the medical team, resting after they had been patched up.Thankfully, all of them had a Beacon device on their persons, and with them, their wounds quickly recovered. Carl then came over to check on their wounds, and upon seeing that everyone was alright, he became relieved, thanking Nicole in his mind.Carl then brought the guards around the base for another inspection. As he patrolled, he suddenly spotted a small door that had been left unguarded. Carl immediately walked over to examine it, and just as he was a foot away from the door, he heard footfalls outside. Ba
"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