"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
The main gate that had initially been lost to the enemy squad was slowly recaptured following Carl's arrival with the Braves. As the enemy retreated, Carl, who spared no time dawdling, redeployed the defenses at once, with the Braves now manning the gates as well.After he had made the necessary arrangements, Carl went on to perform a body count. The casualties were much heavier this time, with eight suffering serious injuries and ten being slightly wounded.Carl immediately ordered his men to deliver the wounded to the lounge to receive medical attention while he and Olaf made their way toward the warehouse where the Braves were stored."How many Braves are yet to be equipped?" Carl asked as he walked over with Olaf."There are still many more. We need to remove the equipment that were installed with before arming them with weaponry. That is why it is taking us so long," Olaf explained."Get more men to help out. I fear that the hostiles will mount another offensive soon again."
Noticing that Nicole looked rather anxious, Martin said. "Sure. Don't worry about it. I'll see to it right now. Just rest up here and wait for my update.""I'll leave it to you then," Nicole said, giving Martin a look of appreciation"Yeah," Martin said. "Don't you just sit there all the time. Take care of yourself. He still needs your care."This was the most he had spoken to her in the past few days."I know," she replied. "I'll get back to bed in a bit.""Alright, I'll go settle that matter then," Martin said, after which he got up and left the ward.Nicole saw him off, and after talking to Jared for a little while longer, she got back onto her bed. However, instead of resting, she turned her laptop on and continued to crack the codes as required by the mission.Hours passed, and with her attention all focused on the computer, she did not even realize that it was already dark outside.It was then that Max pushed the door open and saw Nicole on the computer, prompting him to
"Dr. Wyance, if there's nothing else, I'll proceed to the other wards now."After she had said that, the nurse walked around Martin and left the room.Martin turned around and looked at the nurse's back with some lingering questions in his mind."What's the matter, Martin?" Nicole asked, as she got up to look at the door from which the noises had emanated."It's nothing. You've eaten already, right? I've only brought you something light." Martin said, as he brought some food over to Nicole.Nicole sat up and looked at Martin as she said, "I've had dinner already. So, a light meal will just nice."After she had spoken, she unconsciously darted her eyes at Jared, and noticed that a red light was emanating from the life support machine. She got out of bed at once, intending to hurry over to where the equipment were installed."What are you doing? Your IV is still attached!" Martin reminded upon seeing her springing to her feet like that.Nicole pulled the IV needle out without say
He dismissed the rest of the staff, allowing them to rest while he stayed behind to monitor Nicole's condition.Martin had fortunately brought the Beacon with him, or else the fate that could befallen Nicole would have been unimaginable.Sitting at Nicole's bedside, he slowly observed her. Time slowly passed and when it was close to midnight, Nicole finally woke up."You're awake?" When Martin saw that Nicole finally awake, he became very excited as that meant that Nicole was fine now.She opened her eyes and saw that Martin was seated by her bed side. To her, his look of excitement seemed a little strange. She wanted to speak but she felt that her throat and mouth were severely dehydrated.Noticing that, Martin poured her a glass of water and carefully placed a straw in there.Nicole's thirst was sated after she had taken a huge gulp, and after she had handed the glass back to Martin, she realized it was really dark outside. "How long have I been asleep? And why are you here at
"You misunderstood me. I'm not suspecting you. Perhaps there were things that we might've overlooked." Nicole continued her attempts to recall as she spoke."Right, when I came in, there was a nurse who was about to leave your room. I've never seen the nurse before, and she said she was standing in for Lilian." Martin suddenly remembered."A nurse?""Yes. Did you know what she was doing inside your room?" Martin asked as he looked at Nicole.Nicole tried her best to recall and after a while, she said, "I remember that the nurse came in to have a look at Jared before changing my IV drip. The procedures were as usual. I don't remember seeing anything particularly suspicious.""That's strange. What could it be then...?" Martin began to ponder."Wait, no!" Nicole cried out, having suddenly recalled something."What's the matter?" Martin looked up at Nicole."After the nurse left, you came in, and I found that the plug on Jared's life support machine had fallen off. Normally, a plug
"You're not at fault. No one expected this to happen," Nicole said, comforting him."Thank god you were alright," Martin said. "Or else. what do I even tell Jared later?""Alright, alright. Go to the security room. Check and see how the nurse left the hospital. She'd definitely have revealed herself after leaving this place," Nicole told Martin."I'll go look into it right away,' he said."Okay."At noon, during the very next day, Harvey bought a meal from the Blue Whale Cafe and visited Nicole. As he opened the door with the meal in hand, he saw Nicole and Martin talking about something.When the two saw him walking in, they stopped.Nicole looked at Harvey and asked, "Uh, why are you here?"Harvey lifted the food and flashed it before her. "Didn't you say you wanted to eat something from the Blue Whale Cafe? I went there to get some takeout before I came here. Want to give it a try now?""Thank you. Just leave it there first," Nicole said."Alright." Harvey placed the lunch
"We can't make use of Jared's men either..." Nicole said as both she and Martin looked at Harvey in unison."Why are you looking at me?" Harvey asked, crept out by their gaze."You're the only one who can help us with this." Martin looked into Harvey's eyes."Help you? With capturing people?" Harvey looked at them with his brows raised."Actually, what are you talking about? Can you explain to me?" Harvey asked."Harvey, someone attempting to poison Nicole. Do you understand now?" Martin explained."I've heard that part, but who are you planning to capture?" Harvey asked, puzzled."Him." Martin looked for a picture on his phone and sent it to Harvey's."Isn't this...""Are you saying that he's the one who poisoned Nicole?" Harvey looked at Nicole with curious eyes."He's the only one who has the motive now, and that's why I need you to bring him to us," Nicole said coldly."Are you going to interrogate him here?" Harvey asked."Of course not. Find an empty room in the subur
"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