In the car, Harvey made a phone call to Nicole. He had not been able to reach her for the past few days, but much to his delight, the call connected today. He was excited as he waited for Nicole to answer."Hey, why did you call me?" Nicole's voice blared out."How are you, Nicole? It's been a while, and I'm glad that I'm finally able to reach you today." Harvey said, elated to hear Nicole's voice."I'm doing very well, so you don't have to worry about me," she replied."Nicole, I just left the hospital. Do you know anything about Jared as of recent?" Harvey carefully asked."You went to see him? How is he?" Nicole quickly asked Harvey upon hearing Jared's name being uttered, as she thought that he was showing signs of consciousness."Calm down, he's fine. But... There's an uninvited guest in his ward," Harvey said, wanting to tell Nicole about it gradually."Uninvited guest? Who is it?" Nicole asked as she wondered. 'Did someone go in there to look for him?'"Please don't get
A few days later, Nicole and Carl plotted to attack the Raven's command post once more, as the injured members of the elite team that had been assaulted was recovering well."Nicole, go get some rest. You've been at it for the entire morning." Carl looked at Nicole with concern."It's fine, I'll study it for a while longer." Nicole shot a glance at him before looking back at the map.Hearing this, Carl took the map away from her and folded it."What are you doing? I'm still looking at it," Nicole asked Carl."Take a break from it and go out with me for a bit," Carl said with a serious look on his face."Where are we going?" Nicole asked with a frown."You'll know in a bit. Let's go." Carl stood up and looked at Nicole, motioning her to follow him.As Carl had stored the map away, Nicole could only follow him outside. Both of them then walked out of the meeting room, and Carl took Nicole to the lounge.Nicole saw the lounge the moment she walked in and asked, "Why did you bring
"Oh, I see. You used me as an excuse," Carl said."What excuse? It's just that he isn't worried because I'm safe around you." Nicole rolled her eyes."Well, he's going to be disappointed this time..." Carl sighed."Why are you being such a Debbie downer? This has not ended. We can turn the tables as long as we can capture Cara's command post." Nicole looked at him with confidence."Easier said than done. You've seen how our men ended up after that last attempt. It's just too tall of an order for us," Carl said with a look of defeat."This is not the Carl I know. What did you go through that turned you into someone like this? Where did the courageous and optimistic Carl go?!" Nicole looked at him, her eyes brimming with passion and fury."It's not an issue of confidence. It's just that we've been cornered like prey. We don't have enough equipment or weapons. I'm just worried that..." Carl stopped mid-sentence."Don't lose hope. You're not fighting alone. I'm here with you. We've
"Alright, alright. I'll go to sleep, okay? But please, look into it carefully, since you're more familiar with this place than I am. There can't be any loopholes, so we must succeed this time!" Nicole turned to remind him."Sure, don't worry about it. I'll be extra attentive. I'll still need you to double-check it in the end, so please, get some rest." Carl just wanted Nicole to have some sleep."Okay, I'll go catch some rest. Just come and find me if you need me," she said."Yup, got it." Carl then returned to the meeting room.In truth, he did not expect Nicole to come up with a plan overnight.With that said, he proceeded to study the geography of the place as he thought, 'Nicole really did provide me with massive aid for this plan. I've got to better it as much as I can, so that the chances of us failing again are close to none.'Then, night came.Two squads went on to sneak out of the tiny door of their base, fully geared and armed. They were headed toward the riverside and
The man smiled with delight. 'Hah, they probably ran out of ammo!'Unfortunately, he was right. Carl's men did indeed run out of ammo.Then, he quickly waved his arm and exclaimed, "Halt! Capture those who are still alive. Don't waste your ammo. These people aren't worth it.""Yes, sir!" His men stopped firing and ran out of the command post, rushing toward the bunkers to quickly surround it.Carl's men, who here hiding behind their covers, were all pale as sheet. They had already thrown their guns on the ground and lifted their hands in surrender."Don't shoot... W-We're out of ammo!" One of the men surrendered with his trembling arms raised, trying to explain himself as he was afraid that he would get a bullet to the head.Watching as his enemies were being surrounded, the Raven commander walked out from the dark, smug and satisfied."Sir! We've rounded up a total of 17 people," one of his men said.Though the commander had no clue as to how many people were on Carl's team, h
"Imbeciles! You're all idiots! Is this how you spy on your enemies? None of you noticed that there was an ambush!" the commander yelled, the pain in his hand akin to it being crushed into a million pieces. He was furious at his men who had failed to spot the trap!Carl wasted no time. He rushed toward the man and took care of his remaining lackeys while Jason and Yolli pinned the three people down.Carl then walked up to the man with his rifle in hand and stomped on his broken hand.That man yelled at the top of his lungs in pain. "Go to hell! Just kill me if you're bold enough!"However, all Carl did was look at him coldly as he asked, in a condescending tone of voice, "Are you Cara?"The man froze for a second before he a cold smirk crossed his face. "Hah. You thought I was Cara, huh? Could have gotten an Oscar for all the acting, don't you think? Unfortunately... you don't have what it takes to meet him!"Carl, who was shocked, instantly felt that something awful was going to
Nicole flashed an evil smile and yelled. "I found him!"Carl then brought Jason, Yolli, and the rest of the unit in as they hunkered down behind covers. The wound on Carl's arm had already started to bleed.Jason was a little confused, "Okay, what is she doing?"Carl shot him a glance and maintained his silence. Although none of them could understand why Nicole had blatantly chosen to do nothing as they were getting injured and cornered, Carl had worked with her for several years, and thus, he knew that she had something up her sleeve.Hence, the only thing he needed to do was to trust her and await her orders quietly, whereupon they would likely storm into the building and take the fight within alongside Nicole.Carl then gave it a little thought and laughed aloud. "Hah! Hah! It pains me to think that someone as infamous as you are would actually be scrambling about, hiding like a sewer rat in broad daylight, C. You don't even have the nuts to show yourself! Instead, you got your
Jason and Yolli could only watch helplessly as Carl entered the underground chamber. Then, the entrance on the floor closed shut."Damnit! Nicole! What the hell are you doing?!""You want to see Carl die?"Although both cursed through the earpiece, Nicole did not respond. Instead, both of them glanced at each other. Nicole was not usually like this.'Could it be that Nicole was already killed?' Thinking of this, both of their faces went pale, and they immediately fell into despair.Carl walked down the underground passageway step by step. Then, after coming down the last step, a figure suddenly popped out, striking the back of his head hard."Oof!" Carl grunted and fell. The next moment, he felt two people carrying and dragging him forward. The hellish training in the past enabled Carl to keep his consciousness under the effects of a heavy hit. He persevered until the two men brought him into a room.The room surroundings were an intricate computer facility. It was able to see e
"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