"She deserves it! Let her do the same to Harvey!"When Snow and Raine heard Harvey was coming to the cafeteria, they planned to wait nearby to try their luck to see if they could see him, not expecting that they would run into this scene.Raine gloated and shouted in a loud voice, "Nicole, you now got your karma for bullying Celia! Beg me, and I may put in some good words for you. You know, Celia is a good friend of mine and my sister's. Her boyfriend might spare you for the sake of us.""Cain, you shouldn't hold grudges against Nicole simply because she bullied Celia a few times. After all, Nicole doesn't know any better, but you all are different."Everyone agreed with what the two said. Snow was so good-hearted that she repaid evil with good despite what Nicole had done to her. What Raine said might be nasty, but it did make sense. It was Nicole who started all this.Nicole was nonchalant, not even sparing a glance at the people around her. Instead, she looked with icy eyes at
Snow could not have been clearer about Nicole's background. The Riddle family might have a long history, but it had long past its glory and could no longer be a deterrence for Cain. Something else must have made Cain feel so afraid.She furrowed her brows in thought, not even noticing that Harvey had walked past her.A thought came to mind when Harvey saw Snow. He suddenly changed direction and walked toward her. "What has just happened, and why are you standing here, Snow?"A twinkle of surprise flashed across her eyes when Snow saw Harvey. But she felt a little curious at Harvey's question. Could Harvey not know what had just happened earlier had something to do with Nicole, and so he had to ask her? But she quickly dismissed this idea and told Harvey what she had just seen. Hearing what she said, Harvey still had a smile on his face, as if nothing had happened. He then walked toward the school gate.Just as she wanted to catch up with him, Harvey shot a look back at her. That ki
Nicole did not like too much attention to herself, but somehow, she always got it.Lulu took the box, hesitating whether to return it. But when she saw Nicole's calm face, she calmly shoved the things into Nicole's arms. "Here you go. It is from him."Nicole did not even look at it, and she shoved it back into Lulu's school bag. "Since he gave it to you, it is yours, then."There was no more grudge between them since she had accepted the thing. That was why she did not drive Cain away when he handed the thing over. Nicole gently patted Lulu on the head and said, "Let's get something to eat."The school gate was near the café. Just when passing by the café, Nicole casually glimpsed inside, not expecting to see anything. Yet she saw Jared lazily leaning against the window. Sitting across from him was a beautiful woman with red lips and wavy hair. The two seemed to be chatting about something, and then the woman stood up, seemingly agitated, and wanted to walk over to Jared.Nicole s
"Do you know the girl that the old man brought in yesterday?" Shawn asked as he drove.Harvey turned his eyes back to Shawn. "Why?"Shawn shook his head. "Nothing. Just that there is more to her than meets the eyes. Your father didn't even let me see the gift that she gave to him yesterday."Shawn gripped the steering wheel tighter. "And she seemed to know the problem with my father and hinted something to him, a bit earlier than the time you asked me to speak. Would it affect anything?"Harvey started to make sense of something and chuckled. "Nicole, you always have surprises for me." He then looked up and whispered to Shawn, "Don't worry about her."Shawn hung back, stopping mentioning Nicole again, knowing that Harvey did not want to tell him more.The car drove around and reached Great Oak at last. Harvey and Shawn got out of the car and headed for the only sanatorium in town. The doctors and nurses were already accustomed to their visit and only required a routine registrati
Nicole looked at her and raised an eyebrow."I will."It took Lulu a while to realize what Nicole meant: she would keep herself warm. Lulu could not help but cackle."What a reflex arc, Nicole."Nicole said nothing but gave her an elegant, haughty look.The two cackled as they walked to the school gate. Lulu planned to go back to the dormitory to study. Nicole thought for a moment and decided to go to the café. She had agreed to give Austin and company tuition this afternoon.When Nicole came in front of the café, she somehow hesitated.She wondered why she suddenly had such an awkward feeling, which had never occurred to her before.Claus inside the café had already spotted Nicole and came out to greet her with a smile. But Nicole seemed to have spaced out as if she did not see him.'What a surprise.' Claus scratched his chin, not expecting to see Nicole woolgathering.Jared was not on the ground floor. Claus looked at Nicole and took out his phone to call Jared. "Boss, Nico
Nicole shook her head gently and said, "Take everything out and let me check your homework."They looked at her and breathed a sigh of relief as she seemed to have returned to normal. Taking out their homework and textbooks, they waited for Nicole to start the lesson.Honestly, what they were most looking forward to every day was this period of learning time with their boss, as they could learn a lot of new things every day. Now that they had done a revision on the textbook, Nicole started to prepare them for comprehensive exercises.They stared expectantly at Nicole as they began class, but Nicole was looking at their homework and seemed to have spaced out again. Austin and others exchanged glances. They were all sure that their boss was not quite right today.Nicole had been very focused on normal days, but today she was strange. What Jared said to her in the car that day and the scene of him seeing the woman with wavy hair kept appearing in her mind. She felt chest pain, especia
Nicole sat down opposite Mr. Ellison. She did not pick up the cutlery but looked at him and asked, "What can I do for you?"She sounded very casual as if she were just talking to an ordinary person. If outsiders were to see Nicole's attitude toward Ellison, they would have been shocked with their mouths agape.Most people in San Joto knew Mr. Ellison's influence in politics and academia, in which he was almost a figurehead personality. Everyone respected him.But Ellison did not show displeasure despite Nicole's attitude. He smiled and said, "I just want to invite you for a meal. Harvey will be a bit late, as he was still outside."Mr. Ellison, whose full name was Thomas Ellison, was not such a nonsense person. Nicole frowned and was a bit impatient. "Tell me what it is about, or I will leave."Mr. Ellison heard she was leaving and hurriedly said, "I saw the video of Harvey and you on the Internet. I can tell that he is fond of you, and he has asked you to be his girlfriend. Is th
Mr. Ellison was inside the office, so she did not want to make a scene here with him.Harvey looked at Nicole, who looked at him with a fiery gaze. She gently pressed her lips together with slightly upturned lips. It looked as if she was crying and laughing at the same time."No," he said as if muttering to himself. "It's not like that."Nicole looked on as he suddenly looked up at her. There were no emotions in her eyes as she gazed at the person who looked flawless from the inside out in front of her.But no one was truly perfect.Harvey looked her in the eyes. "It's not true that I don't have feelings for you." He seemed to have taken a lot of effort to say that. The first time he saw her, he felt his heart beating out of rhythm, but he mistakenly thought it was a sign of disgust. So, he hypnotized himself and refused to feel his inner thoughts.Nicole looked at him as if not expecting him to say this. She watched Harvey's face gradually calm down, and then he looked at her an
"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