The exchange between Nicole and Mr. Riddle Sr. confused everyone.'What did the old man mean by that?' 'What did he mean by handing the Riddle family to Nicole...'Nicole's response was even stranger, claiming that she would protect everyone in the Riddle family.'What ability does she have to protect the Riddle family?'Moreover, even if the Riddle family were no longer as powerful as before, they were still a prestigious old family of San Joto. So who would do them harm?Yet no one dared to ask Mr. Riddle Sr. those questions.They could only wait until after Mr. Riddle Sr. had closed his eyes to rest. So they had gone downstairs before they questioned Nicole.Dillon was the first to lose his composure. He had been pondering Mr. Riddle Sr.'s words, seriously suspecting that the older man had handed Nicole something very important.Just as he entered the hall, he turned around to question Nicole without taking a seat. "What did your Grandpa mean by that? Why is he leaving the R
Dexter then let out a sigh. "Dad has his reasons. Since he's fine now, let's return."Being around his brothers and sisters-in-law for the past few days really exhausted him."Yeah. Mom hasn't been resting well for the past few days, so we'll go first," said Ellar, giving Nicole a somewhat apologetic glance.Nicole nodded. "Ellar, take Uncle Dexter and Aunt Emma back to rest. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Grandpa.""Alright." Ellar glanced at Emery, who had always been the quiet one, as the two left with their parents.Karen wanted to say something else, but Dillon, noticing Damien's grumpy look, could only leave with her, Preston, Snow, and Raine in tow.Preston even smiled at Nicole before he left as if to welcome her home.After seeing them off, Nicole looked at Damien. "Uncle Damien, are you staying behind to take care of Grandpa?"Being questioned like that, Damien felt a little miffed.He was, after all, older. No younger generation should be asking if he was comin
"That's good to hear. I'll go look after him now." Alfred wiped the tears at the edge of his eyes, bidding Daniel's family farewell before heading upstairs.Samuel could no longer hold his excitement and sat beside his sister. "Nicole! When did you get so good at medicine? You were the one who operated on Grandpa as well?"This baby sister of his was just too amazing. She was not only physically superb and skilled in martial arts. She even had medical knowledge! She was among the best in school, with everything within her grasp. Was there anything she could not do?Forget Samuel. Even Daniel, Gloria, Sean, and Steve were surprised."Nicole, you sure hide your skills way up your sleeves." Stanley had kept quiet this whole time, but now he voiced his shock."I know, right? You sure made us proud, baby sis!" Recalling the expressions of Chloe and her family when Nicole woke Grandpa, Spencer also felt elated.Seeing Nicole's silence, Sean said, "Alright, alright. You all talk so much
Stanley and Steve could only stand up and say to Nicole, "We'll be heading off then.""Wait." Seeing that her family members were about to leave, Nicole suddenly turned towards Jared. "What's that stuff?"Jared eyed the coffee table.Max had already delivered the thing over when he had coffee downstairs earlier.Nicole immediately opened the box and found seven watches of different exquisite designs.Daniel gave Nicole a perplexed look. "These are..."She then said with a solemn look on her face, "We have to listen to Grandpa. Be it you, Dad, or Mom, or the rest of you, be careful when you're out and about. If you ever find yourself being followed or in danger, press the black button on the watch to contact me and the white button to secretly send your current coordinates."When she was on the plane, she made a tracking and communication system similar to that on her watch. She then got Jared to ask Max to upload them into the digital watches so she could contact her family.Lo
Nicole nodded and watched as Daniel returned to his room.She let out a sigh of relief and then went downstairs. To her surprise, she found Jared sitting there. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be back in the hospital?"'This guy... does he think he's fully recovered?'Jared rolled up his sleeve, revealing the medical instrument on his arm."The Beacon?" 'When did he get his hands on this?' she wondered."Yeah. Otherwise, how do you think I managed to stay alert by your bedside for the past two days?" This was also why he immediately redirected the Beacon delivery from the home country to Lanningbourg. He was no fool, after all."Why didn't you tell me you had it with you?" This asshole had her worrying over him."I thought of telling you after I'm better, but now looks like a good time." As he said that, he reached out to take the instrument off.Nicole, however, stopped him. "Keep it on for a while longer. Your health is important."Having his fingers touched by her, J
The night slowly rolled in peacefully. The Fisher family was listening to their assistant's report in annoyance."Mr. Johnston went abroad right after he woke up from his coma... He went to fetch Nicole. He's staying at the Riddle's residence tonight..."'This bastard, Jared! He barely spared me a glance after he woke up. Instead, he turned to talk to his grandfather! On top of that, he left the country to find Nicole despite knowing his physical condition was terrible! I've been waiting for him at home. The first person he saw when he woke up was me, and it was me who took care of him the entire time. Nicole didn't even care for him when he was bedridden!'I thought Jared went after Nicole to ask her why and break up with her, but I didn't expect him to bring her back here! And to even stay at her family's residence afterward!'All my hard work went to waste!' Filled with hatred, Fiorella gritted her teeth as she thought of the two of them staying at the Riddle residence. Her hand
'I thought I would have plenty of time to get closer to Jared. I didn't know that he was already engaged to someone from the Riddle family. To top that off, he had to be engaged to a rancid witch that the Riddle family had found from the streets,' Fiorella fumed.'I have no choice but to put my foot down and strike back. I can't even begin to think when he mentioned that the Riddle family is the family which had adopted that b*tch!' she continued."The Riddle family has been in decline for many years now, so why did he ask us to pay them a visit? Our family is now one of the five major families in San Joto. What's the Riddle family's deal? Is it just because they're on good terms with Jared? I don't get it. Besides, I've just restored my status and reputation as of recent.""What do you know?" Mr. Fisher's expression darkened."The Riddle family have been around for a century. Ever since Mr. Riddle Sr. retired, their son Damien Riddle was left in charge, and that resulted in their
The gifts kept arriving until late in the afternoon. It was only then that Mr. Riddle Sr. felt better and came downstairs, where he saw the stack of gifts piled in the hallway."It seems that our Riddle family is about to regain the glory that it had lost twenty years ago," Mr. Riddle Sr. muttered and sighed.About ten years ago, Mr. Riddle Sr. had handed the company down to Damien Riddle, which was the biggest mistake he had ever made. Over the next few years, he had to bury his fourth child and a few other children from his own family whilst witnessing his family's fall from grace. It was his negligence that had caused the downfall of the family."You really are the lucky star of the Riddle family. Ever since you came in, our family has only prospered," he said to Nicole."Stop it, grandpa. It's only because of you that our Riddle family could live to witness this day," she replied.When Mr. Riddle Sr. was still deep in the world of business, he was a figure that was as prominen
"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