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
Nicole left the principal's office and headed straight toward the café.The sky had turned dark, and it started to drizzle. People were going off the streets in a hurry, and Nicole was the only person who seemed not to care. They all cast a strange look at Nicole, thinking that she must be out of her mind still by still rambling on the street when the sky was about to open up.Nicole ignored the gaze of these people and took her time. She just liked the cool breeze because it made her more awake. She only favored Jared's coffee and would only allow Jared to come near and accompany her.What was this?As the cold wind grew more intense, the smile on Nicole's lips got broader. She picked up her pace and finally ran as forks of lightning lit up the sky with thunder rumbling in the background.By the time she reached the café, Claus was seen standing in a daze behind the coffee bar.As he admired the wind outside bringing down a willow, he suddenly saw a girl dash toward the café fro
Max shook his head, then realized that Jared could not see him. So, he said, "Nicole said nothing else. She just left in the rain."It was sunny in Nottingbrook State, and it was early in the morning, but Jared's mind seemed to be gloomy, his voice cold. "You let her go just like that?"Max did not respond. He knew how important Nicole was to Jared, but it probably was not Jared's greatest concern.But in the next moment, Jared's stern voice came. "You two, go outside and stand until the rain stops."Max gave Claus a look. The two of them had no objections and immediately went outside to stand in the rain. As cold rain slid down his expressionless face, only then did Max think of something—running so fast in such a cold and heavy rain, Nicole was indeed like his boss, an invincible wonder.In the Riddle family home--Damien was standing in front of Mr. Riddle Sr. with his head lowered as he was debriefed.Mr. Riddle Sr. asked him about something from time to time, and Damien ans
Mr. Riddle Sr. sighed and decided to give Nicole some more time when he thought of how hard Nicole had been trying to learn lately.He took a deep breath, his tiredness apparent. "Ask Nicole if she returns to the old house this weekend."Damien nodded respectfully. As Mr. Riddle Sr. wearily waved his hand, Damien left the room and gently closed the door."What's going on, Damien? What did Dad say to you?" Dillon asked. He was standing outside the door when Damien came out. His father used to talk to Damien alone, but it had never been this long.Dillon was incompetent and greedy, and Damien had always been looking down on him. "Nothing, but the Riddle Corporation seems in need of change."Damien lamented and had to admit that he had misjudged. He, at first, thought Sean was the only capable child coming out of his father's fourth wife, not expecting that Nicole, who had just returned, had also gotten a foothold in the family.When Dillon heard that, he was delighted, thinking tha
Dillon was euphoric. "Is what you say true? Snow has really done it; she has won over Harvey to help us!" He knew it—Damien had been behaving so strangely because he was jealous."Harvey isn't an ordinary guy, but Mr. Ellison's designated heir. If Snow can really win him over, we will find favor with Mr. Ellison." Karen was excited.Dillon jumped for joy when he heard the news as if he had seen a bright future at Riddle Corporation beckoning to him. He was indescribably excited."Karen, you have given birth to a wonderful daughter! You have got to treat Snow better from now on."Karen rolled her eyes and said, "I don't need you to remind me. I have given her a diamond necklace just so Harvey will take a liking to Snow, and she could marry into the Ellison family."Dillon gave Karen a peck on her cheek. "It is so thoughtful of you."Karen blushed. "What are you doing, old man? Let me go to get a shower first."Watching Karen enter the bathroom, Dillon lay down on the comfortable
When Shawn nodded obediently, only did Mr. Roger Sr. smile as he said, "That's my son."Shawn lowered his head, but there was a hint of disdain in his eyes. 'This old man had no idea I existed until I was fifteen. When my ailing mother finally brought me to him, he insulted her. He only reluctantly acknowledged me as his son after receiving the DNA results.'At the beginning, when he was still healthy, he had treated me offhandedly, as if I was nobody to him. 'Only when his health has deteriorated, and my elder brothers have gotten more and more out of his hand did I manage to earn a spot by playing the role of an obedient and well-behaved son and become his most trusted person among the Rogerses,' Shawn thought as he lowered his eyes, the eyes that flashed with a stern look. 'The power of the Rogers family is my only goal. With it, I will have the right to discard others in the future, and no one will be able to do so to me!' With that in mind, Shawn helped Mr. Roger Sr. walk an
Mr. Roger Sr. happened to have seen the pills made by that famous doctor. The characteristics of these pills were very similar to the ones made by that doctor.However, compared with the slightly rough finished products before, these pills were much finer, and they seemed to be made by the same person in different periods. Hence, Mr. Roger Sr. suspected that that famous doctor must be in Hustuaburg, and the person was making rapid progress.At the thought of Jallen claiming he could not find that doctor yesterday, Mr. Roger Sr. smashed the glass angrily. 'B*stard! Forget about the perfunctory response he gave me. Is he planning to kill me now?'The more Mr. Roger Sr. thought about it, the angrier he became. A hint of brutal look appeared in his cloudy eyes as he dialed his phone with trembling fingers.'He has the audacity to try to harm me. Even though he's my son, I won't let this go.' With that in mind, he spoke to his lawyer on the phone, "Hi, Dean. It's me, Christo Rogers. I w
"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