Nicole's coyness made him even more fascinated in her."I haven't seen you for a while, Nicole. Why do I feel that you'd be a little shy every time you see me these days? Is this a case of the famous saying that states, absence makes the heart grow fonder?"Nicole glared at him. "Shut up."'This guy is getting even more sporadic with his teasing, as of recent,' she thought."How about...we consider getting married?" Jared suggested with a solemn look on his face.Nicole was taken aback for a moment. "Jared, I have just become of age. I am still yet to reach the legal age for marriage."'What is this b*stard thinking? I really wish I could pry open his brains sometimes to see what's inside,' Nicole thought."It's okay, we can host the wedding first," he said."And then?" Nicole raised her eyebrows, already able to guess that he must have something to say."And then, no one can stop us from living together," Jared said as though it was a matter of fact without a hint of embarras
Kelly cheered up at once. "It's nothing. It's just that I've gotten used to working here."'She must be...it's certainly not because of anyone,' Nicole assured herself.Without taking the matter seriously, she said, "Don't worry. The new place will certainly be better.""Okay!" Kelly nodded, fully believing in what Nicole had said.The two of them got off the elevator and walked into the R&D office. At that moment, Terry was leading a team as they conducted a series of tests on the chip of the manned flying car. Nicole was shocked, spectating without a word as she did not expect that it would have entered the testing stage.The manned flying car quickly started, the engine of the car igniting before the vehicle slowly rose into the air. This marked the first time Nicole had ever seen a manned flying car that they had developed roaring into action. After all, when she was introduced to this R&D project, the project was only half complete. Indeed, Nicole had not expected that Terry
As Terry saw what Nicole was doing, a glint of shock crossed his eyes. He was utterly surprised by the fact that Nicole even knew coding at all. And on top of that, she was proficient at it.As he observed Nicole's speed, in which she was far faster than his most professional programmers, the look in Terry's eyes turned from shock to admiration.'She's only eighteen years old, and yet she's so good at it. What would she become in the future?' he wondered.While Terry was deep in thought, Nicole had whipped a flash drive out after typing a bunch of codes in. Then, a new interface opened.When Terry saw those codes, he was left rooted in place."I-is this the command code for robots?" he asked.There was already a limited number of local groups who were researching on robots. Such technology only existed in top research institutes in foreign countries. With the notion that no one would publish any information about such a confidential system, he could not help but think where and h
"Oh no, it's going to fail!"But at the very next second, the car dodged the mannequin simply by flying over it.Witnessing this scene, the crowd was stunned. They could hardly process what was going on. The car, upon encountering an obstacle, had evaded it by going over it.As the crowd was left in a state of confusion, the system sounded, "Master, there was a mannequin in the way. We have safely dodged it. Please do not panic.""It can even detect mannequins?" one of the men asked.At that point, the experiment team was completely stunned. If they could, they would press their faces against the glass pane to catch a view of the whole scene from the floor-to-ceiling window."Understood," the driver replied excitedly.Then, he instructed the car to drive to the end point, which it did before finally halting. Following that, everyone immediately rushed over and hugged the driver.Kelly, who was exceedingly elated, rushed over and hugged Nicole as well. "Nicole! We've succeeded!
But the instant Nicole thought of Scott, she let out a sigh.Prior to this, she had left him just like that. Scott might not be aware of it yet, but the collaboration between them would have to end soon. There was little to be gained in forcing the both of them to work together any longer.Without thinking too much into it, Nicole left the Golden Coast Building.But just as she reached the lower floor and stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into Harvey, who was on his way in.Harvey did not seem to be in a good condition. He looked like he had not slept for the entire night as he walked forward with the large, heavy bags under his eyes. However, a fleeting glimpse of light flashed in his tired eyes as soon as he saw her.Nicole proceeded to ignore the look on his face, even if she had noticed it.Harvey then went up to her, and in a faint voice, he asked, "You're here this early?"During the night before, Harvey had not been able to sleep because of her. But when they met ag
Zeke was already there waiting for her. Once he saw Nicole coming down from the elevator, he immediately got up from the sofa and welcomed her.Sighting that Zeke had a look of joy on his face, Nicole asked, "Is your dad awake?""Yes!" Zeke nodded vigorously. "It was my dad who wanted me to text you. He wanted to thank you personally."If it were not for that, Zeke would have really forgotten to contact Nicole during his time back here. Every day, for the past week, he was hoping that his father would wake up soon."I see," she said.If Nicole had known earlier that Zeke had purposely called her over just so that his dad could thank her, she would not have come over.But as she was there already, she could not just leave like that. She had no choice but to follow Zeke into the room.As Zeke opened the door, Nicole saw Karlo leaning on the headboard in that wide bedroom. It seemed to Nicole that Karlo had indeed been waiting for her. On the other end, Mr. Guzman Sr. was sitting t
As soon as Nicole had responded, Mr. Guzman Sr. deepened his voice and said in a serious tone, "I heard that the Riddle family had a banquet yesterday, and it was announced in front of everyone present that you are the successor of the Fire Crest."Hearing this, Karlo was taken aback."Dad, what are you talking about? What Fire Crest?" he asked.Mr. Guzman Sr. turned to Karlo and said, "It's the Reby Family Crest written in the preface of our family's records. The Fire Crest is one of crests."Karlo was appalled. To a man as pragmatic and serious as he was, those things sounded like nothing but fairy tales.'Who would've thought that this little brat here is going to be the successor of the Fire Crest?' he wondered."Yes." Nicole uttered, neither humble nor proud of it.However, Zeke then began to panic. 'If grandpa and dad find out that I was involved, they would want to kill me, wouldn't they?'Up until that moment, Zeke had not told them the truth. 'So, grandpa and dad had a
Mr. Guzman Sr. was taken aback by Zeke's reaction. "How dare you talk back to me? Even if she is an outstanding practitioner in the field of medicine, and a capable hacker who could procure the Fire Crest, think about the Riddle family. They're just a third-grade family! Even your men wouldn't look up to her! Can the Riddle family deal with that?"Strangely, Nicole began to feel warm, knowing that Mr. Guzman Sr. was also concerned about her.Although Mr. Guzman Sr. appeared to be arrogant, he was not a bad person at all.At that moment, Karlo, who had been silent thus far, chimed in, in a deep tone of voice, "Don't worry about it, dad. Nicole is Mr. Johnston Sr.'s rightful granddaughter-in-law. She and Jared are already engaged."Mr. Guzman Sr. narrowed his eyes.He had been out of touch with the outside world for a few years. Thus, he did not know that Nicole was Jared's fiancée.However, Mr. Guzman Sr. still took a deep breath and said, "Even with the Johnston family's protecti
"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