Colton was left dumbstruck by Fiorella's barrage of words. Yet he also had this inexplicable feeling that his daughter had a point...After all, the Fisher Group was stuck in crisis which could not be resolved by bowing down to the Riddle family.If he wanted to resolve this crisis for a chance at survival, he could only ally with those who did not wish to work with the Riddle family."You're right... We cannot count on the Riddle family to save the Fisher Group," he said.Seeing that she had convinced her father, Fiorella began laughing on the inside as she added fuel to the flames."If it weren't for the Reby Family Crest, what would the Riddle family be?" Fiorella spat fiercely.A look of jealousy soon appeared in Colton's eyes. "I suppose there would be plenty who harbor such thoughts. Not everyone would listen to the Riddle family! They can dream on if they wish to take the Fisher family down!'Then, her eyes became even darker as she said, "Dad, leave this to me. I'll be a
"We couldn't get through your phone so we could only come back and tell Mom and Dad. We only just found out which hospital you were at and were just about to visit you," Samuel continued.It was only then that Nicole remember that her smart phone was submerged in the water when she fell off the bridge, and she did not have the time to buy a new one."I'm fine. I've already done a full body checkup," she said without going into details.Jared glanced at her with a look of pain in his eyes. 'This silly girl refuses to mention the fact she almost drowned earlier and here she is, understating the matter of life and death so nonchalantly.'He could not help but to wonder if her previous missions were all so perilous.For some reason, Nicole's physique made him feel as though she was inexplicably fragile, driving his desire to protect her with all his might.At that moment, Gloria stepped forward and held Nicole in a tight embrace, checking if the latter was alright. "Nicole, are you r
Without calling them out on their lies, Nicole played along. "That's fine. Thank you, Uncle Damien and Aunt Miley."Steve watched Nicole's shrewdness at play, in which she actually got Damien and Miley to choke on their words. He felt so good deep within that he could not help but snigger."Steve? What are you laughing about?" Samuel asked with a silly look on his face, not knowing what Steve was laughing at.Then, an idea dawned upon Steve as he immediately replied, "I'm being happy for Nicole of course. With Uncle Damien and Aunt Miley being so generous with their gifts, I'm sure Uncle Dillon and Aunt Karen too must've spent a lot."Upon being put on the spot by Steve like that, both Dillon and Karen found themselves in an awkward situation.Karen rolled her eyes, absolutely not wanting to buy anything for Nicole.And just as she was about to say, "I didn't...""Yes, we've prepared it. It's on the way too!" Dillon interrupted her before she could even complete her sentence.D
Only after the car had left that Daniel turned around and headed inside.In a hall, after Nicole had taken a seat, her brothers flocked over one another as they brought her drinks and desserts.Chloe, Snow and Raine were all green with envy as they watched the Riddle brothers doting on her to the extreme. They would give her everything she wanted, but what about their own brothers?Everett was useless, and with Preston on Nicole's side, it pissed them off to no end.Meanwhile, Nicole held a cup of coffee as she tasted the sweets. Gloria and Daniel, on the other hand, were seated beside her, eyeing with concern. Sitting directly across them were Damien and Dillon and their wives, who had been waiting for the opportunity to ask questions. Unfortunately for Chloe, Snow and Raine, there were no seats left for them at the front, so they could only sit on a small couch at the back.Nicole ate about three to four snacks in an instant and drank two cups of coffee before taking at the look
Everett, who had been keeping to himself all this while, could not hold back any longer as he stepped forward and said, "Uncle Daniel, my father came here because he really is concerned about Nicole. After all, aside from Grandpa, he is the eldest member of the house. It isn't too much for him to ask a question here and there, is it?"Everett rarely spoke, but as soon as he opened his mouth, every word that came out of it made an impact.He immediately reminded everyone of Damien's position, telling everyone that no matter how powerful Nicole was today, and no matter how celebrated Daniel's family was, his father, Damien Riddle was still the primary heir to Mr. Riddle Sr.'s position.Nicole could not help herself from shooting Everett a glance. 'This Everett. He sure was playing coy back then, and was simply just overshadowed and mistreated by Chloe.'And now, he has the opportunity to reveal what he is capable of.Damien was taken aback by the fact that Everett would defend him l
"It was only after Grandpa had gotten Sean to take over the main business that the company has thrived. Our stock prices have risen dramatically over the past two days too. None of these seem to have anything to do with Uncle Damien, right?"Nicole's gaze was proud and icy, causing everyone to inexplicably feel a sense of pressure.Everett stared at Nicole. He did not think that Nicole, who was just a high schooler, would have such a powerful presence about her, and so much so that even he was sweating as he stood before her."Wow, you sure know how to toot your own horn, Nicole." Chloe growled, having lost her patience. "What did you mean when you said that the rise in stock prices has nothing to do with my dad? Most of the company's businesses were managed by my dad."Sean glanced at Chloe. 'You're nothing but a woman shameless enough to show her face after being kicked out of the family, and you dare mock my little sister?"As he thought about it, Sean tossed all of his regard
Snow Riddle usually stayed at home, obsessing over her image, but today, with her parents being ridiculed in public like this, she was put to the test.Nicole noticed that Snow's eyes were brimming with jealousy. She previously had helped her out by finding one of her diamonds. In spite of that however, both Snow and Raine were still ungrateful for the kindness Nicole had shown. Ever since then, Nicole had not bothered to interact with them.Nicole coldly snorted before flashing them a grin. "I don't have the Fire Crest. In all honesty, it's really nothing, but if you guys have the skills, why don't you get the earth and water crests too?"As soon as these words left Nicole's mouth, everyone was taken aback. No matter how skeptical they were of Nicole's achievements, none of them had the ability to find any of the badges.Steve and Sean looked at each other, noticing the silence that had fallen upon them all.'Our younger sister is really influential. We didn't need to say much, a
"Yeah, Daniel, don't worry about it anymore. Nicole can handle these sort of situations well enough," Gloria comforted him.Daniel, who could not even muster a smile, looked toward the door, "It's just that, in the future, our relationship with them will be over."Sean knew exactly what his father was concerned about.He stepped forward, and in a solemn tone of voice, he said, "It's okay. Since they've never cared about us anyway, from now onwards, there's no need for us to be associated with them."Daniel looked at Sean and thought, 'My eldest son has always been calm and considerate of every situation. Perhaps what he said was right. Maybe I really have done nothing wrong.'"That's right. We don't need to take any orders from anyone anymore. We were wronged for the longest time ever." Daniel's eyes became firm. "In the future, I will not ever let my wife and children be looked down upon again."'If we had not defended ourselves the way we did, it would be a waste for all the ef
"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