Once Nicole had taken a closer look, she saw June and Lulu."Lulu? June?" Nicole asked, having not seen them in a long while.As Nicole did not expect to see them here, she was quite taken aback."Nicole?" Lulu rushed over happily and hugged Nicole. "Long time no see!"After Nicole had gotten engaged, they had never met throughout the entire holiday, and a few days ago, there were still talking about Nicole"It really has been quite a while." Nicole happily smiled and returned Lulu's hug.June glanced at Samuel.Then, she greeted Nicole, "It truly has been some time since we last met. You look a lot prettier now. I heard that the Riddle family held a banquet a few days ago but...the Wallace family was not invited."June had actually heard about the banquet, but she did not know what the occasion was. Besides, the Wallace family was also a third-rate family, and while they could still attend some regular gatherings, they did not have the right to join the much grander ones."Th
Order one of these for Nicole too."The twins were fighting to order something for Nicole.Nicole's face darkened at once. "Enough. These are enough for me. The both of you should order something that you guys like.""Sure." Samuel smiled and finally gave in.As Bradley witnessed the whole situation, he admired Nicole, "Your brothers treat you very well.""Yeah." Nicole smiled, but deep down, she was feeling a little worried.She had never been used to people being so caring and nice to her, with the exception of one person...The instant she thought about Jared, Nicole began to blush.Over the past few days, the Johnston family had received a lot of collaborations because of the Riddle family. Naturally, Jared had been busy every single day, but no matter how busy he was, he would always give Nicole a call at night.The only time Nicole did not feel uncomfortable when showered with care and love was when Jared was the person doing it. It was really strange to her.Soon, the
Everyone was stunned, with Lulu looking at Nicole and asking, "Could it be the Lukewarm drama that we were talking about?"Nicole looked at Anna in defeat.'Just my luck. I can't believe I bumped into Lloyd's manager,' Nicole thought.Nicole had not told her family about it yet, but she figured that there was no way of hiding it anymore, and so, she just accepted Anna's business card. "What a coincidence."Anna smiled at Nicole. She found Nicole pretty when she saw her picture, but now that she had seen her in the flesh, she realized that Nicole was incredibly charming. '17 to 18 is the best age to have a debut in the entertainment industry.'She finally understood why Lloyd had insisted that Nicole played the role the moment she saw Nicole's charm and spirit. She also knew why Nachelle had immediately agreed to the pick when she heard that it was Nicole.Anna then produced a contract from her bag. "I know this is weird, but I'm going to hand you the contract now. You can have a
It was rare for Nicole to be able to relax, so she smiled and raised her glass before chugging her beverage down with them.Then, June and Lulu began chatting up to Nicole, and though Nicole listened more than she spoke, she still responded to their comments.Spencer and Samuel had hardly seen Nicole behaving like this. In their family, most of them were males, and that was probably why Nicole would only show her girly side when she was with her female classmates.After their lunch, Nicole bade them farewell and took Spencer and Samuel away to try on some clothes.Then, they went back home in the evening.Gloria asked Spencer and Samuel to help her out as she looked at Nicole with adoration. "You must be tired. Get some rest. I have your brothers helping me.""Huh? I'm tired too, mom." Samuel complained.In response, Gloria pinched his ears. "You wish. Come help me out!"Spencer looked at Nicole helplessly. "You're the only one who gets to enjoy this privilege, Nicole."Then,
"Yeah, we're getting an update soon. Anyway, how's Carl?" she asked.In a deep voice, he said, "We looked into the bullets that were fired. I believe they've already found the manufacturer of the weapon and the bullets, but they still have yet to find out who distributed it.""That's good to hear." Nicole issued a sigh of relief.But it was then that Zane sighed as well. "But we're a little too late. You've already exposed your identity, so you've got to really take care of your family.""I will. Don't worry. I'll use the crest if I need to," she replied."Good."Zane was relieved to hear that. He then told Nicole a few more things before ending the call.Once the call was over, Nicole put the phone away and laid down.Not only had she exposed her identity, she had also joined the entertainment industry. 'Zane is probably going to lose it if he knows that I did this as a trade with the Holder family.'She let out a sigh again. She did not have any choice but to hide it from Za
However, it was going to happen sooner or later anyway. She could do her own things in peace after it had been taken care of.Then, as if he had felt something, Jared softly said, "Okay, we'll stick to this plan then. I'll tell Zane to let you go after we've gotten married."He had already made this decision for her when he went to save her at the airport. He just could not allow Nicole to do anything too perilous anymore.Nicole's heart melted, but the mixed feeling flooded in thereafter."Jared... do you want me to quit?" she asked.It was possible for her to do so in the Interpol, but she was not old enough to do that. Therefore, she did not know if Jared wanted her to retire after getting married."I just don't want you to put yourself in danger anymore. And... I don't want to see you covered in blood ever again," he asserted.Nicole became silent after she had heard Jared's heartfelt confession.Suddenly, her heart started pounding as she became overjoyed. She could even h
Max took a deep breath before he took a few pieces of paper out. "The Fisher Group hasn't been doing well recently. A lot of companies terminated their contracts with them because they did not want to cross the Riddle family. We're also getting ready to terminate our contract with them as you ordered. I'm now looking for another company to take over for the green energy project.""Okay, just forget about them and let them rot," Jared said."However, the Fishers are up to something... They're trying to form an alliance with families and enterprises that don't support the Riddle family..." Max's expression became a lot more serious as he explained.Jared's eyes darkened as soon as he heard that. He was not expecting the Fisher family to do something like that. However, it did not sound like something that Colton and the old man would do."What about Fiorella?" He squinted and asked.Max's expression became even more solemn. "I heard that she was the one who was representing the Fish
None of them cared about her or even asked her if she was okay.'Are they planning to leave me here?' Norah thought to herself.However, she did not dare to call Daniel and Sean. She also had no idea as to why Gloria had blocked her number, but she highly suspected that Nicole was the culprit. The only thing she could do was wait for her brother at the school to find out what was happening.Norah took a deep breath and forced out a smile. "I figured that my brothers would be here on the first day of school, so I came to wait for you guys."Samuel's expression became even more awkward, for Norah had addressed him as her brother, even when there were many people around them.Unable to feel comfortable with what she had done, he said. "Norah, Dad has already said that you shouldn't call me your brother anymore. Just call me Samuel."Norah's smile froze after she heard what Samuel had just said. She would have slapped him if he was somebody else. Fortunately, she held herself back.
"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