Norah did not even bother claiming her backpack anymore the second she thought about that. Then, she left while enduring the pain in her wrist.Nicole did not waste any time. The school doctor's widened at once when he saw Samuel's wound once Nicole had brought him in. "It's a deep cut. You've got to bring him to a hospital to stitch it up and get a tetanus shot..."Nicole took her Beacon out after seeing how profuse Samuel's bleeding was.Then, she wrapped it around his arm, "The bleeding will stop soon. It has the same ingredient as a tetanus shot. Don't worry."The eyes of the school doctor lit up as soon as he saw the device. "Is that a Beacon? This is something that we can't even buy now. How did you get it?"Nicole ignored him and swept her glance across the room, spotting the medical equipment needed to stitch Samuel up, whereupon she said to the school doctor, "I'm going to stitch him up. Would you mind waiting outside?""What?" The school doctor paused as he was taken ab
"Yeah. Sometimes, I feel like our little sister is more mature than us..."Even Spencer needed Nicole to take care of him, and that made him feel guilty."However, she's still our sister and we've got to protect and give her the very best the world has to offer," Spencer passionately said."Of course." Samuel nodded, not regretting what he had done for Nicole at all.Nicole, who had already left the infirmary by now, proceeded to dial Sean's number right away.Concurrently, Sean was having a meeting with his subordinates when his phone suddenly rang.Everyone there knew how meticulous Sean was in his work and that he would never pick his phone up during a meeting. In addition, he had gotten even more serious in his work as of recent.He looked at his phone after a few rings. To their surprise, he gestured for everyone to keep quiet and answered the call by the window."Hello? Nicole?" His gentle voice made him look as though he was a completely different man to the one who woul
She clenched her hands tightly. 'That's two lives gone... and they are both her own biological parents."'If Norah was really that ruthless, I will not let this slide!' she seethed.With that in mind, she instantly proceeded to give a few familiar folks a call, getting the local police force to launch an investigation.Even though Sean would most definitely be investigating on his end, information would definitely arrive in a timelier fashion and in greater accuracy from those under the pressure of Interpol.After hanging up, Nicole looked at Norah's class with a grim look in her eyes. "Norah... if all this is true, then you've truly brought this upon yourself."And as Nicole made her way back to her classroom seething with murderous intent, the sun was suddenly obscured by dark, gray clouds looming above them.The day soon passed, and once school was over, Samuel and Spencer stood at the school gate, waiting for Nicole.She saw the rather anxious expressions of their faces and
With that in mind, Norah's fear quickly dissipated, replaced by nothing but roiling hatred.The Riddle family had left her in a hotel, having no longer cared about her. She was left with no one now. However, even if she could not return to the Riddle residence as a family member anymore, she was determined to extract a king's bounty from them before she left.Mustering her courage, Norah stood up as she tried to find the ferocity that she had displayed earlier. "Why wouldn't I dare? You broke my wrist at the school entrance, and many had caught that on tape! I've called a lawyer over and if this is not settled to my satisfaction by today, prepare for it to go viral tomorrow!"She had concluded that the Riddles would not want to cause a massive scene, due to how much they cared about their reputation, regardless of who was the more culpable party in that fracas back at the school.Having seen through Norah's intentions, Nicole smirked.Glancing at the lawyer whom Norah had brought
That slap however caused Norah to shoot Gloria a maniacal glare. "Since I'm no longer a member of the Riddle family, what right you have to hit me? Tell me, what right do you have?"As she said that, Norah raised her hand to shove Gloria in retaliation.Nicole reacted quickly, and just as Norah was about to strike, she twisted her other arm and pressed it against the latter's back, causing Norah to double over before everyone around her."Let me go, damn you!" Norah thrashed around in a frenzy, but as her other arm was broken, she was totally helpless.Watching as Nicole subdued Norah, both Samuel and Spencer felt that her movements were too well tactical and precise, like a police officer restraining a criminal."You think I'll still allow you to hurt my family?" Nicole questioned, whereupon a crack was heard.Nicole exerted more force, causing Norah to feel a sharp pain on her shoulder."You... Let me go!" The pain of having her wrist broken by Nicole was still fresh in her mi
In spite of the fact that there was already proof, Norah still tried to talk her way out of her predicament. "It's just a call log. It doesn't prove anything! Don't you try to change the topic, I'm not here to listen to your hogwash!"Even as Norah attempted to regain the upper hand, the Riddles were no fools.Sean coldly whipped his phone out and called the police. "Hello, 911..."A chill radiated across Norah's heart at that instant as she glared at Nicole. "Even if you do not wish to compensate me, you don't need to besmirch me like this!""Compensation? You still have the nerve to ask for compensation?" Nicole sneered as she mocked Norah. "Do you think the Riddle family is some pushover? Fine! Since gratitude is a foreign concept to you, don't blame me for what I'm about to do today, Norah. I'll make you spit out every single penny that you've taken from Mom back then."Norah instantly panicked, struggling to maintain her composure as she hissed, "Fine... You don't want to pay
And surely enough, Nicole pulled another recording out."Norah was acting strange that day and was hiding in the hotel all day long. She was calling someone, asking them to look for her. Then, I heard news of her parent's death at sea. It's so scary."That sentence caused Norah to despair at once.'Shit!' Norah panicked, as she had never thought that Nicole could get the testimony of her classmates. 'She was prepared! That was why she could come home so confidently, and even asked her family to call the police!'It was then that the Riddle family became aware of Norah's true colors.Gloria turned to Norah and felt that she was looking at a terrifying monster. She was just a young woman, and yet, she had done something so despicable toward her own biological parents.On the other hand, Sean, Steve, and the others looked at her with a look of hatred and disgust.'Is she that little sister we had back then?''Was her cute and kind nature all an act?''It's terrifying to have a li
Although he did not have clear cut answers about everything, he had gotten Ellar to help him take note of everything that had transpired after he had caught wind that Norah had been abusive to Nicole. As they studied in the same high school, Ellar had reported everything he had heard to Sean."Nicole..." Gloria looked at Nicole with a look of extreme remorse.There, it became clear as to why Nicole had previously attempted in vain to dissuade her, only for Gloria to repeatedly defend Norah following another one of her pity parties, hurting Nicole in the process. 'How hurt must this child feel, I wonder?''It's fine, Mom. Water under the bridge," Nicole said, not bothering with all of the wrongs in the past as she did not want to make things difficult for her mother.Still, although she had never thought of telling Gloria about Norah's abuse of her to prevent her from being ridden with guilt, she did not expect Sean to know about it.Yet, that was no longer an issue, as everyone in
"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