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
Then, she said, "I'm a former Interpol officer, call sign S. I'm now serving under Spears' Group of the Interpol Intelligence Service. Once you report this back to the station, someone will call me for verification."The moment those words were uttered, the two young officers looked at each other. 'This girl just looks like a high-schooler.'It was already shocking enough for them when she said she was an Interpol officer, let alone an intelligence agent overseeing the Interpol.They had never seen this document before, so there was no way for them to verify it. However, they dared not arrest her straight away while one of the officers immediately made a call. In a split second, Nicole received a call too, and after a few brief explanations, the officers seemed to have been notified as well.Under the gaze of everyone in the Riddle family, they apologetically said to Nicole, "Sorry for the trouble. We'll be taking her back to the station then."Not expecting that Nicole would stil
'Yo, this is way to cool!''But Nicole had never brought this up with anyone before!''But since she's an Interpol officer, she must be capable of just about everything right?'But everyone thought she was a loser during the initial semester!'Now that they thought about it, they realized they were literally too blind to recognize greatness. They did not know that Nicole was indeed a special agent.'A special agent would definitely know everything. The Math Olympiad is nothing to them!'At that very instant, Stanley snapped back to reality as he wiped the sweat off his brow.Then, with a whisper, he asked her, "When was this...Why didn't you tell us?"Nicole took a deep breath. "Our duties are classified and our identities are to be kept secret from our friends and family. It is for your safety that I stayed at school."With the way things were now, Nicole was afraid that they would be too worried about her bearing arms illegally, so Nicole decided to reveal the truth to them.
And yet, they had still wronged her gravely, and with both Damien and Dillon thinking that her academic results would bring shame to the family, they had also failed to defend her due to the fact that their relationship with her wasn't strong at all.At this moment, Daniel's guilt wracked him. "Nicole, Mom and Dad have really done you dirty..."Both Sean and Steve too looked at Nicole. "It's because we did not have much time together, and we didn't get to know you better..."The time that should have been spent with Nicole back then was stolen by Norah. They were unable to understand Nicole better, and they did not spend nearly enough time together for the past 6 months either, and that made them feel extremely guilty.Nicole looked at the display of guilt on the faces of her parents and brothers, and for the first time, she felt quite conflicted. When she returned home to this family, she knew that they were blood-related. However, she had never expected herself to be as close to
"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