In response, Dillon growled. "You think I don't want to? It was a shame that you couldn't give birth to more. All of their sons are talented people. You think we can challenge them with our two girls? Preston isn't even in the same boat as us!"Karen was at a loss for words in the face of Dillon's tirade, and at that exact moment, she saw, from her periphery, that Preston had walked over to greet Nicole.'That brat! Does he even consider us family? It's as if Nicole is his own sister!''Argh, that really pisses me off!'Snow and Raine were even more livid. They could only see that Nicole's brothers were doting on her, and that Preston had decided to join in as well. At that point, they could not help but wonder if Preston was their own brother.Preston brought a beautiful woman up to Nicole as he deliberately teased, "Nicole, don't you have a partner tonight?"In response, she smiled back. "Of course I do, he's just not here yet."With Preston's reminder, Samuel and Spencer imme
It was really not a good idea for a man to be too handsome, as he would attract the attention of many women wherever he was, every single time. And as always, he would saunter toward her under the gaze of everyone present, dialing the jealousy and hostility those women had toward her to eleven.As expected, Jared came up to her a few seconds later, whereupon he took her hand and kissed it. "Sorry I'm late, honey."The last word that came out of his mouth sent shivers down Nicole's spine. 'This b*stard! It has been either wifey or honey of late! This is so embarrassing!'"You're not allowed to call me that," she said."Got it, wifey." Jared relented as he lowered his voice.Nicole rolled her eyes at once. "Forget it. Go with the first one then."'At least it's better than being called wifey,' she thought.With that said, Jared grabbed Nicole by the waist as he nodded at Daniel, Sean and the others. "I'm sorry, Mr. Daniel, for being late.""It's alright." Daniel smiled without a
"Mr. Wyance, it has been a while." Stanley walked up to Martin and greeted him.Martin nodded. "Yeah, it has indeed been some time."After shaking hands with Stanley, Martin saw Tia standing next to him and could not help but be taken aback.Martin had only met Tia a few times, but this time, she had become Stanley's companion, and was so elegantly dressed that the sight had managed to even stun him.When Kelly noticed that, she elbowed him. "What are you doing, staring at another man's companion like that?"It was only then that Martin snapped back to reality as he quickly said, "It's nothing. I just feel that Tia looks really beautiful today."Tia immediately blushed a little when she heard that. "Thank... thank you..."Nicole looked at Martin and swirled her wine glass. "What's with the smooth talk today?"In the past, Martin would never have said such things to women. So, Nicole could not help herself from giving the two a strange glance.Finding himself in an awkward posi
The annual meeting's banquet had come to its climax as Jared coolly stood by Nicole's side the entire time. All eyes were on them. Meanwhile, Daniel's family was busy focusing on the banquet's attendees, with countless of people swarming them.The annual meeting was almost coming to an end, and Mr. Riddle Sr. was due to give his concluding speech. All eyes were on Mr. Riddle Sr. as he walked up the stage. It was everyone's assumption that this year's annual meeting was no different from the previous years.Mr. Riddle Sr. paused for a moment before he said, "At the end of tonight's annual meeting, I would like to make an important announcement to everyone."His steady tone of voice attracted everyone's attention at once.Damien's heart skipped a beat as Miley hurriedly asked, "What's going on? What is he going to announce? Did he tell you anything in advance?""No..." Damien said as his face brimmed with bitterness.Miley became unsettled, as an inexplicable feeling of dread began
The audience were appalled by the second announcement that Mr. Riddle Sr. had made. 'The fourth son to Mr. Riddle Sr. has been promoted to chairman, and now, his grandson has been promoted to president!?'The chairman position had been vacant for all long while now, and Damien, who was the interim chairman, had not even gotten to achieve this position, which would grant him more power. Nevertheless, Mr. Riddle Sr. had given Daniel the position just like that, which showed how much he valued his fourth son."Sean! Congratulations!" Spencer and Samuel were the first to react by congratulating Sean."Congrats Sean!"Sean was still surprised, as he did not expect that he would be promoted alongside his father."This is great, Sean!" Stanley yelled in excitement.However, before he could say another word, Mr. Riddle Sr. spoke again. "Although Stanley has only been with us for a short time, his capabilities are obvious to all of us. Both he and Sean have cooperated in excellent fashion
"You have been given more shares than our father..." Spencer and Samuel were so surprised that they started to tell Nicole things she was not aware of.Hearing that, a headache began to set in for Nicole. 'Why did you give me so many unwarranted shares? I'm not short on cash. This is drawing so much unwanted attention to myself!'Deep down, she wanted to reach out by signaling to Mr. Riddle Sr. that she had something to say to him, but unfortunately for her, he seemed to have known her thoughts, and so, he added, "However, since she's still in school, so she will not be participating in the company affairs for the time being. As for now, all company affairs will be managed by Daniel and Sean. She'll join us once she reaches 20 years of age."Nicole could not even muster up a single word to voice her refusal.Mr. Riddle Sr. understood very well that he had not given Nicole any chance to decline, and once again, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. As for Daniel, he had never
Nicole had just exited the bathroom when she felt that someone was approaching her from behind. Instinctively, she timed her punch in an attempt to strike him in his face, but he seemed to be well prepared.He grabbed Nicole's arm at once, matching her strength, and twisted them behind her back before turning around like a tease, pushing Nicole up against the wall. 'I can't move with my hands behind me!'Nicole subconsciously raised her leg to knee him in the groin, but he was far too quick, as he grabbed her leg just in time.The posture they were in was obscene and this immediately caused her to raise her head in anger, 'Who is this guy! How shameless can he be?!'Unexpectedly, the person turned out to be Harvey.It was at this moment that Nicole noticed his entire body reeked of alcohol. It was obvious that he had had too much to drink."Harvey? What are you going to do? Let me go right now, or I'll beat the hell out of you," she said, her face stern and impatient.In respons
Harvey's eyes flickered with an evil smile on the corner of his mouth. Then, he reached out and wiped the blood away from his mouth."It seems that Mr. Johnston knows me well," he said.The social circle in San Joto was very small, and Harvey had avoided him as he knew that Jared could see right through him.With that out of the way, Harvey did not even bother to fake it anymore. "Or should I say that we're of the same breed?"His smile was sinister and smug, making Nicole fidget in a state of discomfort. She had a hunch before that Harvey had only helped her to make her forget that he had such a side to him."Ignore him, let's go." Jared said, not wanting to waste his time on him.Similarly, Nicole frowned and was prepared to leave when Harvey stopped her."Nicole, what do you even like about him?" Harvey asked.Nicole paused, it was only then she understood the reason for Harvey's current breakdown and his state of madness. 'Turns out that he hasn't figured it out yet.'Nico
"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