Nicole scoffed. "I can't see any sincerity in him at all. How could he send his little brother to talk to me?"Besides, Ryder was pretty skillful himself, and Nicole wanted to know more about him because he might come in handy.Nonetheless, she stopped thinking about that and went downstairs to exit the building, and that was when she heard someone shouting at her before they could even make their way to the school gate. "Nicole, stand right there!"Nicole knew that it was Ryder judging by his voice. However, she ignored him and kept walking.Ryder got so mad that he came off his high horse as a senior and rushed up to her to stand in her way. "Stop!"Other students who were still on campus shifted their gaze at them at that instant.They probably knew how embarrassed Ryder was in the morning, but they were not expecting to find Ryder with a band-aid on his nose bridge. Worse still, the band-aid really did make him look funny.Nicole looked at him coldly, after which, she lifted
Ryder took the USB drive and his eyes immediately widened. "Automatic operation?"'She isn't sh*tting me, right?''How can an antivirus program work automatically once it's inserted into a USB slot?'"Don't believe me? Give it back then," Nicole said as she reached to take the USB drive back.But Ryder immediately pulled his hand back. "I believe you!"He was absolutely desperate already."Alright, I'll be heading off first then. Remember, you owe me one. And you can't refuse me if I need your help in the future." Nicole gave him a playful glance.Ryder could only sigh. "Got it."'This Nicole, she's a total vixen. She set this virus up on me and now, in exchange, she wants me to help her in undoing the damage.'But for the project data he had inside his laptop, he could only agree to that.Without thinking about it any further, Ryder hurriedly left the school, got into his car and left.Looking at Ryder seemingly scampering away, Nicole could not help but snigger. "The pro g
"You've never thought of targeting them, but you didn't think letting them have allowed them to get stronger? Now even we are being affected by that!" Dillon growled. "What do you plan to do about this? My project got taken away by the Fisher family and I've lost close to a million! Damien lost even more."When Dillon said that, he did not forget to use Damien as ammunition as well.Seeing that the two were clearly here to cause trouble, Sean hissed somewhat angrily, "There's always ups and downs in business. My father hadn't anticipated this and you're now pushing the blame on him, Uncle Dillon?"When Dillon heard that, he blew his top. "What do you mean by that? You're saying I'm pushing my responsibility to him?"Karen, who had followed Dillon here, initially did not want to speak, but seeing that her husband was on the back foot, she could not help but interject. "Who's actually pushing their responsibility aside is still up in the air! If you two weren't butting heads with the
Immediately, everyone realized that Nicole had a point!'Yeah, they suffered losses because of their own incompetence, and now they're blaming it on us?'Damien noticed his name being dragged into the mud and could not stay silent. He said coldly, "Nicole, you don't understand what's going on in the company. The Fisher family had recently contacted our partners leading to their turn. And all in all, the one in conflict with the Fisher family is your family, and both your Uncle Dillon and I suffered collateral damage. This you can't deny."When Damien put it that way, Dillon poured more fuel into the fire. "Damien's right. If you didn't make enemies out of the Fisher family, our projects would've been intact! Why are your family's issues affecting us?"As soon as those words came out, Nicole's eyes turned dark as her entire aura caused the air in the room to turn icy.Sensing that Nicole was displeased, Mr. Riddle Sr. could only sigh. "Enough. What are you arguing for? You're all b
It was especially true for Damien and Dillon. Dexter, who had been listening by the side and not speaking, had no intention to participate in this skirmish. But when he heard about splitting the family up, it was a huge matter and he could not help but stand up. "Nicole, you're still young, you must be calm when dealing with trouble..."Nicole looked at Dexter. The latter's family was always fair toward her family and had never bullied her parents, but there were some things that even they could not help.Nicole lowered her tone as she looked at Dexter. "I won't force you if you don't want to split up, Uncle Dexter, but today, I'll represent my parents in asking to split away from Uncle Damien and Uncle Dillon. Each family shall only deal and profit from their projects, and no longer have anything to do with one another henceforth."Mr. Riddle Sr. was slightly taken aback. He never thought that this little girl could be so stubborn and decide upon such an important matter just like
Karen crashed straight onto the coffee table, toppling it over!In an instant, all of the cups on the tabletop fell to the ground and shattered!And Karen, by a stroke of fate, knelt straight onto the shattered fragments!"AHHHH!!!" Karen screeched in pain as the blood from her cut knees was smeared all over the floor!"Karen!" Dillon immediately rushed to help Karen up and sat her on the sofa before glaring angrily at Nicole. "What have you done?!"Nicole rolled her eyes at him. "Are you blind, Uncle Dillon? Aunt Karen was the one who wanted to hit me just now. Serves her right!" Since they were already being so absolutely shameless, there was no need for her to hold back any longer!"You! Looks like you're in need of a slap!" Dillon was so pissed off, he raised his hand and slapped Nicole!Who knew that Nicole was already planning not to let them go easily today?Nicole immediately grabbed Dillon's hand, and a loud crack rang out. Dillon screamed in pain. "ARGH!!! What are yo
"Dad! You can't just leave!" Dillon was still screaming for Mr. Riddle Sr.Yet, the old man only glanced at him before walking away, feeling dour.'He's always so ungrateful. It's high time to teach him a lesson,' he thought.Seeing that Mr. Riddle Sr. had left just like that, Dillon despaired. He then turned to Damien and yelled, "Damien, say something, damn you!"However, at this moment, Damien saw that things had already passed the point of no return as he said with a pale face. "Dillon, Dad has already agreed to that... and I'm powerless. I'll call an ambulance for you."The only thing he could do now was help Dillon call an ambulance to take him away from this place."WHAT?!" Dillon was totally stunned. Even Damien no longer planned to help him!The sight caused Dexter to feel ill. As someone with hemophobia, he felt a little sick. "Daniel, I'm feeling sick from the sight of blood, I'll be heading off first. I'll leave the final decision of this matter to you all."He was
At this instant, Dillon found himself speechless as he was carried away.Calm finally returned to the house after everyone had left.Gloria's face was pale and seeing that she was not doing so well, Daniel helped her upstairs to rest.Steve, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief. "Awesome work there, Nicole. Thank goodness you came back in time."Otherwise, their parents would have just been toyed about by Uncle Damien and Uncle Dillon."Yeah, I totally didn't expect you to use this opportunity to seek a split of the family."Stanley also had a look of admiration on his face.He had recently felt things were very unfair. He, his father and elder brothers were breaking their backs at work and yet when it came to the yearly dividends, they still needed to give Damien and Dillon a big piece of the pie.Their greed knew no bounds and today, they got their comeuppance!"If we didn't split up the family, are we supposed to continue letting them leech from us?" Nicole had lost a
"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