Niki was praying that the 'devil' would not come after her, but at that moment, as if he had heard her prayers, her doorbell rang. This made her very nervous.She calmly walked over and opened the door, unable to stop herself from giving Jared a gentle smile the second they saw one another. "Mr. Johnston, what can I do for you?"Jared stared at Nicole, and all of his concerns immediately went out of the window the instant he caught sight of her face. 'How can I get mad at her after five years of not seeing her?'Jared peeked at the laptop on the table behind Nicole, and pretended to be calm. "There was an attack on my company's system earlier. Do you... happen to know about this?"Niki immediately shot her sleeping son a glance. 'That little b*stard has really caused a great deal of trouble. Look at him, sleeping so peacefully after stuffing himself full and leaving me, his mother, to deal with the mess he has made!'Niki felt a sense of despair knowing that Jared had come all the
'I've been raising a child on my own, so how could he have feelings for me? Is it possible...that he likes women with children? Gah, I must stop thinking too much in that context.'Appalled, Niki scrambled onto the seat in front of her laptop and said, "I'll figure out a way to fix your company's system. Then, I'll try to make up for your losses..."As Nicole typed away at the keyboard, Jared suppressed his pain, trying to relive his memories. 'I just want to hold her in my embrace and teach her a lesson, but...now I'm just a stranger to her.'Gritting his teeth, he took a seat and stared at Nicole who was on her laptop.Niki could sense his gaze. She bit her lips while pretending to repair the system. Meanwhile, Jared took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.At that moment, his phone rang. It was a call from Max, which Jared answered after he got up and left the room."Mr. Johnston, the company's systems are being repaired at a very quick pace. Did you find someon
"Um...can you calculate how much you've lost? I'll compensate you generously. It's just that you're a wealthy guy and it's not easy for an orphan and a widow like me to make up for all the offense I've caused. I hope you have it in you to forgive me for all the stuff I've done," Niki suggested to avoid sullying her image in front of him any further.Jared initially thought that she was referring to the affairs that happened today, but as it turned out, she had morphed into an entirely new person. She was more passive and coquettish in nature."That depends on how well you perform now," Jared deliberately teased.Niki mentally sighed. 'As expected, this guy is not easy to fool.'Wanting to cut to the chase, Jared said, "For the past five years, you've been living on the Crescent Island near Ramania, haven't you?"Niki was momentarily taken aback before she got her guard up again. 'This guy has been investigating me. Is this why I have been running and hiding from this guy? Leo has
Nicole could immediately sense a sort of palpable tension in the air, so she steered the direction of the conversation away. "He's too young to know anything...He recognized him as a fatherly figure."Niki said it lightly, knowing that it was true that her son had realized that he did not have a father once he was old enough to go to kindergarten at the age of three. Thus, Leo became his fatherly figure and, ever since then, Nolan had been calling him his godfather. Furthermore, everyone even thought that Leo was his real father."Oh?" Jared grimaced, still displeased at the thought before switching his focus on Nolan.'This brat bit me when we first met. I still have his teeth marks on my legs. I can't believe he easily trusted a random guy enough to call him his godfather!' he fumed.Nolan, who felt that he was being stared at, suddenly opened his eyes and screamed, "Godfather! Help me!"Hearing the screams of her son, she hurried over and hugged him. "Nolan! What's wrong with y
Witnessing Preston's expression of surprise, he became even more depressed.Preston, who could sense that something was wrong, warily asked, "Why do you have that look on your face? Is there something wrong?""I'm afraid we can't notify your parents yet," Jared said."Why?"'Nicole's home, shouldn't informing our parents be our first order of business?' Preston asked himself.Jared's eyes became downcast. "Nicole has lost all of her memories."Preston's face took on a crestfallen expression at once. "Amnesia?!"It took a while for him to come back to his senses, as he then came to the realization as to why Nicole had fled after seeing them. 'But why does she seem to be intimidated by us? I bet that if she sees her family, she'll be even more afraid...'"Then what should we do?" Preston asked, unable to wait to tell Daniel the good news."Did you tell the others?" Jared asked.Preston shook his head. "I wasn't completely sure if it was Nicole, and I was afraid to get Daniel's
With so many creepy occurrences repeating themselves over and over, Niki decided that she could not take it anymore.She lifted her head and looked at Jared awkwardly. "Uh...You know that I've lost my memories. I'm sorry to ask but what kind of beef did we have before?"Jared raised his brows by a little. "Rivalry?"'What is this girl thinking about?'Jared had been waiting for her for five years. He could not wait to shower her with all his love, so it made no sense as to why she would regard him as an enemy."If that's not the case, why did you make such a huge scene and abduct us at the airport?"With the appearance of his entire crew earlier that day, anyone who had witnessed it would have thought that they were enemies too.In response, the corner of Jared's lips lifted in a funny way.Strangely, it was then that Niki actually thought that he looked...handsome. She must have been insane to have found herself being attracted to the man for his looks multiple times."To put
"Nicole, let me tell you this. Regardless of whether you've lost your memory or not, you'll be mine for the rest of your life. You belong to Jared Johnston! If you even dare to think about another man, your lips won't be the next thing to hurt."As soon as he had spoken, he studied Nicole from top to toe.Niki began sweating profusely at once. She could not help but feel that Jared had gained a complete understanding of her body."You rascal!"That feeling of being sized up made Nicole feel insulted. Having lost her appetite, she got up and was about to leave when Jared grabbed her hand, pulling her back and pinning her to her seat."If you do not want me to do it again, you better sit down and finish your meal!" he roared."You-" she stopped, thinking he was unbelievable.Niki looked at Jared sadly. Although she knew some self-defense techniques, the injury she had sustained from that plane crash was a major one. Her body was heavily wounded, and because of that, she could not
After thinking about it for a second, Niki could not help but stare at the folder.Meanwhile, Nolan had also noticed the document she had brought in. "Mommy, what is this?"Niki took a deep breath and patiently went on to explain what it was to her son."That devil knows that I've lost my memory. So, he passed me some information about the old me. I guess he's trying to make me recall my debt from the past," she said.Niki's sixth sense informed her that there must be some unpleasant news contained within the document.The instant Nolan heard Niki's reply, he snatched the document away at once, "If that's the case, let's not look at it! Godpa has said this before, that he does not want you to regain your memory. Living a carefree life like the one we have now is the best!"This stunned Niki, who was not expecting Nolan to mention what Leo had said before. For the past five years, Niki had thought of regaining her memories. She had even tried to look for any information about hers
"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