'What a jerk! I knew nothing good was going to happen if I shared a room with him! Still, I did not expect him to be so aggressive!'She did not believe that Jared would do anything to her in her own house. And despite the look of resistance on Nicole's face, Jared still looked at her affectionately.He then took a deep breath and said, "If I really wanted to do something to you, I wouldn't have waited until now."He did not like Nicole being afraid of him.Nicole calmed down a little, but she still angrily asked, "Why did you pin me down like this then?"Jared's eyes were like a whirlpool, rearing to suck her in.All of a sudden, he released her hands and hugged her tightly. He rested his chin on her shoulder and laid beside her. In a flash, their position switched to one where he embraced her.Nicole's breath seemed to stop at that moment, and all she could smell was the faint fragrance of cologne lingering on his person.'I'm going crazy. I've only met him a few times, but I
At that moment, Nicole could not concentrate, but she also noticed how close Jared was to her.She stared at him in shock and realized that her arm was wrapped around his waist without her knowing that she was doing just that. Furthermore, Jared's arm was resting on her shoulder too!"Damn it!" Nicole instinctively shoved Jared away.Little did she know that Jared was already on the edge of the bed, and after she pushed him, he fell off onto the floor."Ugh!" Jared groaned, feeling disoriented after being woken up from a deep sleep.He suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Nicole. "What are you doing?!""I... I, You! Why did you come so close to me?" Nicole pointed at him and pointed back to herself as she stuttered.With a look of defeat on his face, he replied, "Look closely. You were the one who crossed the line and hugged me first."'This woman was sleeping like a kitten mere seconds ago. Look at her now, becoming all heartless once she was woken up. She had the nerve to
"Alright, I'll get ready then. I'll be heading there tonight." Nicole agreed."It's settled, then. Jared, please take care of Nicole," Gloria said, leaving it all to Jared, as she was not in the mood to worry about these things."Alright, I got it."After all, it would be great for Nicole to attend family gatherings. Even if it was just a minor gathering, Jared would arrange the outfits for her, as well as a slew of other things to be prepared.However, Nicole looked doubtful. 'I'm just going home. What is there to prepare?'At that moment, Sean said, "It's getting late. Mom and dad? I'll head to the office for work now.""Alright." Gloria nodded.Steve and the rest then took turns bidding their goodbyes before leaving for work.Before he stepped out, Samuel said to Nolan, "Nolan, I am giving you permission to play my computer games when I'm not around. However, you must take good care of your eyes, alright?""I got it. Thank you, Uncle Samuel." Nolan nodded and smiled.One c
But all of these things were too sudden for her."I understand. Mom, please give me a month's time. At least allow me and my kid to adjust to life here. And if I decide to settle down here, I'll have to bring Lana over as well."Gloria nodded. "That's right, I've only seen my grandson, not my granddaughter yet. So, when are you going to bring her over?"Nicole noticed how excited Gloria was. Although their misunderstanding had been resolved, and that the demon in the form of Jared would not restrict her movements anymore, Nicole had not decided whether to migrate here in such a hurry or notAfter all, Leo had once mentioned that he had rivals in this country. As such, she could not but wonder if that would invite trouble to the family.Noticing that Nicole was silent, Jared butted in and said, "Mom, leave this to me. Within three days, Nicole and I will bring her back.""Alright, we'll help the both of you by taking care of Nolan," Gloria immediately agreed.Nicole could not hel
Though Jared had noted Nicole's expression, he remained steadfast and resolute nonetheless. "If you can't regain your memory, I'll make you fall in love with me once more."Jared's cocky words made Nicole's heart skip a beat, though she proceeded to roll her eyes at him at the very next second anyway. "What a narcissist."Hearing that, Jared played along. "You can give it a try."Nicole looked at him awkwardly, for she was itching to ask, 'What if I don't fall in love with you?'Yet, those words remained unspoken in the end. Instead, she took a deep breath and made a decision."Alright, let's make a deal. In two months, if I can't regain my memory or fall in love with you, you can't interfere with my life anymore. Would you agree to it?" she asked.Nicole was not the kind of person to flirt with others. She was also not the type to get married without a relationship built on a solid foundation. Therefore, she wanted to make things clear.At that moment, Jared remained silent. Th
Looking at Nicole's reaction, Jared wanted to tease her even more. "Why are you so afraid of me getting this close to you? Is your heart... beating wildly?"Jared stared at Nicole in the mirror and his eyes were seductive.Nicole shivered under Jared's stare. She could not take it anymore, so she quickly turned to the side and took a sip of water. She dared not turn back to Jared's side. "I think it's almost time. Let's go."Jared smiled, and did not continue disturbing her. "Yeah, let's go."Nicole nodded and her gaze shifted to the kid's room. "What about Nolan? Should we bring him along?"Jared shook his head. "I don't think we should. You'll need some getting used to the place. There's no need to bring the kids along to experience an unfamiliar place yet. We'll bring him next time."Nicole knew that what Jared said made sense. Afterall, Nolan had been playing with Tia the whole day and they seemed to get along well. There was nothing for Nicole to be worried about. So, she go
Nicole glanced at the both of them. Although she could not remember them, they should be the two female cousins which Jared had mentioned just now.Nicole did not give way. "This is my family too. I'm back for the allocation of family shares, so are the both of you back for that too?"Once those words came out of her mouth, Raine who was shocked almost choked. "Quit talking nonsense! The shares you had previously were given by Grandpa. They were already returned to him during the past five years when you went missing. Don't you dare think about getting them back!"Nicole could not help but raise her eyes and look at Jared. 'So, there was such a thing. No wonder this family feels threatened by me.'She did not bother to explain whether she had lost her memory or not. Instead, she teased them. "So, there was such an incident. No wonder you're so worked up right now. But don't you know a thing about the law? What was mine will be returned back to me once I return. You want a share of
Mr. Riddle Sr. had been sick for two to three years now and it had been getting worse recently. It seemed like he would not be able to withstand it any longer.Nicole knew that she had some medical skills, but she did not expect herself to be this good at it. 'So, I used to take care of Grandpa?'At that thought, Nicole slowly said, "Grandpa, don't think too much. Your body seems strange. I'll bring someone to do a body check on you tomorrow and we'll see from there."As Nicole said that, Mr. Riddle Sr. was stunned. "Are you saying that I still have some hope to live?"Nicole glanced at everyone around her and remained silent.Mr. Riddle Sr. immediately understood and sighed loudly on purpose. "We'll leave it to fate to decide. You shouldn't worry too much either.""Alright." Nicole seemed to be calm as she nodded.The rest did not notice it, but Jared could tell from Nicole's interaction with her grandpa that something was off.After they had finished talking about Mr. Riddle
"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