Everything around them fell into silence for a moment, with Jared frowning and telling himself, 'Don't push her too hard. Jared Johnston is better than Mr. Johnston.'So, he nodded and agreed, "I'm listening.""Uh." Nicole paused, suddenly forgetting about what she wanted to say.She had already felt as if the atmosphere of their dinner together was a little awkward, but she felt even more uncomfortable now that she was about to say something.This marked the first time Nicole was actually bothered by the fact that she had lost her memories. She initially thought that she would just accept the fact that things would never be the same again, and focus on raising her two children. However, she wanted to remember what things were like before the present time, so that she could free herself from this struggle."Why are you not saying anything?" Jared asked, noticing a hint of hesitation in Nicole's eyes as if there was something bothering her."Forget it." Nicole shook her head, figu
Nicole shifted her gaze to Nolan as if she was asking, 'Is that true?'Nolan nodded. "Yeah. I've never been around San Joto, so I got curious and asked Godpa to bring me around."Nicole felt relieved after hearing that. "That's good. I thought that Nolan fell sick or got into some kind of trouble again."In the past, Nolan had a penchant for asking Lawrence to clean his mess up."Don't worry. If there's anything wrong, I would've notified you as soon as possible," Lawrence said with a smile."It's getting late. We'll go inside now." Nicole said without inviting Lawrence, knowing that did not plan to go in since he had parked his car outside."Sure," Lawrence nodded. "I'll go back now then."After Lawrence had gotten into his car and moved it aside, he watched as Nicole brought Nolan into Jared's car before it slowly wheeled into the driveway of the Riddle residence. Then, he saw the trio of Jared, Nicole, and Nolan entering the house together.Lawrence's dark gaze remained fixe
"Daddy and Mommy will take you guys out to play when we have the time," Nicole said dejectedly."Mommy is the best!" Lana cheered.Meanwhile, Nolan glanced at Jared, revealing a hint of reluctance deep within. Needless to say, he preferred going out with Lawrence.Jared noticed the look on Nolan's face and felt a little helpless within. 'This little brat can never measure up to my baby angel. Daughters are truly the best!'The family chatted happily for a while after that, and when it was getting late, they went back to their rooms to sleep.After putting Nolan and Lana to bed, Nicole returned to her room, where she saw Jared looking out the window as if he was thinking about something.He only turned to Nicole after he had heard some noises. "Are they asleep?""Yeah," Nicole said in a tone of defeat. "They got too excited just now and it took them some time to fall asleep.""You should go to bed now too," Jared advised, figuring that Nicole must have been exhausted following h
Nicole glared at Jared the second he asked her that question. He was obviously playing dumb, and she did not believe that he did not know what she meant."You're well aware of that," she said through gritted teeth."Like this?" Jared extended his long arms and pulled her in by her waist, before planting a kiss on her lips.This time, he did not just give her a peck. His domineering presence was so strong that it felt as though he was going to devour her.Nicole attempted to break free, but Jared had already locked her in his arms, denying her the chance to escape.Then, they heard a knock at the door."Are you awake, Mommy?" an adorable voice asked in concern.Nicole recollected herself and pushed Jared away. While Jared was distracted, Nicole had already backed away by a few steps. Her heart was racing, but she did not have the time to calm down. She simply righted her clothes and opened the door when she saw her darling children outside."Mommy, it's time for breakfast. Every
It was obvious that Nicole was avoiding him. But the second he thought of how embarrassing the situation was for her, Jared decided to let it all slide. He wanted to give her some time and space. Otherwise, it would be a pity for him if his impatience pushed her further away from him.Soon after, each of the cars left the house one after another, and while Nicole was carpooling with Daniel, she went on to discuss about Dexter.It was only right for Nicole to keep the act going. Furthermore, Dexter and the family were kind. They had a good relationship with Daniel as well."Dad, what is your opinion on Uncle Dexter's matter?" Nicole candidly asked.Daniel shook his head. "Dexter's company has always relied on the head office's support to sustain itself. But because the head office's position isn't as great as it was before, they'll have to suffer as well."The both of them had tried their best, and had even considered a multitude of possibilities. In the end, they still agreed that
"Certain things?" Sean asked, his eyes filled with doubt. 'Did I just ask her about something I should not know about?Staring directly at Sean's eyes, Nicole came back to her senses at once.She could not help but blush as she tried to defend herself. "No, that was not what I meant. It's just that it feels weird to have someone I barely know as my legal husband by my side.""Yeah, I wasn't thinking about anything else. Don't get all nervous," Sean assured, able to tell that Nicole was panicking.He was also sure that he had asked her the wrong question.Nicole twitched her lips. 'This seems like something I can't really describe. Forget it, the more I explain, the messier it gets. I should just stay silent. It's up to Sean to think whatever he wants to think.'While trying her best to stay composed, Nicole replied, "I'll leave the assignment of staff members to you. I'll head out now.""Okay." Sean regained his poise as if he was talking business, not wanting Nicole to feel emb
"It's a win-win situation." Lawrence smiled."Here's your coffee." The secretary entered the room, placed the coffee on the table, and left.Lawrence held his mug up and took a sip.Then, he casually remarked, "The Riddle family has been preparing a banquet to celebrate your return. It seems like a grand one.""Yeah. In the end, this is not just about my return. It is mainly for the company," she replied.If it was just for Nicole's return, a celebration with her parents and brothers would be more than enough."In that case, would I get the honor of receiving an invitation?" Lawrence asked.He was rarely this serious, and the banquet was the reason as to why he had personally showed up today."You want to come?" Nicole asked as she gave it some thought.All the distinguished politicians and businessmen would be invited, especially the business tycoons who had a collaborative relationship with the Riddle Corporation. It would most definitely be a good networking opportunity."
"What's wrong with Lawrence?" Nicole asked, believing that Steve was not one to be wary of someone for no reason."Nothing's wrong. No matter what, he is still considered a stranger to all of us," he replied.Even though he was the one who had saved Nicole, they could not take him as a close friend. They were of course grateful to him.Hearing this, Nicole hesitantly nodded. "Understood."Steve's attitude toward Lawrence was reasonable. Other than Nicole, Nolan, and Lana, it was possible that everyone else had the same thoughts as Steve too."Nicole, there are certain things in life which can only be felt from the heart. That which can be seen might not be the truth in its entirety. This is especially true for those who are good at putting on a mask. Their real intentions are the hardest to ascertain," Steve explained.Nicole frowned a little. She felt that Steve was trying to remind her about something else. But when she turned over, Steve had already walked ahead with a calm lo
"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