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
Of course, Jared had to fulfill Lana's request, so he immediately agreed to it. "Sure."Jared then strode toward the car while pulling Nicole by the hand.And as he had not forgotten about Nolan, he said, "You better catch up if you'd like to have some too."Initially, Nolan wanted to rebel and say that he did not want any of it. However, there would be no way for him to observe them if he did not join them. He wanted to keep an eye on the annoying man and prevent him from stealing his godfather's position.The family of four arrived at a hamburger restaurant not long after, and once they were seated, Jared went to the counter and queued up.Among the crowd that was queuing, Jared, being extremely eye-catching, was the one who stood out. In fact, everyone could not help but look at him more than twice."Mommy, Daddy actually went and queued up on his own." Lana looked at Jared with gleaming eyes. 'It really feels good to have a daddy.'Indeed, that slender figure was so attracti
"Wow, you're so lucky. Your kids are already at this age and yet, the both of you are still so loving.""This family looks so beautiful! All four of them are good-looking!"Whispers were surrounding them. From time to time, there would be looks of envy shot at their general direction too.Nicole's cheeks began to flush, and she could only stare at Jared in annoyance, signaling him to watch his actions."We are a family after all," Jared said, not taking her seriously. Instead, he felt that what those people had said were right and that they had a keen eye."That's right, Mommy. The happiness we share as a family of four should be the kind that is envied by others," Lana commented with a huge smile on her face."Lana?" Nicole gestured to Lana to stop spouting nonsense as her embarrassment grew."It's true Mommy. When I go back to school, I must tell my friends that I have a daddy too. My daddy is a tall and handsome man, and he treats us well. Everyone will admire me." Lana spoke
"Three days," Nicole replied as she handed over the information.The other party accepted it. The files held both Nolan and Lana's information that Nicole had sorted out regarding their identities on Crescent Island. Nicole, however, had kept the real identity of Nolan and Lana a secret. Once they were exposed, things would get dangerous real fast.Ever since Nicole's return to San Joto, she had attracted enough attention from enemies. Nicole's decision to protect her children's identities was the best she could do as a mother to provide them an ordinary life."It's almost time. Let's go." Jared had already stood up, carrying Lana in his arms."Yeah, let's go," Nicole agreed, pulling Nolan along to board the cruise ship."Wow, it's so beautiful!" Lana shouted, waving her little hands around."There's no way the sea is this big," said Nolan with a disgusted look, unimpressed with the view."But the night view here isn't as good as it is at Crescent Island," Lana said in awe, know