Whatever Nolan did, none of it had escaped Preston's notice, even if others did not know anything about it. After all, he was a hacker too. Besides, his sudden appearance at Nicole's office had rendered her unable to figure out his intentions."Nicole? Please, don't freak out. I know you don't remember me. I came here with no other intentions. I'm just here to remind your kid to behave. His skills have not reached the level where his activities can go unnoticed," Preston gently explained.Understanding that Nicole had lost her memory and would have concerns about his abrupt appearance, Preston tried to be as calm and gentle as possible.Raising her eyebrow by a little, Nicole was surprised to learn that Preston knew about her amnesia. Aside from a few trusted individuals, Nicole had never told anyone else about her condition, not even Lulu and June.Noticing Nicole's look of surprise, Preston told her about the day when she was found and how he was the one who had tipped Jared off
"Yep, everything's fine," Nicole smiled warmly, knowing that Lulu was concerned."I thought so too. Although Preston is Raine's brother, he has treated you quite well during your school days," Lulu stuck her tongue out.She was worried for a moment because of everything that had happened recently involving Raine and the branch company's stock price fluctuations.Nicole chuckled. She could feel that Preston meant no harm, as he did help her and Nolan."Well, if there's nothing wrong, I'll get back to work," Lulu said."Go ahead."Lulu closed the door and left, leaving Nicole back in her office to get busy with her busy work.Soon, it was time to get off work. When Nicole came out of the company building, Jared was already there waiting for her."Preston was here," Jared said candidly when he saw Nicole."How did you know?" Nicole asked in surprise, wondering if Jared had arranged a spy to stay on her side."I know Nolan got into trouble," Jared said with a hint of contempt in
Nolan was holding the document tightly in his hands, feeling ever more conflicted; he had longed to have his very own account, but for it to be gifted by Jared was something he found difficult to accept. Nolan sat there, torn between wanting to accept his gift or reject it."You don't like it?" Jared looked at Nolan's look of indecisiveness as he raised his eyebrows."Of course he likes it.' Lana tilted her head smugly, blowing the whistle on her brother without hesitation. "He likes it very much.""Cut the crap." Nolan glared at Lana in embarrassment, not wanting to admit he liked Jared's gift.Lana, however, did not back down from Nolan's glare. "Well, if you don't like it, just give it back to daddy."This prompted Nolan to throw the document back to Jared. "I'll just return it. I don't like it anyway."However, it was evident that Nolan was lying, as his eyes were fixed on the document he had just thrown at Jared.Nicole shook her head in defeat, reaching out to grab the doc
Shocked by the sudden remark, Nicole tried to stop Lana at once. "Lana, that's enough with the nonsense."Though Nicole had recently begun to get along with Jared, things regarding the wedding were still too early for Nicole to consider for discussion. At this point, Jared and she had not officially confirmed the status of their relationship."Sure." Jared agreed without hesitation.Then, Lana eagerly asked, "When will Mommy and Daddy have the wedding?"Jared shot a glance at Nicole and noticed she was already panicking. "Well, it's up to your mommy."Nicole was taken aback for a moment, and when she locked eyes with Jared, she noticed that he was indeed serious. This prompted her to bite her lips, as she did not know what to do.'Is he really going to consider my opinion in its entirety?' Nicole's mind raced."Are you not happy with that?" Jared's eyes flashed with mischief. "Or would you like to have it earlier? I won't have any problems with it.""Quicker seems better," Lana
"Well, it can't be helped," said Daniel indifferently, for there would be inevitable losses even if the issue had been resolved."Yeah," said Nicole coolly, as if she genuinely did not care about the affairs of the other two companies.Daniel felt much more relieved as he noticed that his daughter was showing no signs of distress. And so, he did not press on with further questions."Dad, let's dig in." Samuel said, not wanting to hear all the yapper about Dillion and Damien.Instead he was quite content knowing that the two families could handle their affairs on their own. This meant that they would not be having the time to meddle with their family."Yeah, let's all dig in." Daniel said, urging everyone to start eating.Once dinner was over, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Nicole, meanwhile, went over to Nolan's room to see that he was still busy.She sat down next to him and said, "Whatever you did yesterday, don't do it again.""Who told them to bully my mommy?"
Karen was also worried about the company too, and the last thing she expected was to be yelled at by Dillon."Dad, do you have any ideas?" Snow suddenly spoke up, asking Dillon in a low voice."No. It's just very strange to me." Dillon said, feeling drained and dispirited. 'If I could think of something, I wouldn't be this frustrated.'Snow then frowned and said, "Since the problem only affected us and Damien, whilst sparing both Dexter and Daniel, it does seem suspicious.""Are you suggesting that they joined hands to mess with us?" Karen raised her voice.'This woman is so frustrating,' Dillon thought."If you have nothing to do, you can go back to your room," Dillion coldly said to Karen."Am I wrong?" Karen was fuming and was ready to yell at Dillon before Snow stepped up to stop her."Dad, I think what mom said makes sense. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain.""Preston works at their company, right? Did he notice anything that was off?" Raine frowned.'Something
"Are you sure everything's alright? Why's your face so red?" Lulu asked, stretching her hand out in an effort to feel Nicole's forehead for a fever.After ducking away from Lulu's hand, Nicole replied, "I'm fine, really. It's a little hot today.""Hot?" Lulu looked over at the thermostat, through which the temperature for the air conditioner had been set to the lowest.Nicole then followed Lulu's gaze. 'How could I find such a lame excuse!?'"Nicole, you're not feeling hot. Are you...shy?" Lulu discovered in surprise, seeming to understand why Nicole looked a little off.Overwhelmed by an instant surge of embarrassment, Nicole went ahead and protested, "No, why would I be shy?""Oh.' Lulu frowned, thinking for a while before nodding. "You're right."Finally, Nicole heaved a mental sigh of relief as she saw that Lulu did not press on with any further questions. "Okay. There's nothing wrong with me, you can go do your work.""Okay, then I'll be off now" Lulu turned around and lef
"Yeah," Nicole replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Where did they get the fake evidence from?""Well, since it's fake, they probably forged it themselves." Steve said in a nonchalant tone, knowing that Damien and Dillion just wanted to shift the blame to the main office."But since they have reported us, don't you think it's a little over the top?" Nicole asked, feeling a little puzzled with their actions. 'They even dare to report us to the police after fabricating evidence.'"Um..." Steve hesitated for a while before responding. "I fail to understand how they've gotten a secretary to give you that document. I'd like to know how they've pulled it off too."Indeed, Steve felt that something was wrong. 'Why would Dillon dig a grave for himself?'"Steve, do you think someone has leaked the news to them?" Nicole suddenly thought of a possibility."You mean that they have gotten someone to investigate and found some actual, solid evidence...?"'If this is the case, then
"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