Nicole looked at Jared; she had not seen him for only a few days, but it seemed like a century had passed. She did not even realize that a smile had crept across her face. "What are you doing here?"Jared also looked at her, the surprise in his eyes hard to ignore. "I have some business to take care of here," he said in an uplifted voice, despite his conscious effort to suppress it.Dino, who was following Jared, looked at him in amazement. He was accustomed to his listless and indifferent gaze at everything; he had never seen him so enthusiastic about someone.There was a crack and a look of disbelief on his glacial face when Dino found out that the person to whom Jared was showing affection was Nicole. He did not know that Nicole actually knew his boss.Harvey looked at Nicole, who was now having a genuine and beautiful smile on her face and was stupefied and a little lost in thought.Jared thought, 'I must be missing this girl after not seeing her for just a few days.'Looking
Luka took two steps back, the eyeliners on his small eyes covered with sweat. As Nicole had broken his hand, he looked at her with hatred and a hint of uncontrollable fear in his eyes.Chloe looked at Nicole with a fleeting hint of jealousy in her eyes. But she quickly thought of something again, and a mysterious smile appeared on her face.She quickly looked at Jared and said desperately, "Look at how defiant she is! You have got to teach her a lesson."Jared's eyes turned grave when he saw what unfolded in front of him. He walked briskly toward Nicole, grabbed her left hand that she used to stop Luka, and asked in a deep voice, "Are you hurt?"Nicole shook her head. Chloe looked on at what had happened in disbelief. It was not at all what she had imagined. She thought Jared would be furious with Nicole. But she was wrong. Instead of teaching Nicole a lesson, Jared was siding with Nicole.Her face turned pale as Chloe looked at Jared and then at Harvey, who was watching her col
Since she was so unfeeling, he might as well take the initiative.Dino looked at how his boss treated Nicole with a thoughtful look, wondering if his poker-faced boss finally was in estrous.Jared and Nicole did not walk out of the hotel but went back into the lobby."I will leave things to you here, Dino," Jared said with an obvious hint of blissfulness in his voice.Dino sighed and stood up in acknowledgment. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Chloe about to chase after Jared. He quickly stood in Chloe's way and stopped Luka, who was trying to escape.Chloe angrily looked at Dino, who always stood between her and Jared. "Get the hell out of my sight!" she barked with a little shrill voice. She must not let Nicole take Jared away.Dino was cool and looked at Chloe with nonchalant eyes. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you will have to stay here until the police arrive." There was a subtle coldness in his voice.Chloe angrily reached out, trying to shove him away. "You really believ
The police shoved her and Luka into a patrol car and took them away while Nicole followed Jared to the manor.Zeke looked thoughtfully at Nicole's face, then at Jared's.Jared did not mind Zeke's scrutiny. He brought Nicole to walk out of the castle, behind which was a well-groomed lawn covering a sizable area, and in the middle of which was parked a private jet that was on standby.Nicole was not surprised. She had realized something when Jared invited her to leave together. Only Zeke behind her was wide-eyed.'My god, who is Jared, really? He even has a private jet that was much more advanced than that of his father.' Zeke wondered. The aircraft was extremely safe. Nothing could cause damage to it unless there was a missile attack. 'Wait a minute, Jared.' It was the Jared whom he had imagined. Zeke silently looked Jared up and down and had no words because he was great-looking. For his face alone, Zeke could not have any ill feelings toward him.Jared looked at Nicole's impassiv
"Thank you for telling me so much." Jared seemed to wake up from a dream after hearing what Nicole said, his smile on his face saying that he felt appreciated, and his expression looked much warmer now.The light in the cold ice had finally been lit up. He looked at Nicole's beautiful face, and his fingers felt like wanting to touch her involuntarily. He did, and he gently stroked her cheek with his fingers with a dream-like expression on his face. "Thank you, Nicole," he said.Nicole did not refuse his touch. She calmly raised her hand to take his somewhat cold hand in hers. "In reciprocal, I will tell you something about me," she said. "Before returning to the Riddle family, my adoptive parents cared little about me. I grew up in the company of my grandma. We were poor, and she sold junk scavenged from the garbage to make a living and pay for my tuition fees. Because the clothes I wore always did not fit me, I was laughed at and looked down upon, and because I was skinny, I was alw
Zeke looked hesitantly at the expression of Jared, who was leaning against the wine cabinet, looking at him with stern eyes and a smirk, behind Nicole.After seeing what Jared was playing with in his hands, Zeke immediately said, "No, no. It's okay. I can handle it."Nicole was stupefied, not knowing what was wrong with Zeke, but she did not insist. "If you have a problem, find me." Before the two worked together, Specter had been mentoring him personally. Fiddling with a computer should not be a problem for him.Zeke nodded and headed back next door absent-mindedly. He shuddered involuntarily when he thought about the look in Jared's eyes. He also thought about the toy-like, sharp dagger that glinted in Jared's hand. The light reflected off the blade was hurting his eyes. He wondered who Nicole was messing with now. Zeke turned on the JW3000. It was a little larger and thicker than those portable laptops. Probably because of its high-end processor, its chassis looked a little bul
It was like spring water brought a warm current to melt the ice at the river that had been frozen through the years.His smile melted Nicole's helplessness, and she came to sit down on the soft chair beside him, and so he did.The plane had taken off. The flight was smooth, with no turbulence. There was a faint scent of wood inside the plane, the freshness of dry amber and the spice of vetiver, with a hazy sense of comfort. Nicole looked through the window at the sky outside the plane and sighed softly.Jared heard her sigh and turned his head to look at her silently as if asking her what was wrong.Nicole's gaze was shallow. She stared at Jared but said nothing. Nicole did not know how to tell him that she just suddenly realized one thing: she felt really comfortable by his side.Jared seemed to have figured out something. There was a tender smile in his eyes. Instead of asking questions, he stood up, went to the wine cabinet, and took a bottle of red wine out. After aerating the
Nicole understood Jared had to work, so she did not want to bother him. She turned her head to look out of the window at the twilight outside. The person sitting next to her gave her a sense of security.The half-bottle of red wine gradually fermented and precipitated in her body, making her feel warm. Nicole unconsciously closed her eyes.Jared was making a video call. He seemed to have felt something and took off his headset, then looked over at Nicole. The ray of sunset fell on her face, making a beautiful picture of her in his eyes.On the other end of the video call, Dino saw the side profile of his boss's face and was wide-eyed. His boss looked so gentle as if a boat drifting at sea had finally found a harbor to dock. It was also as if a drowning man had seen a lighthouse in the vast sea. His boss had landed on an island that belonged to him alone.Jared took a thin blanket from beside him and gently covered it over Nicole's body. He then turned his face around expressionless
"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