Nicole was rendered speechless by his antics. 'Did he do this on purpose? Is this how he comforts others?'Jared looked at Nicole with feigned innocence, before reaching out to smoothen her hair. "Let's get some rest."Appalled, Nicole widened her eyes at him. 'Why do I feel like he's saying this on purpose with some hidden intention underneath?'Nicole walked over to the bed alone, deep in thought, and brushing Jared's words away without any feelings of unease. She laid down to sleep, but that was when Jared stretched his long arms out and pulled Nicole into his embrace.Just like that, the both of them laid there without moving. Nicole then tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but before long, she succumbed to his grip. It was not long until she gave up and fell asleep. Hearing her faint snores, Jared opened his eyes and stared at her face, after which a smile crossed his face.The next morning, the sun rose, casting the sky in a golden hue."Mommy!""Daddy!"The twins invaded
"Lana! Nolan!"Nicole was searching for seats for herself and the kids when she heard someone calling out for them. Naturally, they turned around.Upon seeing who that person was, Lana immediately smiled and waved. "Nona!"Nona came over quickly to their side when she noticed Nicole and Jared, she respectfully greeted, "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston.""Hello," Nicole replied with a smile."Mrs. Johnston? Can Lana and Nolan come play with me and the others?" Nona asked cautiously.Hearing that, Nicole enthusiastically agreed, "Of course, you can."'Kids should be allowed to play. Nolan and Lana in particular should make more friends,' Nicole thought.As the kids went to join their friends, Nicole and Jared found a seat and sat down, watching the kids from afar."Mr. Johnston, there's someone at the main gate asking to meet you. It seems quite urgent," one of the teachers in charge of welcoming parents came over and informed in a low voice.Jared frowned and raised his eyebrows as
"Don't call me Mrs. Johnston." Nicole's cheeks flushed and burned as Jared addressed her as Mrs. Johnston."Mommy." The kids returned, as the event was about to begin.With everyone seated, the sports day event was about to start. It was the first ever sports day event that Nolan and Lana had participated in with both of their parents in attendance. As such, they were more than eager to participate in all the games and events.Meanwhile, Iris, who was standing outside the kindergarten, was spectating the sports day event. She was experiencing the shock of her lifetime when she noticed that Jared was participating in the occasion instead of coming into the office.'I've been by his side for so long, yet I've never even once heard about Jared joining kindergarten events,' Iris thought to herself, and the harder into the rabbit hole she dove into, the weirder it felt.The document she had brought with her was an excuse with which to sate her curiosity once and for all, as he had been
Lana loved having both her parents join school events with her. That way, she would not feel lonely anymore, and none of the other kids would ask her things like, "Why isn't your father here? Do you not have a father?"After taking the children back home, Jared and Nicole prepared themselves to head to their office."Bad news, Mr. Johnston," Max said while they were on the road. "Pictures of you, Mrs. Johnston, and the kids in the event were posted online. It went viral almost instantly, and more people are clicking on the post with each passing second.""How?!" Nicole's face blanched. 'The kids cannot be exposed. They'll be in danger!'"Shut it all down." Jared's gaze turned cold."I've sent people to take care of it, but a lot of people have stumbled upon those pictures already. I'm worried that more people might find out about you," Max said in concern.After all, both Jared and Nicole wanted to keep the identities of their children a secret.Now that it had been exposed and
Able to see the headquarters of the Riddle Corporation when the car halted, Nicole got down from the car.She watched as Jared left and made a turn for the office before walking in with a stern look on her face."What happened, Nicole?" Lulu was concerned as she sensed that Nicole was upset."Nothing." Nicole forced out a smile and acted like nothing had happened.Still, Lulu felt bad for her. "Nothing? You're stressed out about the news huh? Ignore the comments. Besides, I couldn't find those pictures anymore."Nicole had just returned to San Joto, but people had already started speaking ill about her and Jared. Therefore, it was only natural for her to be upset."Nah, I'm just a little tired. That issue is going to be resolved very soon anyway," Nicole explained, not wanting Lulu to be upset as well.It was then that Lulu became curious. "But why did you and Mr. Johnston go to that pre-school?"She had already found it strange when she saw the news. She would have already bel
"Beats me." Nicole looked away as if she was guilty of some crime."You don't know?" Jared inched closer, his breath brushing against her ear, forcing her to hold her breath.Things took a turn for the flirtatious all of a sudden, and Nicole quickly glared at him. "That's your business. I don't want to know."Then, she scooted over to the side to distance herself from him. 'This jerk teases me whenever he can.'Much to her chagrin, however, Jared then extended his long arm and pulled her back toward him as soon as she moved. He locked her in his embrace and rested his chin on her shoulder.Then, he acted as if he was wronged and said, "My wife doesn't care about me."Nicole's lips twitched. 'Jared Johnston, are you sure you want to do this?'She squirmed awkwardly as she tried to break free, but it was then that Jared warned, "Don't squirm when you're in a man's arms. It's dangerous."Nicole froze in an instant, after which she glared at him and said through gritted teeth, "Jer
For the sake of their children's safety, this was their only choice.Gloria immediately responded, "It's okay, we can do it.""Mom, you and Dad can't do it either." Nicole shook her head.The couple were being watched now, denoting that the people who were related to them would also be under the spying eyes of others."In that case..." Samuel continued in defeat. "I don't think we can help either."The brothers exchanged glances. Everyone knew that they were Nicole's brothers. If they went to pick the kids up or drop them off at school, it would only create more material for the public to gossip about."What should we do?" Gloria became stressed."It's okay, we can go to school by ourselves," Nolan responded like a grown man. "Besides, I can and will take good care of Lana.""Yeah, we can look after each other. Besides, I will be obedient and listen to Nolan," Lana asserted, acting as if she was an adult as well.The children's antics made everyone laugh.Still, they had to c
Everyone proceeded to eat their dinner once everything was settled."Sean, Steve, are you sure you're going to bring your wives along tomorrow?" Nicole asked, wanting to reconfirm with them."Yeah." Sean looked at her. "Why?""Nothing. I just wanted to confirm the time because I want to invite two of my friends," Nicole responded."Who?" Steve became curious. 'It's a family banquet, and Nicole has lost her memories. Who is she going to invite?'"Lulu and June." Nicole nonchalantly said as if it was all too natural to her."Pfft..." Samuel and Spencer choked.This prompted everyone to turn their gazes to them. 'Why are they acting up?'Unable to bear with the awkwardness anymore, Samuel asked, "Really? She agreed to come?""Yeah." Nicole shrugged. 'With me around, nothing is impossible.'"What about Lulu? What did she say?" Spencer asked, as he could not contain himself anymore."She's coming too." Nicole arched her brows.Samuel and Spencer had never announced their relatio
"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