They sat down in the dining room, and the servants quickly served lunch.Mr. Riddle Sr. had many questions he wanted to ask Nicole, but with Raine and James present, he suppressed his curiosity.They casually talked about family matters, and Nicole naturally played along, maintaining an enjoyable atmosphere.After finishing lunch, Nicole prepared to bid farewell and leave."Nicole, are you leaving already?" Raine appeared reluctant to see Nicole go.Nicole raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there something you need, Raine?"She had been wanting to leave for a while now. She only stayed because her grandfather asked her to have lunch.Now that they had finished lunch, she obviously wanted to leave. Did they expect her to stay and keep them company?"I don't need anything in particular, but I figured that you should spend more time with Grandpa as you rarely visit," said Raine, with a caring expression.Nicole understood well enough that Raine and James's sudden appearance here wa
"I'm leaving too," said Daniel. He had something on his mind that he needed to clarify with Nicole.Sensing his intentions, Nicole reassured him, "Dad, you should stay and accompany Grandpa. I can't say everything's fine with the company, but I can assure you that my brothers and I can manage."At this moment, even if she had said everything was fine with the company, her father would not believe it. It was better to be honest and alleviate her father's worries."Make sure you take care of yourselves. If it becomes too much to handle, come back and let us know so we can find a solution together," Gloria advised her daughter, concerned."Don't worry, Mom. It's nothing serious. We can handle it." Confidently, Nicole waved them goodbye and left.Seeing Nicole's confident attitude, Mr. Riddle Sr.'s eyes filled with admiration. "Not bad. That's how the descendants of the Riddle family should be.""Yes, the kids have all grown up. They can handle things on their own now." Daniel and Gl
Nicole's pupils constricted upon hearing what Lulu said.It was true that Spencer received a call from Icyln when they were having dinner at home last night, but Nicole did not know what happened exactly. Spencer only told everyone that he was going to check things out at the hotel. Then, everyone went to sleep, and no one knew what time Spencer actually got home.They only saw him again in the morning, so none of them knew that so much had taken place in the previous night.'Why would Spencer and Icyln get caught by the reporters? What are the odds? Spencer only went to the hotel once and his pictures were taken. It was even photos of the hugging.'Feeling that something was off, Nicole frowned. "Have you called Spencer?""No." Lulu shook her head. "I don't know what to say to him."Lulu did not know if asking Spencer about it would mean that she did not trust him. She wondered if it would make him upset.On the other hand, she would not know what to do if she did ask and Spenc
Raine figured that she might even ruin Nicole's plan unintentionally.She felt a surge of anger thinking that she had yet to find out what Nicole was up to. She desperately hoped that Nicole could be in trouble right now. That would make her feel better.The sun was setting, and it cast a golden glow over the afternoon sky.It was time to get off work, and people began leaving the office one after another.When Nicole and Lulu exited the building, most of their colleagues had already left.Standing in the light of the setting sun, they saw two cars parked by the roadside.Spencer got out of one car as soon as he saw them and walked in Lulu's direction."Lulu, I didn't know things would turn out this way. Would you let me explain?" Spencer said in a worried tone.He had a rehearsal that day and it only ended not long ago. That was when he found out that the photos of him and Icyln were leaked. So, he immediately came to pick up Lulu, hoping that she would give him a chance to ex
She had family, friends, and... him.Nicole felt like that was how normal life should be, unlike in the past five years where she had to hide on the island with her children while not even knowing her true identity.A gentle look appeared on Jared's face as he said softly, "It'll get better.""I think so too." Nicole lifted her eyebrow, looking a little playful.After all, she was happy with everything she had, and she would do anything to protect it all.Jared embraced her in his arms dotingly. He sniffed the fragrance from her hair, and his eyes looked at ease.He had been waiting for a life like this for five years. Finally, his wife had come back.Time flew by and three days had passed.Everything seemed to have returned to normal, yet it felt like there was a storm hiding somewhere in the calm.However, there was some good news on Nicole's side. The AI project that she sent to Mr. Bennett's team to develop had already been completed, and the initial program had already ma
The afternoon sun was shining brightly.After having lunch together, Nicole, Sean, and Steve returned to the office."Sean, Everette has been unusually quiet recently. We should keep our guards up," said Nicole, gaze darkening.She knew why Raine and James suddenly showed up at the Riddle family manor back then. However, she figured that Raine would never just sit back and do nothing after not acquiring any information she wanted. That was why she found a way to leak the information to her father.Raine had been quite active recently, yet Everette remained still. That was why Nicole felt a little uneasy."Sure, I got it," Sean responded seriously."Steve, is everything going well with the recent projects?" Nicole asked."Yeah, everything's going smoothly." Steve nodded."Okay." Nicole felt relieved knowing that at least everything in the company was running smoothly."By the way, I heard that there's a spy in the Johnston Group. How's that going?" Sean asked casually.Nicole'
"But..." This case was not over yet, and a threat remained.Jared frowned, deep in thought. "I'll let Preston troubleshoot the issue, and check whether there was a hacker breach.""Why not have Mrs. Johnston..." Max paused before he could finish his sentence. He remembered Nicole was still in the dark, thinking the company's matter has been resolved. Jared worried about Nicole as she had too many things going on recently, so it was right for Preston to look into the case."Yes, sir," Max complied and left.Soon, Preston arrived at Jared's office after Jared contacted him."What's up? You sounded so serious on the phone," Preston asked solemnly after walking into Jared's office. Preston was aware that Jared would only contact him for something important."Help me check if someone hacked the company's software defense system," Jared said, and a glint of coldness crossed his eyes."Someone hacked into this place! I wonder who had the guts to do it?!" Preston was shocked. His moveme
Spencer's arrival should have been a joyful occasion for Lulu. The thing was, Icyln was right beside Spencer, making Lulu still depressed."What's going on between you two?" Nicole was quite upset with Spencer's decision to bring Icyln along. 'Had she not caused enough trouble before?'Sensing Nicole's emotions, Spencer explained helplessly, "We bumped into each other just now."Spencer was here to pick up Lulu, and there was no way he would bring Icyln along with him. However, he had no choice but to take Icyln with him since she asked him for help."Well, isn't that a coincidence," Lulu snorted. "If I'm not mistaken, Ms. Icyln's hotel is not in the same direction as Riddle Corporation."Who would believe in encountering each other twice like this? As if the photo incident was not enough, Lulu might have let this case slide as Preston promised his teacher to take care of Icyln. However, she could not overlook it now.Not expecting Lulu to snap, Icyln's face turned pale, and she
"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