"She'll become my aunt-in-law, right?" Lana asked."Yeah, Aunt June is going to be your aunt-in-law," Lulu responded.Then, Lana looked up and asked, "What about you, Aunt Lulu? When will you be my aunt-in-law?"Lulu became embarrassed, not expecting to be dragged into this. "Hey, this is about Aunt June. Leave me out of this."Everyone burst out laughing the moment the remark was uttered.Lulu's cheeks turned even redder as the realization dawned upon her that, as the gossip queen, she had become the topic of gossip today."Let's have a toast!" Samuel raised his glass in high spirits.Though he was drinking juice, he downed his glass as though it was a shot of strong liquor, nonetheless.The dinner ended merrily, and everyone left feeling content.After seeing his family off, Samuel pulled June in and held her tightly in his arms and whispered, "Let's get married once I've recovered.""That soon?!" June exclaimed in shock."I find that it's way past due, honestly."If she
Tia bit her lip lightly, took a deep breath, and attempted to suppress her nerves as she followed slowly from behind.After getting into the car, Tia kept her head down, feeling like a helpless child who had done something wrong."Is your foot feeling okay?" Stanley asked in a bid to take her attention away from the matter, making her understand that what happened earlier was just an accident. He could not simply ignore her when she was on the verge of falling."It's fine," Tia moderated her tone, hoping it did not sound strange."You should visit a doctor if it hurts. Don't take it lightly," Stanley reminded her, worried that she might have injured her ankle.Tia nodded. "I know, Mr. Stanley."He did not like being called Mr. Stanley, but she had never changed her way of addressing him over the years. With this in mind, he issued a mental sigh and shook his head.Putting his thoughts aside, Stanley continued driving to the Riddle residence while Tia sat quietly. Though she appe
Jared was still awake, and when he saw her return, he closed his laptop and placed it aside."You're not asleep yet? Is there something important to work on?" Nicole casually asked as she took a glance at what he was doing."No, just looking at some details," Jared replied as he reached out to pull Nicole over to the bed.After shooting him another glance, Nicole whispered, "Just go to bed if there's nothing to do.""Okay," he agreed and leaned over to kiss Nicole's forehead.Blushing a little, Nicole gently pushed Jared away and said, "Now, go to sleep.""I don't want to sleep; I want to sleep with..." Jared stared at her with darkened eyes.His intentions were obvious.Nicole returned his gaze with a look of disapproval and pushed him away. "I'm going to sleep."After that, she pulled the blanket over herself before moving away from him.'What a jerk. Even if he's not tired, I am!' she thought.Jared found this very adorable.He watched as she wrapped herself up in a coco
Although she genuinely wanted to help Lawrence by breaching the electronic badge system, she had already tried various methods, all of which in vain. She was frustrated with the outcome, but today, Lawrence's mannerisms gave her a strange feeling.In the past, Lawrence would rarely ask her anything pertaining to her progress in cracking the system. Recently however, he had already inquired about it several times in a short window of time. He did not seem to be in a hurry, but if that was the case, it made no sense as to why he would keep urging her.Lawrence's behavior was indeed unusual today. Previously, when Nicole reported no progress, he would just comfort her and tell her not to rush it. But today, of all days, he had urged her to try harder.She did not want to give him a long-winded explanation about the fact that she had not been lazy. In fact, she really wanted to crack it and repay him for the favors he had done her over the years. Still, his actions today gave her a stra
"Come in," Nicole said, her gaze still fixed on the screen as a smile of relief crossed her face.She figured that the familiar feeling was due to her continuous efforts in cracking the system of the crest."Nicole, please sign this document." Lulu approached her desk, noticing Nicole's absentmindedness.She snuck a glance at the screen and remarked, "You're still working on this, huh?"Although she did not understand what it was, Lulu knew that Nicole would be engrossed in it whenever she found herself having some free time.In response, Nicole looked up at Lulu and replied, "Just put it down.""Okay," Lulu placed the document down. "Doesn't look like it's going well. Do you want me to get you a cup of coffee?""Thank you," Nicole said, expressing her gratitude.Lulu widened her eyes in surprise. "Why are you suddenly so polite? Things really aren't going well, huh?""Not exactly. It's always been like this anyway," Nicole calmly explained.She had not fully recovered from t
Nicole smiled and shook her head. Then, her gaze fell back on the computer screen. Almost involuntarily, she found herself opening the Hunters website to check the tasks she had posted.The people who had accepted the tasks before had not provided any updates, and no one else seemed interested in taking them on.Nicole squinted as she looked at the words, "Five Crests".'What do the Five Great Crests look like?' she wondered.Meanwhile, after leaving the Riddle Corporation, Lawrence returned to Genesis Group with a sour grimace on his face."Mr. Royce. There's no progress. What should we do next?" Ian asked in a low voice.With Iris' capture and her imprisonment, she had undoubtedly lost all the value she could possibly provide.Lawrence had not expected that what could have been a deadly blow to Jared had instead led to heavy losses and a crushing defeat.'Jared should not be underestimated!' Lawrence's eyes darkened at once.Still, he was determined not to give up easily.N
After arriving at the restaurant and placing their orders, Nicole and Lulu chatted while waiting for their food."June is getting married, and I'm thinking about what wedding gift to give her." Lulu propped her chin up with both hands, frowning in contemplation.As her best friend, she felt that she should do more than just give her something simple; she wanted to give her a gift that was more meaningful.Noting Lulu's dilemma, Nicole teased, "Actually, you might as well consider having a double wedding. Wouldn't that be even more meaningful?""I..." Lulu sighed. "Forget it."Even though Nicole had jokingly suggested it before, Lulu had seriously considered the idea and found it impractical. Her situation with Spencer was distinct from that of Samuel and June."You always overthink things," Nicole said with a look of defeat.If two people loved each other deeply, a great deal of worries would automatically be rendered void. If Spencer really cared about Lulu's background, he wou
"Well, you're just having lunch together during work hours, which is normal among colleagues. I don't have any misunderstandings, but Miss Icyln, have you misunderstood something? Or do you want me to misunderstand something?" Lulu finally retorted as she could not bear Icyln's antics anymore, essentially giving Icyln a taste of her own medicine."No, why would I think that way?" Icyln replied awkwardly, not expecting Lulu to be so straightforward."Lulu." Spencer's voice sounded concerned as he could tell that Lulu was feeling off.Lulu raised an eyebrow and suddenly put on a beaming smile. "Since you both seem so eager to join us at the same table, why don't we just eat together?""Waiter, can we have the menu, please?"After saying that, Lulu called the waiter over, acting as though she was genuinely happy to allow Spencer and Icyln to join them.Soon, the waiter brought the menu over, and Spencer ended up ordering something for lunch. Left with no other choice, Icyln followed
"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