"555 thousand dollars," another female voice rang out, and everyone instinctively looked at Snow.Nicole was no exception as she calmly glanced at Snow.Snow had her chin tilted toward Nicole, a hint of provocation in her eyes.With a sarcastic smile, Nicole withdrew her gaze. Since Snow wanted the limelight, she could have it."560 thousand dollars," Nicole said, raising her bidder card again."600 thousand dollars!" Snow bid anxiously, afraid that Nicole would snatch the jade peace buckle from her."Six hundred and ten thousand." Nicole calmly raised her card once more.Seeing both of them interested in the peace buckle, others voluntarily refrained from bidding, leaving the opportunity to Nicole and Snow. However, curiosity arose. Who would ultimately get the peace buckle?As Snow's bids increased, Nicole followed with a mere ten thousand dollars difference, not willing to give up. Snow's face turned somewhat purple.'Nicole is clearly doing it on purpose,' she thought. She
There was no lively scene to watch anymore, and everyone withdrew their gaze. Snow stared at Nicole in disbelief. Although she was determined to win, she felt no satisfaction in winning when she saw Nicole's expression."Miss, this is the peace buckle you bid for. Please settle the account backstage after the event. Thank you for your contribution to the charity." The hostess politely reminded Snow before leaving.Staring at the jade peace buckle, Snow felt like she had just woken up from a dream. How could she lose her sanity like that? She bid 3 million dollars, but her father had only given her a budget of 2 million dollars. How was she going to deal with the extra 1 million dollars?Finally regaining her composure, Snow's face turned pale, showing a look of despair."Next, we will present another charity auction item..."The charity event continued, but Snow could not focus on anything anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the peace buckle, and she was lost in her thoughts.Finally
The next day at the Riddle Corporation, one could hear Lulu's hearty laugh drifting from Nicole's office.Nicole could not help asking, "Are you actually happy about this?""Of course! How dare Snow challenge you with that brain of hers!" Lulu responded with a scowl on her face.Just the thought of it made Lulu excited. On top of that, when Lulu found out that Nicole put Snow in a bad spot, she felt like she finally got her revenge.Looking at how Lulu acted, Nicole could not help but shake her head and smile."I heard Snow was seeking help from the family, so she was forced to own up to everything. When I think back on how arrogantly she acted in school, who would've thought that one day she would be this desperate. Karma really got her this time." Lulu was in such a good mood that she could not stop mocking Snow.When Lulu was done with her mocking, she turned to look at Nicole and gloated, "Oh, I heard that Raine had made a move. Because of this incident, she's persuading Dill
Through the phone, Spencer's joy-filled tone rang through. "I couldn't reply to your message just now because I was busy. What's up?"Lulu had finally contacted him first! He had a hard time over the past few days. All he cared about was to see her as soon as possible."Are you free tonight? I want to talk to you about something." Lulu blushed at her own words."I'm free," Spencer instantly agreed. "I'll pick you up after work.""Alright, see you later." Lulu hung up and smiled as if an idea had popped up in her mind.Nicole raised her an eyebrow. 'Why does it sound like there was something more behind Lulu's reply?'"Lulu, are you hiding something?" Nicole asked out of curiosity."There's nothing." Lulu quickly looked away as she did not dare to look Nicole in the eye.Nicole tilted her head a little and observed Lulu. It was obvious that something was going on with Lulu."Umm... I'll head back to work now." Feeling a sense of pressure on her, Lulu immediately escaped.Nicol
After hearing what Nicole pointed out, Ellar beamed. "What you said was amazing! I knew you'd figure it out!"They had run through this proposal many times and made a lot of changes, but Ellar was never satisfied. He could not think of anything else to make it better, so he sought Nicole's help.On the other hand, he was also worried that he'd interrupt Nicole at work. So, he purposely chose to find her during lunch break.Nicole returned the proposal to Ellar and said, "It's nothing much. You don't have much experience in this, but you'll get better at it over time. Especially with your skills, I'm sure it won't take long."Ellar was extremely happy to be praised by Nicole. "I'll work hard!"Nicole smiled and replied, "We've all seen the effort you put in."At that moment, Ellar recalled the call he received from Dexter. "Oh right, Nicole. Do you know why Uncle Damien is gathering everyone at the family manor?""He is?" Nicole was taken aback by the news."Yeah, he wants every
The atmosphere was unusually depressing. Steve could not help asking, "Sean, did Uncle Damien really show no signs of motive?"Sean shook his head. "We didn't find anything odd."And it was exactly because they did not find anything odd that everything seemed fishy."Previously, Grandpa mentioned that Uncle Damien visits him frequently. Could Uncle Damien be eyeing the family manor?" Nicole guessed.After all, Miley and Karen had been eyeing Mr. Riddle Sr.'s assets. They did not manage to get any of the company's shares, nor any right of inheritance from the Riddle family. They must be yearning to get something."But what would Uncle Damien want from the family manor? Grandpa wouldn't allow it anyways." Steve was still confused.Nicole frowned. 'It's true that there's nothing in the manor that Uncle Damien could easily take. If he really were aiming for something, it'd be something which Mr. Riddle Sr. hadn't noticed.'So, what would be something that Grandpa hasn't noticed? In
After a while, a few people arrived at the Riddle family manor."Nicole." Just as Nicole got down from the car, she heard Gloria calling her. Nicole raised her head and looked over.Gloria and Daniel had just arrived and were about to enter the house. The siblings quickly walked up to them."Mom, Dad," they said."Since we're here, let's go in. I guess we're the only family that hasn't arrived." Daniel glanced at the driveway.The house compound was indeed full of cars. At one glance, one could tell that everyone had arrived. Then, Daniel and the rest entered."Dad.""Grandpa."After greeting Mr. Riddle Sr., Daniel turned to Damien, Dillon and Dexter. "Brothers.""You know that everyone is gathering today, and yet you chose to come this late. I guess it's going to be hard to meet you and your family in the future." Karen snorted and spoke in a strange tone."Karen..."Just as Gloria was about to explain, Nicole interrupted and said, "We came here straight from work. It's onl
Before her niece could reject again, Gloria said, "Nicole, you should visit Uncle Dexter when you're free."After all, it would be ungracious not to accept one's kindness. Gloria felt that Dexter and his family had no ill intentions toward them, so of course they would have to build a good relationship. At the end of the day, they were family.Hearing Gloria's advice, Nicole decided to accept the invite. "Alright then. I'll bring my parents along with me.""Haha, sure! The more the merrier. Ask your brothers to join you as well!" Dexter responded with laughter."We're all here to visit Grandpa, and here you guys are causing a commotion while ignoring Grandpa. What attitude is this?" Raine scoffed and scorned them.Nicole frowned a little and thought, 'Raine really loves to make things difficult for me. She'll even put on a show in front of Grandpa and act like she cares about him. I'm afraid she'll only be able to fool herself with this show.Nicole shot a cold glance at Raine, a
"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