"It's not that serious. I just need some sleep," Nicole said flatly.'He doesn't even want me out of the bed?! Lying like this for a whole day would just make my limbs stiff.'"If you don't want to, I can stay at home and watch over you," Jared continued as if he was threatening her.Nicole had no choice but to compromise as she reluctantly said, "Fine, I get it."Initially, she had thought, 'I'll just wait for Jared to go to work. What can he do then?'But to her surprise, it seemed that Jared had seen through her thoughts.He then gave her a meaningful glance and said, "I'll have Tia look after you."Nicole's lips began twitching violently once he had finished. 'Is this guy a mind reader?'Nicole pouted and closed her eyes, ready to sleep. She had a look on her face that clearly said, "I don't want to talk to you."Jared smiled indulgently as he laid down and pulled Nicole into his embrace...The next day, the sun rose bright and high in the East.Nicole was ordered to lie
As the two chatted away, they heard a sudden string of knocks on the door."Who is it?" Nicole asked, confused. 'Who would come to my room at this time?'"Miss Nicole? Mr. Royce is here to visit you," the butler announced from outside."Lawrence!?" Nicole was surprised. 'Lawrence actually came to my house to visit me.'This prompted Tia to stand up and say, "Miss Nicole? I'll leave now."Since a guest had arrived, it was better for her to leave.After opening the door, Tia waited for Lawrence to come in before closing it and leaving.Lawrence approached the bedside and looked at Nicole in her current state, during which he could not help but crease his forehead. "Your recovery is really slow. Should we get another doctor to take a look?"'Why is she still confined in bed? Is the medical treatment not good enough?' he wondered.Nicole's lips twitched, but she could only pretend to be calm and said, "Never mind. I've actually recovered quite a bit. I just feel a little tired, so
"Alright," Nicole agreed."I'll walk you out," Tia offered as soon as Nicole had said the word.Lawrence flashed them a light smile and said, "It's fine. You stay with her. I've been here a few times. I can find my way out.""Okay," Tia stayed, not thinking much about it.After Lawrence had left the room, Tia placed the fruit plate in front of Nicole and said, "Miss Nicole, please have some.""Come on. You should have some too," Nicole handed her a piece.The two continued chatting casually. However, neither of them was aware that Lawrence had not made his way downstairs after leaving the room.In the hallway, Lawrence paused for a moment, after which he made a beeline for Nolan's room.Seeing that no one was around, he swiftly entered the room and closed the door behind him.He stood still, carefully listening for any movements outside. Once he was sure that no one was out there, he scanned the room before his gaze fell on Nolan's computer.He was fairly certain that the enc
Meanwhile, after watching Tia go upstairs, Lawrence turned and left. Once he got into the car, he leaned against the seat. His gaze darkened slightly. "Go."As the car started moving, Ian spoke in a low voice. "Mr. Lawrence, did you find it?""No," Lawrence answered, his voice cold. He did not expect the computer to be protected."What do we do now? Is there still a chance?" Ian asked, surprised. This was unexpected, as he thought this time would surely be a success."I'm not sure."The computer's protection had been triggered, and Nolan would definitely notice it when he returned. Since he was the only one who had been at their house today, it might raise suspicion. So, it would probably be difficult to find another opportunity.But Lawrence could not just give up. He had to think of another plan.Ian looked hesitantly at the rearview mirror before changing the subject. "How is Ms. Nicole's injury?""It's better. She's recovering," Lawrence replied before turning his gaze to t
"Is there something wrong?" Nicole asked, noticing Nolan's serious expression."I think someone tampered with my computer." Nolan furrowed his brows as his expression grew more solemn.Nicole narrowed her eyes. 'Nobody was home except for Samuel, who's immobile. Mom and Dad came back home in the afternoon, and everyone else came back after work.'Nolan tugged at Nicole's clothes. "Mommy, can you come with me to take a look after you finish eating?"Nicole put down her utensils. "Sure. Mommy's done eating."As Nicole and Nolan went upstairs, everyone exchanged puzzled glances. 'What happened?' they seemed to think.Jared then said in a low voice, "It's nothing. Let's keep eating."Hearing this, everyone turned their attention back to their meal.Jared looked upstairs with a deep gaze. He was not sure about the specifics, but he did hear something about Nolan's computer.He knew very well about Nolan's computer. On the surface, it appeared to be a normal computer for children, b
Nicole looked at him and hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. After all, what she had been thinking about earlier were just speculations, without any evidence."Daddy, Nolan's computer is broken." Lana's soft voice was filled with concern. "It might be serious this time. Even Mommy can't fix it."It was the first time she had seen a problem that even Nicole could not solve.Hearing Lana's words, Jared's gaze landed on the computer screen, looking at the mischievous face. He realized that it was not that Nolan's computer was broken, but that someone had triggered the protection mechanism by forcefully turning it on."Did anyone come during the day?" Jared furrowed his brows slightly. 'It definitely wasn't someone from the Riddle family.'"Godpa came." Nolan's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.Nicole was surprised. "How did you know?"She did not tell Nolan that Lawrence dropped by.Nolan lowered his head, seemingly hesitant. He did not want to admit it, but he was cer
"Nolan, you play by yourself. I'm going back to my room." Lana put away the building blocks and went over to Nicole's side, intending to leave with her.Nolan restarted the computer, remembering Nicole's words. He behaved as though nothing had happened. After receiving a simple task, he got busy.Nicole and Jared left Nolan's room with Lana. The young girl pouted and did not want to go back to her room alone. She wanted to go to Nicole's room.However, Nicole saw right through her daughter. "You little troublemaker, you won't be of any help here. If you're bored, you can ask Grandma or Uncle to keep you company, okay?"Nicole did not want either Nolan or Lana to get involved in the matter concerning Lawrence. Also, there was no conclusion on this matter yet, and she did not want the children to develop any negative feelings toward Lawrence.Lana pouted unhappily but knew that her mother would not give in, so she sought help from father.Jared smiled as he lifted Lana up. "Lana, i
Nicole always felt a strange sensation when thinking of the past. But upon reflection, she could not quite remember the details. Eventually, she stopped dwelling on it."In that case, let's contact Preston. He'll help us deal with this," Nicole decided.Things were going as Jared had said. They should make haste to find clues for the Crests. Even if there were no clues about the major Five Crests, they should at least have knowledge of the Fire Crest. Nicole was the owner of the Fire Crest, after all, so the other Crests were none of her business.Jared called Preston. "I need your help.""Yeah. What is it? Just say it," Preston said briskly."I'll send you all the information and progress. You should find someone to assist you, but this has to stay a secret," Jared emphasized.Preston promised, "Come on, don't worry about it."Hanging up the phone call, Jared reached out and smoothed Nicole's hair. "You should prepare the information and send it to Preston."Nicole nodded and
"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