Ryder furrowed his brows and said, "It's probably because we accepted this task."Since Jared was involved, there was only one possibility—it was for Nicole's sake."Oh." Gary also realized it. "We're helping Nicole, and Mr. Johnston doesn't want to owe us a favor."He actually felt that Jared was overthinking. They were helping Nicole willingly, and regardless of how Nicole perceived it, Gary believed they were friends."This way, we'll end up owing Mr. Johnston," Ryder said with a serious tone."What?" Gary was puzzled."Nicole helped me back then, so I suppose I'm repaying her favor now." Ryder believed that helping Nicole was only fair.Preston glanced at the two of them and said, "Stop dwelling on it. This is a good thing. Weren't you two always looking for investors for your new company? Having the Johnston Group invest is a solution to your major problem."Furthermore, with the help of the Johnston Group, he believed this new artificial intelligence company would thrive.
Lulu bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before whispering, "If I tell you, will you think I'm narrow-minded?""Well, you have to tell me first so I can decide." Nicole chuckled. How could she make a judgment without knowing the details?Lulu then explained her thoughts to Nicole. As Nicole listened, she fell silent, and Lulu grew nervous as she wondered if she was wrong about it."It's not entirely impossible." Nicole agreed with Lulu's assumption after thinking about it."You think so too?" Lulu's eyes brightened. She felt relieved to have someone agree with her thoughts.Nicole nodded. "While we don't have evidence yet, your theory does make sense.""Even if we had evidence, there's not much we could do. What can we do?" Lulu sighed in frustration.Icyln's behavior was self-destructive, and while they might feel annoyed and angry, there was not much they could say or do about it.Nicole squinted slightly. If they had evidence, that would change the situation. However, sin
On the surface, Lawrence appeared supportive and willing to accompany Nicole for her examination. However, now that Nicole reflected on it, she realized that each time she had gone for her check-ups and treatments, Lawrence's anxiety seemed to be greater than hers. At the time, she had thought that Lawrence was just being concerned for her, but now she could not help but feel differently.Especially this time when Lawrence had proactively suggested finding a doctor for her, which made her even more suspicious."What's wrong?" Lawrence asked softly when he noticed Nicole hesitating."Nothing," Nicole replied, masking her thoughts with a faint smile. "Though I don't have high hopes, it's worth trying."Lawrence reassured her, "Even though there hasn't been any progress for all these years, you're now back in San Joto. You're in a familiar environment, so things might turn out differently."Nicole nodded with a slight smile, saying, "Thanks, Lawrence."There was a brief, strange mom
"Sure. Just let me know if you need anything," Lulu said before leaving the office.Nicole leaned back on the sofa, her gaze gradually darkening. 'What could Sean and Steve be investigating Lawrence for, and for such a long time? What were they suspicious of?'After some thought, Nicole decided to ask Steve to find out what was going on.With a determined expression, she got up and left her office.Downstairs, Lawrence got into his car after leaving the building."Mr. Lawrence, how did it go?" Ian asked softly."She hasn't recovered her memory yet," Lawrence replied, his tone heavy.Ian cautiously inquired, "And about the computer?"Lawrence had visited the Riddle residence and accessed Nolan's computer, so they could not possibly be unaware of it. 'How did they react?' Ian wondered."She didn't mention it. However, Nolan has been using the computer as usual these days, and everything seems normal."Nolan continued to use his computer as if nothing had happened. He had also s
Nicole's pupils shrunk. It was the first time Lawrence had come to the Riddle family, so how could he have recognized Steve among all of her older brothers?While she understood that it did not necessarily mean that Lawrence only recognized Steve, it did imply that he was extremely familiar with the Riddle family, possibly even more so than she thought.An unsettling feeling crept into her heart, and Nicole's face grew pale.According to Jared, they had met Lawrence while searching for the Brave. Then, when she was met with danger, Lawrence had saved her. Even though he knew about her identity, it still did not seem to warrant such intimate knowledge of the Riddle family unless Lawrence had done his research."We discussed it at the time. Since you had no memories and Lawrence saved you, it wouldn't have made sense to burden you with this information. It would only add to your troubles," Steve explained.Nicole nodded gently and then asked, "What did you find out?""That's what S
A playful smile crossed Nicole's face as she observed the sweet interaction between the two. She then made her way towards Jared's car, and after they had all gotten into their respective vehicles, they each drove off in their own respective directions."Looks like Lulu and Spencer are becoming sweeter by the day," Nicole remarked as she leaned against her seat.Jared glanced at her with a knowing look and said, "Well, are we not as sweet as they are, or are you implying something else?"After playfully rolling her eyes at Jared, Nicole replied, "Don't read too much into it. I meant exactly what I said.""I beg to differ," Jared said, leaning closer to Nicole, causing her to shield her face."Hey, stop fooling around," she said. 'He's pretty darn shameless, even in situations like this!'"I'm being serious." Jared said, his gaze growing more intense.The entire compartment at the backseat darkened, and the partitions slowly rose. Then, with a swift deliberate motion, Jared encir
"Did she injure her mouth, or does she have a stomach issue? Why can't she eat?" Lulu asked with a perplexed expression on her face.It was during times like these that patients needed adequate nutrition the most, and yet, IcyIn had not been eating anything at all. This was why she looked so weak, as if she could collapse at any moment."It's neither. She just doesn't have an appetite. When she eats, she throws up, and that in turn only worsens her condition. That's why she's avoiding eating altogether," the assistant explained.Lulu furrowed her brows in response. This was the first time she had heard of such a peculiar condition. She then glanced at Icyln, who did not seem to be faking it. However, for some reason, she could not muster any sympathy for her.Lulu turned her gaze towards Spencer, seeking his opinion on the matter.Spencer was also caught off guard, for this was the first time he had heard of such a medical condition.Unsure of how to handle it, Spencer suggested,
After that, Spencer, Lulu, and Nicole exited the room."Let's begin." Martin said, his voice calm yet detached."Thank you." Icyln replied, thanking him through gritted teeth.Outside the hospital room, Lulu pulled Nicole aside and lowered her voice, "Don't you find that Icyln's situation is a little strange?""What makes you say that?" Nicole asked, intrigued. 'Did Lulu notice something?'Then, Lulu recounted what she had observed to Nicole, who also found it puzzling. "Yes, it does seem unusual."As they had spoken, both of them turned to look at Spencer, as if a realization had dawned upon them.Feeling a little flustered under their gaze, he asked, "Why are you both looking at me like that?""It's nothing," they said in unison before exchanging glances. "Stay here for a moment; we'll be back soon."Assuming they had something to discuss, Spencer agreed without thinking much of it. "Alright."After Nicole and Lulu had left, the both of them went to the doctor's office and