"It's all because Everett has failed again. On top of that, Everett had his own plans which is why Harvey ditched him," Max replied."Everett got ditched?" Jared narrowed his eyes, 'Is it possible that Harvey is planning something big?'"Yeah, it seems to me that Everett isn't going to quit either. He seems to be up to no good, and has been pestering Raine for the past few days. However, the good news is that he has failed to do so and the assets of DillCorp have been transferred away by Raine."A smile crossed Jared's face, and that was when he realized where Nicole's confidence had originated from.Max was stunned when he noticed the smile on Jared's face. He lost grip on the steering wheel, careening the car into the left lane. Alarmed, Max quickly swerved back to the right.'Why is Mr. Johnston smiling like that? Did something ridiculous happen to Everett?' thought Max to himself.Meanwhile, Jared quickly regained his composure. "Don't worry about Everett for now. We can sit
"I did it for our sake. Had I been capable, I would have been the inheritor of the Riddle family's fortunes and everything in the company would have belonged to us," Raine said.It was obvious to everyone that Mr. Riddle Sr. favored Daniel and his children over everyone else in the family. At this point, Raine had no choice but to come to terms with the reality of it all.Hearing his daughter's words, Dillion gritted his teeth and bellowed, "You planned to seize Riddle Corporation?! With that brain of yours?! Don't make me laugh. Think about it, you gave DillCorp to James. Had you taken Riddle Corporation, you would've given James the entire company!"Raine was rendered speechless, and her face turned pale green. 'How could I have known that James, a man so sweet and kind, would turn out to be such a scum?'Raine gritted her teeth as she stood up. "I will go find him. I'm going to reclaim what's mine."Then, Raine quickly ran out of the house after she had spoken.Dillion became
"I just find it strange that Raine suddenly rushed back to DillCorp," Nicole thought aloud."Yeah, I find that strange too. She left shortly after arriving at the scene," Lulu echoed.After a few seconds, Nicole frowned. "Get someone to check and see what she is up to.""Okay," Lulu replied."As for Dillion's family, you should also pay close attention to them," Nicole added.With eyes as cold as frost, Nicole thought, 'If these people can't play by the rules, they can't blame me for being cruel to them either.'"Okay, but do you think they're trying to pull another d**k move?" Lulu asked.Nodding, Nicole replied, "That possibility can't be ruled out. That much is true."As everyone knew that James had taken DillCorp, the notion of Raine going to DillCorp meant that there was still a chance for them to get a second wind.Lulu sneered. "They're just like gnats we can't seem to get rid of."Meanwhile at Dillon's residence, everyone around the room was tense. Everyone present wa
"Of course. Consider it karma for all the crap he had pulled," said Lulu as she thought, 'It would be understandable if he did this to gain power, but ultimately, his act of betraying his loved one is a step too far.'Nicole chuckled and shook her head. "Alright, that's enough. Everyone must be responsible for their actions and be held accountable for whatever they have done. With that said, he will pay for what he has done."Not wanting to waste any time, Lulu said, "What should we do next? Announce it?"Lulu wanted to know what Nicole's next move was, as James's affairs were rather significant in relation to the business of the Riddle Corporation.Nicole narrowed her eyes. "Yes, we can announce it.""Okay," Lulu agreed in high spirits.'As soon as the news is out, everything will be over once and for all. Dillon's family will be having the shock of their lives as they hear this piece of news,' Lulu thought."Then I shall go and make all necessary arrangements for the news to b
Jared gradually looked down and gently kissed her in the lips. Nicole, in return, closed her eyes and reacted out involuntarily.The next morning, the crisp and clear chirpings of the bird woke them up from their slumber.Nicole opened her eyes to the sight of Jared who had just woken up as well.Looking at each other, Nicole bit her lips and gave him a coy smile. "You're up.""Yeah." Jared gently stroked her hair and handed her a shirt, causing her to blush.After they had gotten out of bed and washed up, they headed downstairs.During breakfast, Lana and Nolan went on to bug Jared and Nicole into sending them to school. Due to how persistent they were, Nicole could not help but to agree to their request.And so, after they had their breakfast, Jared and Nicole proceeded to send the little cuties to school."Mommy, do you have any secrets? Would you mind telling us about them first?" Nolan lifted his head and asked with a curious look on his face."Secrets?" Nicole was a litt
Nicole brought Nolan and Lana down and escorted them to the entrance gate. Once she saw that the teachers had ushered them into the building, she got back into the car and left."These two little ones." Nicole shook her head with a slight smile on her face as she said in a gentle tone."It's time for them to meet the family." Jared said with utmost seriousness.Nicole glanced at him, thinking that Jared was talking about their return to the family manor. With that in mind, she looked to the front without giving the matter more attention that it already had. Upon reaching the headquarters of Riddle Corporation, Nicole got down. Once Jared's car had left, Nicole turned around and entered the building, where she met Lulu as soon as she stepped out of the elevator."Nicole, come here." Lulu waved the document that was in her hands.Nicole shook her head as she responded, "You went and picked it up early this morning?""Yeah." Lulu grinned. "Come on, let's talk inside."After they ha
Jane, however, was a little hesitant. After all, the purpose of the gathering was to discuss Dillon and matters relating to his family members. It was not any regular family gathering, so Jane felt that it was inappropriate for her to be there."Just join us. In the future, you'll have to handle a bulk of stuff in the Riddle family. Tonight, we'll be having what's considered as an extended family gathering. Nolan and Lana will be there too." Sean assured Jane.Hearing this, Jane agreed, "If that's the case, I'll join you then."To add to that, Nicole was planning to reveal Nolan and Lana's identity; thus, it most definitely was an occasion Jane should not miss."You should get back to work now. We'll leave together after office hours.""Sure."Then, Jane agreed and turned around to leave the office.Meanwhile, Nicole and Steve were still making their way back to their rooms."The entire issue with Harlow has not been resolved yet. I'm afraid we'll need a few more days as that s
'Why does everyone seem to be acting weird? Why did Nicole ask me to come here?' Preston thought to himself."We'll wait for Nicole to arrive." Samuel replied, not knowing what to tell Preston either.Mr. Riddle Sr. looked at Preston and narrowed his eyes. He was furious when he heard about what Dillion and his family had done. But before he could act upon it, he got wind that James had been caught. So, they could only wait for the police to announce the results.However, Preston seemed to be unbothered by the news, leading them to wonder if he truly had no regard for DillCorp. Even if he did not have the slightest shred of interest in managing it, DillCorp still belonged to his family. There was no way he would sit idly and watch as James seized DillCorp.Meanwhile, Preston was beginning to tremble under Mr. Riddle Sr.'s glare. 'Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?'"Grandpa." A crisp voice sounded out, snapping everyone out of their thoughts.Everyone looked up
"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