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
Sean, Steve, Jane, and Sally then made their way to the couch and greeted Mr. Riddle Sr. "Hello, grandpa.""Have a seat." Mr. Riddle Sr. invited, his tone becoming a lot gentler, and his face radiant with smiles.After everyone had settled down, the house butler brought the welcome gifts over, of which both were charms made out of gold and jadeite. The charms themselves were green jades that had been carved into the shape of a locket. The outer rim was framed with pure gold, and the tassels, which were also forged out of 24 carat gold, were dangling below the locket, paired with chains of the same composition.Once the gifts had been revealed, everyone was left in a state of shock. It seemed to them that the presents were prepared a while ago, and not something that anyone could simply whip out of the shelves."Grandpa, this gift..." Nicole paused mid-sentence, taken aback by what she had just seen.After all, Mr. Riddle Sr. had not been privy to Nolan and Lana's existence prior t
"Alright, Nicole. What were you saying?" Mr. Riddle Sr. looked at Nicole, and everyone's gaze turned to her.With a stern look on her face, Nicole began, "The truth is, I have assigned someone to keep an eye on James for a while now. So, I'm aware of everything that he has done.""You're aware of everything?" Samuel asked, shocked. "Well, what about the assets he has siphoned from DillCorp?""I'm aware of that too." Nicole nodded. "Because of that, he did not succeed."As expected, those words left everyone dumbfounded. "He did not succeed? What does that mean?""We went straight to the root of the problem and rendered all of James' work and efforts futile. Moreover, he left a trail of crumbs and got himself arrested." Steve shrugged his shoulders and said as if it had all been done effortlessly."So?" Everyone stared at Nicole, their eyes brimming with hope.'Does that mean that DillCorp did not suffer any losses because Nicole had stepped in.'"DillCorp's shares and assets ar
Nicole was also taken aback. 'How did I know? Well, I just mentioned it in passing, didn't I?'In the midst of it all, Mr. Riddle Sr. furrowed his brow. "Why wouldn't she know?""Um..." Preston quickly shook his head, realizing that he had misspoke. "No, it's nothing."Mr. Riddle Sr. looked at Nicole again, his eyes tinged with curiosity. 'Preston seemed surprised. Am I missing out on something?'"Everyone knows what your dreams are, buddy," Jared said as he looked at Preston indifferently.Hearing that, Preston immediately agreed, "Yeah, everyone knows.""Yes, all of us do," everyone chimed in.Mr. Riddle Sr. felt that something was odd, but he could not pinpoint it, so he darted his eyes at each and every single one of them."Grandpa, do you think my plan is okay?" Nicole asked with a faint smile."Well, since Preston doesn't want to manage DillCorp and only wishes to run a tech company, let's do it as you have planned." Mr. Riddle Sr. agreed after Nicole had interrupted his
Since Preston was also present, it was a good opportunity for all of them to offer some clarity on this issue. At the very least, there was one person from Dillion's family who was reasonable."I think we should take care of the issue concerning the medicines first." Nicole's eyes darkened.Mr. Riddle Sr. narrowed his eyes. "Do you think Everett's evidence is unreliable?"He had guessed that, as Nicole had mentioned this with such abruptness."I've already conducted an investigation. There are indeed some suspicions." Nicole's voice grew deeper and lower.However, the specifics were still unclear, so they needed to continue the investigation."Make sure to investigate thoroughly then." Mr. Riddle Sr. replied, his tone becoming much more solemn."Of course," Nicole responded."As for Dillion..." Mr. Riddle Sr. looked at Preston and paused for a moment. "Just let them stay at home until everything has been cleared up."They had already severed ties on paper before, so Mr. Riddle
"Beneficial or not, I'll still do what needs to be done." Nicole had always relied on herself, and any assistance would be a bonus. But even without it, she would not give up."Let's go back now. Just carry on with your plan. If you encounter any problems, you can come to us," Jared said firmly. He was determined to succeed in this matter."Got it," Preston agreed solemnly.Jared glanced at Preston. Then, he held Nicole's hand, about to get in the car."Nicole, thank you," said Preston."You should go home now," Nicole replied, smiling faintly. She then got into the car with Jared.After watching them leave, Preston got into his own car and left the manor.The Riddle family manor fell silent once again, but tonight, it seemed different from before.In the car, Nicole leaned back in her seat. She slowly moved her neck, appearing somewhat tired."Feeling better now?" Jared asked softly, gently massaging her neck."Yes, much better," Nicole replied with a smile.Jared looked at
After settling Nicole down, Jared's phone rang again. He sighed helplessly and went to the balcony to answer the call."You punk. You're even avoiding my calls now." Mr. Johnston Sr. sounded annoyed."I was occupied just now," Jared explained calmly.Mr. Johnston Sr. was vexed. "If Mr. Riddle Sr. didn't tell me, how long were you planning to keep this from me?"Jared knew exactly what was going on after hearing this accusatory tone. Mr. Riddle Sr. had called Jared's grandfather and informed him about the children, so his grandfather came to question him."I didn't intend to keep it from you. It's just not convenient to disclose it openly right now," Jared justified patiently."Hmph! Mr. Riddle Sr. knows, so why can't I?" Mr. Johnston Sr. questioned angrily. As grandfathers, they both had the right to know."Give us some time. I'll explain everything to you," Jared said, feeling helpless. "It's late. Get some rest."With that, Jared hung up the phone. Otherwise, his grandfather
"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