Glancing at Nolan and Lana, Maximillian realized he might have been too eager and said, "Alright.""Wow! Great grandpa, this house is so big and pretty!" Lana exclaimed, looking around."Haha, it's a shame it's just me living here. How about you two stay and keep me company?" Maximillian asked.Nolan and Lana both looked at Nicole, their faces a mix of hope and apprehension. Nicole looked to Jared, herself unsure, wondering if they should stay or leave."Let's stay then," Jared replied, not wanting to decline."Thanks for letting them stay, Grandpa," Nicole said, nodding in agreement with Jared."I'm always happier when you all visit. The house just feels so much livelier," Maximillian replied with a grin. Living in such a big place by himself could get lonely."Skylar, can you get some rooms ready?" Maximillian asked his butler, Skylar Merrill."Of course, sir," Skylar responded, quickly heading off to make the arrangements."How about we grab a bite now? Nolan, Lana, are you
"I tried searching online too, but couldn't find anything," Nicole said, sounding disappointed. 'Will we ever get any clues?'"Do you think they might be from somewhere other than San Joto?" Maximillian pondered. 'We need to search worldwide. I'm sure we can find these people.'"After Nicole's incident, everyone believed she was dead. Why would anyone continue to pursue her? She was attacked the moment she set foot in San Joto," Jared said, shaking his head. The pieces just were not fitting together."There's someone who knows," Maximillian replied, looking at Nicole. "Where have you been these past years? You might've been spotted.""I was living on a remote island with just regular fishermen. They had no idea who I was," Nicole replied. 'Why would anyone there want to harm me?'"You mean there weren't any outsiders on the island?" Maximillian asked, looking more puzzled as he felt the situation getting weirder."I met Lawrence on the island, but after that..." Nicole's voice fa
"That dude seems legit, but he vanished for three hours after passing through customs. No one knew his whereabouts during that time. When he returned, his behavior had changed," Max explained."Even Hanwick's assistant felt something was off. It's like, he'd become a different person," Max continued."So, Lawrence got someone to impersonate Hanwick just so he could administer fake meds on Nicole to prevent her from regaining her memories?" Jared asked."Possibly," Max replied in a low voice.Jared's eyes narrowed, his voice hoarse and stern. "Have someone check on Hanwick. See if he's back to his old self. After all, he's here for a medical seminar. An imposter won't be able to keep the charade for long.""You mean after the imposter's done, they'll bring the real Hanwick back?" Max asked, a sudden realization dawning upon him. "I'll get on with it. If he's back to his old self, we're on the right track."As Max was about to leave, Jared instructed, "Also, further your research o
"Yeah, I picked it up early today from his research room," Lulu said, handing the small bag to Nicole. "Take this. It's really important."Nicole grabbed the medicine and replied, "Right. Let's get in.""Sure," Lulu said, linking arms with Nicole and flashing her a big smile. "Samuel invited us over for dinner tonight. You in?""Absolutely," Nicole said.After the cryptic call from Samuel insisting that she came, she decided that it was not an invitation that she could decline."What's he planning, being all secretive like that?" Lulu asked, her face brimming with curiosity.Nicole shrugged. "Don't know, but judging by his excitement, it's probably something great.""He did mention that he'd treat us to a meal after he has completed his recovery," Lulu said after a moment of consideration. 'Is this his way of making good on that promise?'"We'll see when we get there," Nicole replied."True that." Lulu laughed.As soon as they arrived at the office wing, they got busy with th
"It's not that." Lulu shrugged. "It's just you seem rather different today. That's all. Anything up?"Samuel avoided her gaze. "I'm just in a good mood and thought that it'd be fun to hang out with everyone.""Sounds like fun!" Lulu playfully remarked, oblivious to Samuel's change in mood."Everyone, please take a seat," Samuel said, and once everyone had settled, he gave a nod to the server to start bringing the dishes out.Needless to say, they all enjoyed their meal so much that they lost track of time. And when Samuel noticed that most of them were finishing up, he subtly nodded at a server. Then, the ambient lights dimmed as soothing melodies filled the room. A lone spotlight highlighted an empty area, giving it the look of an impromptu stage."Did you plan something special, Samuel?" Lulu asked with her brows raised.Standing tall, Samuel then leaned forward and proffered his hand."June," he said, his voice smooth and deep. "Would you honor me with a dance?"June's cheek
"Hey, put me down!" June said, her cheeks turning bright red from all the eyes on her.Once she was on her feet, Samuel produced a small velvet box from his pocket, within which was a dazzling diamond ring.Without hesitation, he put it on June's left ring finger. "Do you like it?""I love it," June said, her eyes fixed on the ring.It was the exact style she adored. As she was taking it all in, Samuel went on to produce another small box."What's this?" she asked with a hint of surprise in her voice."Help me put this on," Samuel said, passing the box to June.She opened it to find a men's ring; a perfect match to hers. With a warm smile, she slid the ring onto his finger, filling her with all the warmth and fuzziness that the moment had to offer.The lights flickered then back on, drawing everyone closer."Make a wish and blow out the candles," Samuel gently said.June took a moment, looked at the faces of everyone present, and asked, "How about we all join in?""Alright,
Nicole remembered how things were easier for Stanley when Spencer and Samuel were still single.Jared looked at Nicole, his eyes full of questions. "You feel a lot more stressed out now, don't you?""Shouldn't I be off the hook now? I have you, Nolan, and Lana," Nicole replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.Jared smirked in reply. "Maybe, but it seems like your parents are even more anxious now, don't you think?"Nicole shot Jared an annoyed glance, unable to deny that he did have a point. "Let's head home."Then, she sighed and thought, 'How did I even end up becoming the center of discussion?'With a warm smile, Jared took Nicole's hand and led her to the car, and after a short drive, they pulled up at the Riddle residence. Nolan and Lana, still awake, were watching TV with Gloria in the living room."Mommy!" The kids exclaimed and rushed over as soon as they spotted Nicole and Jared.Nicole gently tousled their hair. "Still up, huh?""We were waiting for you," Nolan sa
"What happened, Mom?" Nolan asked, noting Nicole's hesitation."Someone was trying to break in," Nicole said with a touch of regret. "They were really careful. I almost managed to trace them, but they slipped away."Nolan sighed, looking disappointed. "They're pretty sneaky.""If they didn't get what they wanted this time, they'll definitely try again," Jared added, walking over to the computer. "They won't back down. They're definitely after something you're getting."Nicole bit her lip, realizing she was not the only one after the five crests. Since her announcement, others had been attempting to get their hands on them as well."You know, maybe it's time to set and arm a trap instead of just a firewall," she said.Nodding at Jared's idea, she added. "Rather than always being on the defensive, let's invite them in."With renewed focus, Nicole began typing away on the computer, safeguarding crucial information before laying her digital trap, and once she was done, she turned to