"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
'So, Snow's in a vegetative state and James is in jail. Raine has vanished, and no one knows where she is. Meanwhile, Dillion and Karen seem to be doing alright. But now, they're planning to sell their house and move to a hotel?' Nicole wondered.Lulu's expression then shifted to one of seriousness. "I've gotten some folks to watch them. We are trying to figure out their plans.""Alright," Nicole responded. "We'll just have to watch and see what Dillion and Karen are planning."Then, she paused, picking up the phone to call Preston."Nicole, what's up?" Preston's voice blared out once he answered."Did you know your parents are selling the family house?" Nicole asked directly.Preston paused, clearly taken aback, before replying, "No. What happened?""No major reason." Nicole said, filling him in on what Lulu had discovered."I see," Preston sighed. "Guess we should let them decide."Nicole hesitated. "You know, if you want to keep the family mansion, I can buy it back for you
"Just some family related stuff," Preston said.Gary shot him a look of doubt, though he decided against prying. "How's things going on your end? I've got some updates here.""I'm almost there." Preston's focus intensified, and he began working even quicker.Then, in a tone of triumph, he declared, "Got it!""Nice job!" Gary exclaimed, grinning. "Keep it up. If we manage to crack the next one, we'll be able to discover who this person is.""Alright, let's do this."The two then continued, driven by their determination.Near the end of the workday, Nicole received an email from Preston. The email in question contained an address and a name, though there were no photos or any solid identifications. Seeing this, Nicole instantly realized this was the identity that Preston, Ryder, and Gary had been working on discovering. Impressed by their quick progress, she replied with a 'thanks' and forwarded the information to Max for further investigation. She preferred to keep Lulu out of su
"I'll come with you," Lulu said, eager to accompany Nicole, who raised her brows right away.Noting Nicole's hesitation, Lulu quickly added, "I can help, you know."Hearing this, Nicole replied, "Alright. We'll head there tomorrow.""Great." Lulu smiled in relief.The elevator reached the first floor, and the three of them stepped out."If anything happens, let Sean and I know," Steve said."Don't worry," Nicole replied with a confident edge to her voice.'Even though Everett has lost his mind, I doubt he'll dare to mess with me,' she thought.Outside the company building, Lulu noticed that Spencer had not shown up yet, and that was when she stated, "You should go ahead. Don't keep Mr. Johnston waiting.""Alright, I'll see you later."After saying goodbye to Lulu, Nicole walked over to Jared's car, and once she was seated, she leaned back and issued a quiet sigh.Jared glanced her way and asked, "Tired?""Not really. Steve said Everett is targeting DillCorp. They just elude