The kids each took a muffin, bit into it, and nodded enthusiastically. "Wow, these are so good!""When I was little like you guys are, these were my favorite. Grandma made them for me all the time," Nicole said."Great grandma sure knows how to bake," Nolan and Lana said before proceeding to munch on their second bite.Seeing the kids' delight, Nicole grinned. "She would be thrilled to know you guys love them."Reaching for a muffin as well, Stanley said, "I've got to try one of these."Daniel and Gloria looked at one another before they took one each for themselves. They wanted to try the treats that had sparked the sudden return of one of Nicole's memories, thinking they must be unique.After dinner, Nicole said to Nolan and Lana, "I'm heading over to visit my grandma. You guys want to come?""Yeah," Nolan and Lana chimed in together.Nicole then turned to Stanley. "And you?""Me?" Stanley was taken aback."I think Tia might've hurt her leg," Nicole said and paused, leaving
"You don't have to." Nolan shook his head.Mrs. Wallace Sr. gave them a look of puzzlement. "Why? You said they were delicious.""It's not that. Making those muffins is a lot of work. We can help out next time," Lana chimed in.Mrs. Wallace Sr. laughed heartily, her mouth wide in amusement. "Such good kids. Just like your mom, always caring for others from a young age.""Well, we are Mommy's kids," Nolan and Lana replied with a hint of pride.Their playful attitude made Mrs. Wallace Sr. burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying the moment with them."I can make them too. Next time, we'll do it for you," Tia said, emerging from the small kitchen, her eyes twinkling as she brought a plate of fruits to them.Nicole took the plate. "Your leg is hurt. Go treat it before it gets worse.""It's fine," Tia replied, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "It's just a minor bump. No big deal.""Go apply some ointment on it. You need to take care of yourself so that you can look after Grandma,
"I really don't need to go to the hospital," Tia protested when she heard the mention of the hospital.She believed her injury was just a minor one."If you don't want to go to the hospital, rest up," Stanley said, his voice firmer than usual.Tia hesitated, swallowed, and after a moment, she said, "Alright, I get it."She thought she could agree now and do whatever she wanted tomorrow when nobody was around to look.Stanley gave her a knowing look, but opted not to confront her about it. "Alright. Rest up for now.""I..." Tia began to rise, but stopped short when Stanley interrupted her."I'll check on Mrs. Wallace. If she needs help, I'll provide it for her," he stated."Thanks," Tia said gratefully.Stanley shot a brief glance at Tia, hesitated for a moment, then silently walked away.Now alone in the room, Tia was finally at ease. With Stanley around, she had been feeling an unusual tension. She found it surprising that Stanley had made it a point to check on her over suc
"I had a chat with Stanley. Let's go," Nicole said, linking his arm with Jared's.Jared glanced down at her, his tone affectionate. "Did you enjoy visiting your grandma?""Yeah, we were reminiscing about my childhood," Nicole replied, her eyes sparkling with joy and nostalgia.Touched by her happiness, Jared softly suggested, "When things settle down, we should go back for a visit.""That sounds great," Nicole replied, her eyes wide and hopeful. 'That's a good idea. I bet Grandma would love to see the old house again.'Back in their room, Nicole began humming a tune as she headed to the bathroom. The idea of visiting her childhood home filled her with anticipation. And as Jared watched her, a small smile played on his lips. He was planning to take her back to see where she had grown up once everything that had been playing.The next morning, after breakfast, Nicole and Jared dropped Nolan and Lana off at preschool and made their way to DillCorp. Although Nicole owned the company,
'Is Lawrence the key to all this? Does he know something?' Jared thought.Meanwhile, Nicole strode into DillCorp's CEO's office, and when she arrived, she looked around the refurbished room with a satisfied smile."Nicole, you made it!" Lulu exclaimed, entering the room with several people in tow, each holding a folder."Ms. Riddle," they greeted with a nod, and lined up before her.Nicole took her seat, briefly met their eyes, and began, "Fill me in.""Due to poor management, DillCorp has gotten itself embroiled in financial troubles, making it hard for it to achieve significant progress soon," one of them stated."We've noticed discrepancies in our accounts and are looking into them.""I also believe we should reconsider the employment of some of our staff. Some might not fit into our vision."Hearing the reports, Nicole massaged her temples. She knew DillCorp had its share of issues, but she had not realized the extent of them.Taking a deep breath, Nicole replied, "I get i
"I'll make sure he backs off," Nicole said, her eyes showing determination. "With DillCorp now under my control, everyone will know not to mess with it.""Do you think he'll actually back down? He's not one to give up easily," Lulu said, concerned."We'll see if Everett's got what it takes," Nicole replied coolly. "I'd love to see him try to pull anything off without my say-so." She then looked intently at Lulu. "Tell everyone to keep things under wraps. We can't let any company secrets leak out."Lulu nodded in understanding. "Got it," she replied. She had also thought about telling everyone to stay quiet and maybe even spreading a few fake stories.Seeing Lulu's sly smile, Nicole chuckled and shook her head. 'Lulu's getting cleverer each day.'Once Lulu left, Nicole started reading a file in front of her.Over at NandoCorp's manager's office, Everett leaned back in his chair, looking annoyed. "You're sure Nicole's at DillCorp now?"His assistant nodded. "Yes, she went there fi
"She sure has a lot of nerve, taking over DillCorp like that!" Damien's voice rose sharply."Well, Grandpa's aware, and Preston doesn't seem to care," Everett replied, sounding indifferent.Hearing this, Damien grew more irritated. "Doesn't anyone object? Have they all lost their minds?!"Everett lowered his head, silent for a moment. He knew Damien was just venting. 'If Grandpa doesn't oppose what's happening now, maybe he won't oppose my future actions either. Do others' opinions even matter? This might just work in my favor.'"No way, we can't let this go. Wasn't it Nicole who first brought up the idea of splitting up the company? And now she's simply taking over DillCorp?" Damien's face darkened. "If Dillon and his team didn't manage well, that doesn't mean Nicole should get it all. We all have a stake in this.""So, you're thinking of talking to Grandpa?" Everett asked casually.Damien took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. 'Is there any point in going to him? I mean, i
"Alright, let's meet there after work," Nicole said."Sounds good. I'll tell Spencer he doesn't have to pick me up," Lulu replied. She then sent Spencer a quick message.Similarly, Nicole informed Jared she would be having pizza with June and Lulu after work and suggested he go home first."Alright, I need to get going. See you later," Lulu said.As she stood up and left Nicole's office, Nicole went back to her work.When it was time to leave, Nicole and Lulu left DillCorp, caught a cab, and headed to the Royal Creek Institute."You know, the three of us haven't hung out there in about five years," Lulu said. "After you went missing, Nicole, it was just June and me visiting from time to time.""It's hard to believe it's been five years." Nicole sighed. 'So much has changed, but at least we're still best friends.'When they arrived at the restaurant, June was already there, motioning for them to join her. "Come sit here!""You're early," Lulu said, guiding Nicole to sit down.