Lawrence could only agree after hearing what Nicole had proposed. "Alright, wait for me to come back then."Then, Lawrence gently ruffled Nolan's hair and told him, "You're becoming a young man now. Take care of your Mommy and your little sister, okay?""I will, Godpa. Don't worry." Nolan nodded earnestly.Although Lawrence was smiling, his eyes were downcast. He could feel that even Nolan was growing distant from him. Though Nolan still liked him, it was not the same as before... at least not anymore."Is it time to go now?" Lawrence looked at Nicole, realizing it was time for them to part ways."Yeah," Nicole said, patting Nolan and Lana's heads. "Say goodbye to Godpa.""Bye-bye, Godpa." Nolan and Lana waved at him.In return, Lawrence smiled and said, "Goodbye."Nicole then led Nolan and Lana into the car after Lawrence had walked away."Daddy!" Lana happily jumped into Jared's arms as soon as she had gotten into the car.Jared tenderly held her and placed her on the seat
Lulu's face blanched as she stared at the person who had collapsed at her feet. She was so shocked that she did not even know how to react.'What just happened? Why did she suddenly collapse here? What should we do now?'"Quick, get an ambulance now!" someone shouted.Lulu finally snapped out of her state of shock and dialed 911.Soon, the ambulance arrived, and the person was wheeled away in a stretcher and to the back.Looking at the now empty seat beside her, Lulu could not shake the feeling of uneasiness within her. So, she decided to leave early and wait for Spencer backstage.After the concert had ended, Spencer made his way to the backstage area."What happened?" Spencer approached Lulu and gently held her hand.He had witnessed the commotion among the audience, but he did not know what happened to be exact. Still, Lulu was evidently perturbed by whatever it was."Someone next to me suddenly passed out, and I was so scared that my mind went blank..." Lulu briefly explai
"Hmm?" Lulu looked at Nicole, taking some time to snap out of her daze. "Someone I don't know called me.""What did that person say?" Nicole asked.She knew it was a call, but she could not figure out what was wrong with it.After seeming to have recollected herself, Lulu's face turned pale as she clenched her teeth and said, "He said I injured his sister and ran away. He even claimed he has reported it to the police!"She had no idea who he was, who his sister was, and when she could have possibly hit someone. After all, she was not even driving.With a frown, Lulu continued in a trembling voice, "Could that person be mentally unstable?"'But how could a mentally unstable person know my phone number and name?' Lulu wondered to herself.It was then that three knocks were heard on the door, and in response, Nicole lifted her gaze and said, "Come in."Then, the secretary entered and said, "Miss Riddle. There are people claiming to be the police outside. They wish to speak with Mi
"She doesn't know anything, and there's nothing she can cooperate with you on. You might as well go back and look into the other evidence you have. As for her, I will arrange for someone to bail her out. I won't put you in a difficult position or obstruct your work," Nicole said, and gave the head of the Legal Department a call."Hello, Miss Riddle." The department head came over and asked. "Is there anything that I can help you with?""There's something you need to take care of," Nicole said in a stern voice. "Lulu has no idea what happened, and from what Lulu saw, that person fell over on her own. Please handle this accordingly.""I got it." The head of the Legal Department nodded and turned to the two police officers. "Gentlemen, if you have any questions or need assistance, you can speak to me directly."The officers furrowed their brows and hesitated for a moment.Then, they glared at Lulu and warned, "Do not leave San Joto. We may require your cooperation at any time.""Don
"Okay, I got it," Spencer said and shot Lulu a look of concern.With that out of the way, Nicole nodded. "Alright then, I'll leave first."Then, she turned and entered Jared's car, where she sighed and stated, "Lulu's in trouble.""Hmm," Jared replied, having understood that Nicole was explaining her reasoning for seeking Spencer out.Then, Nicole leaned on Jared's shoulder and expressed her concern to him. "It feels like Lulu has been having a rough time lately. Hopefully, we can get her out of the woods as soon as possible. After all, her wedding ceremony is nearing.""Mrs. Johnston, this case might be related to Icyln," Max informed.Frowning in response, Nicole asked, "Icyln is involved in this?""Yes. You ordered someone to keep an eye on Icyln ever since the last encounter. Recently, her assistant has been behaving rather oddly," Max said solemnly."Her assistant has been spending an inordinate amount of time at the hospital," Max continued."She went to search for the p
"That's so kind of you," Peter acknowledged.After catching up for a while longer, Icyln said her goodbyes and hung up."He's coming over next week. Spencer's wedding is half a month away, which means Mr. Lincoln will be here for a week," Icyln muttered, and began plotting her scheme.She figured that Peter would surely meet up with Spencer and Lulu at some point prior to the wedding.'I'll make sure you pay, Lulu,' Icyln thought, determined to bring Lulu down.Biting her lips, she then ordered her assistant, "Be sure to give them a good show tomorrow.""Don't worry, I have gotten everything arranged already. I'll make sure everyone in every corner of San Joto knows about it," Icyln's assistant swore.Icyln rose triumphantly and made her way upstairs. She wanted to get some good sleep as she was looking forward to whatever was coming tomorrow.The sun shone bright and clear the next day.In the wee hours of the morning itself, the enthusiasm of San Joto was already aroused by
"Alright then, if there's nothing else, you can head back to work. I'll inform you if there are any updates about the evidence we are gathering," Nicole said."Sure. Thank you, Nicole," Lulu took a deep breath, trying to calm down before exiting the office.Leaning against her office chair, Nicole frowned as something flitted in her mind. Unfortunately, it was too fleeting for her to grasp. When she tried to dwell on it for a moment, she found nothing particularly noteworthy. With a sigh, Nicole redirected her attention to her work.The sun was still strong and bright in the late afternoon when Nicole was sitting on the couch with a pensive look on her face.And when she heard a knock on her door, she announced, "Come in,"After the door had swung open, Lulu strode in quickly. "NandoCorp has been sealed off for investigation.""Sealed off?!" Nicole blurted.Initially, she thought that they would only face fines or be forced to restructure, but having the entire company sealed of
Nicole's gaze was stern as she dialed Max's number. "Max, you mentioned this morning that Lawrence left San Joto with another person.""Yes, that individual was heavily disguised, so we couldn't determine their identity. We've checked their departure records, and there were no records of this person's identity either," Max explained.Hesitating for a moment, Nicole pondered, 'Lawrence left San Joto for Mecrounia, but I heard that things are quite peaceful over there. Why did Lawrence return so suddenly? Everett has mysteriously gone missing, and Lawrence took an unknown person back with him. It seems that these two things must be related.'"Everett might be gone. Please check on him," Nicole ordered."You think Lawrence might have brought Everett with him?" Max gasped."There's a possibility. Lulu said Everett has been unusually quiet now that NandoCorp is in turmoil. It's very suspicious," Nicole stated after analyzing the situation.Furthermore, disappearing without a trace was
"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