"The teacher was even quicker. Snow should be on her way to the airport by now." Spencer shrugged. Of course, he came back right after doing what he had to."Are you sure?" Lulu exclaimed in surprise. Then, she scrutinized Spencer and furrowed her brows. "It looks like your teacher really likes Snow at a lot."Otherwise, he would not have been in such a hurry to send her away, fearing that they might change their minds.Spencer chuckled. "Not exactly. He's probably just worried that if he keeps Snow here, there might be more problems."They did not understand Snow, but the teacher knew her very well and had probably guessed that she would not give up so easily."Why did she agree to leave?" Lulu asked curiously."Her assistant was hired by the teacher," Spencer explained."I see." Lulu looked like she immediately understood everything. 'No wonder the assistant's willing to keep up with a person like her.'"We got what we wanted now that Snow has already left. We have nothing to
"Uncle Dexter, Aunt Emma," Nicole greeted. She urged Nolan and Lana to greet them too before sitting down.Gloria took a glance at Nicole and smiled. "You're back just in time! Come have a look at these pictures. Let me know if you think there are any suitable for your brother and your cousin Emery.""Why don't you let them choose?" Nicole felt embarrassed. 'They ought to have some say in the woman they want to marry in the future.'Gloria and Emma sighed in unison. "If they were willing, we wouldn't be here today."Nicole immediately understood. 'No wonder I hadn't been seeing Stanley around. He must've been hiding from Mom.'"What do you think of these ladies?" asked Nicole, referring to the photos of the women.Gloria and Emma rushed up from their seats with a bunch of photographs in their hands. "We've asked their family and did background checks. They all seem to be quite satisfied with Stanley's financial and job stability too.""That's for Emery," said Emma, pointing to a
Nolan did not refute his sister's statement. Everyone chuckled and brushed off Lana's words."Gloria, is what little Lana saying true?" asked Emma with hopeful eyes. 'If Stanley had real feelings for someone, it'd be a really good thing.'Gloria sighed. "I actually can't tell if he does."Gloria had the assumption that her children were still young and naive. She had witnessed Stanley helping out Tia often, but nothing developed further in their relationship. Furthermore, Stanley had agreed to do blind dates over dinner."The blind dates..." Emma hesitated. She did not want to break up the couple.After pondering for a moment, Gloria spoke up, "Let's make the arrangements first. If he ever confesses that he has feelings for someone else, then we might've been wrong to assume that he and Tia were ever a thing."Emma nodded in agreement. "Point taken.""I think we're almost done here. Why don't you guys stay for dinner?" Daniel offered.Everyone sat down in the dining room to hav
Nolan looked at Lana with a serious expression. "That's not a bad idea! Let's do it. But if you have more ideas in the future, I think you should tell me first and do it yourself.""I know." Lana smiled. She would always listen to her brother's advice.Nolan felt more at ease. He did not have to worry about Lana's schemes nor if it would implicate them both.While the twins were plotting up a storm upstairs, the adults were enjoying their dinner downstairs in the dining room, completely unaware.Once dinner was over, Dexter and Emma left. Spencer and Samuel also returned to their respective rooms.Gloria pulled Nicole aside. "Nicole, can you set up the date with the lady? If Stanley doesn't show up, tell me."Gloria knew Stanley was the one who agreed on the blind date in the first place, but he had ghosted everyone. She was worried about Stanley's attendance at the blind date."Sure thing," Nicole agreed with a smile on her face."I didn't expect that Stanley would be the one
Nicole furrowed her eyebrows. 'I thought Stanley had genuine feelings for Tia, but he agreed to go on blind dates. Could it be that we all misunderstood his intentions before?'Jared caressed Nicole's hair gently. "Don't think too much. He's not a child anymore. He can think for himself."Nicole nodded, immediately understanding what Jared meant. No matter how much effort anyone put in, the final decision had to be made by Stanley himself.When Nicole and Jared reached their room, Nicole massaged her shoulders, looking completely haggard.Jared sat next to her with a concerned expression. "Has work been too hectic for you recently?"'She looks so burnt out. Could it be the workload that's affecting her?' thought Jared."It's okay," said Nicole. She bit her lip hard trying not to show how stressful work was for her.Jared gave her a massage, trying to help her unwind."Come, let's sleep," said Jared with concern in his voice.Eyes half closed, Nicole agreed. Jared looked over a
Jared had also seen right through the twins' intentions, but he also considered Nicole his main priority. The sooner Nicole can get this task out of the way, the easier it would be for Nicole to be at ease.The car engine revved."Have Patricia go over to Riddle Corporation from now on," Jared ordered."Yes, sir," replied Max.Nicole was taken aback. "Why did you arrange someone to help me?""Ma'am, she's different from others. Mr. Johnston trusts her very much," Max explained."I know. She's just like Janus," Nicole grumbled. The name suddenly burst out from her mouth without thinking. She could not recall how she knew the name.'I can't recall if I've ever met a person with this name, ever since I have returned,' thought Nicole."Ma'am!" Max exclaimed, startling Nicole. 'She remembers Janus! Everyone was saddened by Janus' death, and no one dared mention it ever since. She remembered him without anyone bringing it up. Does that mean... she's regaining her memories?'Nicole n
"Ms. Riddle," Patricia greeted politely."There's no need for you to be so formal with me. Since you'll be working with me from now on, it'll be more casual," said Nicole. She pointed to the pile of documents on her desk."Are these doable for you?" asked Nicole.Patricia nodded. "Yeah."Nicole quickly filtered out the documents and workload for Patricia before handing it over to her. "Great. This is for you.""Thank you," Patricia said as she took the documents in her hand and started going through it by Nicole's desk.Nicole pointed to the coffee table in her office. "You can go and sit over there to work. I'm glad you're here. Lulu's going to be on leave soon for her wedding and honeymoon. I really needed the extra hand."'With Patricia here, my workload will surely be lighter,' she thought to herself."Ms. Riddle, if there's anything you need me to do, you can leave it to me," said Patricia.Nicole chuckled and smiled. "If you keep acting like this, I'll think you're a rob
"It's okay." Lawrence did not show any disappointment. He just glanced at Nicole and said, "Since that's the case, how about having dinner together?""No need to trouble yourself. Mr. Johnston is on his way to pick up his wife now," Patricia said. She stood by Nicole's side with a cold and indifferent expression.Lawrence glanced at Patricia with dark eyes. He had a strong feeling that Patricia was not someone to be messed with.Patricia's presence, next to Nicole, was nonexistent when she remained silent earlier. But it was the complete opposite when she started speaking."This is..." Lawrence pretended to be somewhat puzzled."My assistant." Nicole kept it vague.Lawrence's gaze darkened. "Isn't Lulu your assistant?""Lulu has been busy lately, and she's going on her honeymoon soon, so I hired a new one," Nicole explained with a smile, coming up with a convincing reason.Hearing this, Lawrence did not press further and simply smiled. "Well, too bad then.""Let's do it anothe
"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