However, she could not come up with anything at the moment, and all her questions had yielded no answers."If you don't have any leads, don't waste your energy. We'll come to know about it sooner or later," Damien said as he thought, 'There are no absolute secrets in this world.'"Okay," Chloe replied, her gaze becoming more solemn. "I asked Martin for help to reach Ghost Hand too, but he doesn't know how either."Chloe then placed her hand on her knees as a flash of resentment crossed her eyes.She was determined to stand up. Nicole could not bag everything. Everyone in the Riddle family deserved a chance too. Just because Raine could not achieve her goals, it did not mean she could not.Damien then looked at Chloe and said, "What do you want to do? I can back you up."At the moment, it was obvious that Mr. Riddle Sr. was wary of him. If Chloe could take over the Riddle family, it would ultimately mean that Damien would have control too.With the question hanging, the father an
Nicole felt a little more at ease after the call had ended. Although the wedding had not gone as planned, she was glad that Lulu and June's mood was not affected.Meanwhile, Lulu had called June."You finally called. Did you travel to a faraway land or something?" June's voice came through as soon as the call connected."Yes, we just settled in. I called Nicole earlier," Lulu replied candidly."How are things at home?" June immediately asked upon hearing that Lulu had called Nicole.Lulu sighed before responding, "Raine is dead.""Dead..." June trailed off, struck by a brief moment of shock before she quickly composed herself. "It's impossible to survive falling from such a height."Even if she did not die, she would likely have ended up crippled. However, Raine was, as one could argue, unlucky, and had fallen to her death on the spot."She asked for it," Lulu coldly huffed. "If she hadn't been such an evil freak, she wouldn't have ended up pushing daisies.""Alright, now that
Everything seemed to have returned to normal, and everyone had gone back to their respective lives, becoming busy once again.The two newlywed couples were still on their honeymoons, and everyone else had reached a unanimous, unspoken agreement to not disturb them. Life appeared to have returned to its usual course.Upon hearing a knock on the door, Nicole placed the documents in her hand down and looked up at the door. "Come in."Patricia entered, wearing a somewhat solemn look on her face. "Miss Nicole, an urgent fax from Ellar.""What happened to him?" Nicole furrowed her brow as she reached out to grab the fax.After reading the contents, a grimace crossed her face. "How could this happen?""It's likely that someone has tampered with it secretly," Patricia speculated.Nicole squinted as a trace of coldness flashed in her eyes, and that was when she ordered, "Investigate this.""Yes," Patricia responded before leaving the room.Nicole's gaze was dark as she perused the deta
Nicole's eyes turned cold. Even though Patricia had not returned yet, Nicole already had a clear idea of what was going on.'Harvey, you really like giving me crap, don't you? You must be pretty bored with your life...' Nicole thought.When Patricia returned, she confirmed Nicole's suspicions. Harvey had indeed tampered with the project, causing problems for BayCorp during its inspection phase."What should we do, Miss Riddle?" Patricia asked in a hushed voice.In reply, Nicole snorted. "Harvey has way too much free time."It was time to give Harvey something to get busy with, and in doing so, prevent him from constantly meddling in the affairs of the Riddle family."What's your plan, Miss Nicole?" Patricia asked, curious about how Nicole intended to handle the situation. It was clear that Nicole was preparing to retaliate instead of taking the abuse lying down.With that in mind, Nicole stood up and said, "Let's head back to HQ first.""Alright," Patricia replied, following Ni
"Understood." Patricia replied, and hurried off to make a reservation.After she had gotten Royal Creek Institute's address, she left the office with Nicole and headed there.Arriving at Royal Creek Institute, Nicole entered Thomas's house while Patricia waited outside.Looking at Nicole as she entered, Thomas Ellison smiled. "I knew it was you."Seeing that their lunch had arrived, Nicole smiled, "I missed you, so I came over to pay you a visit."Thomas made his way to the living room, looked at Nicole and said, "You don't have to lie to me. Harvey made another mess for you to deal with again, didn't he?"Nicole was quite shocked, "How did you know?"Thomas had been resting and recovering as of late. Although he did seem a tad more energetic, Nicole was sure that Thomas had not gone back to work just yet. Therefore, it would be next to impossible for him to be privy to the happenings of the outside world."The nurse has left." Thomas shook his head.He was not bothered about
Thomas looked at Nicole and pursed his lips. In the end, he decided to remain silent.Nicole did not want to bring up the sad past, so she quickly changed the subject of the conversation. Both of them went on to have casual chats over their meals.Then, Nicole left Royal Creek Institute."Ma'am, would Harvey suspect anything about your visit again? If he does, would Mr. Ellison..." Patricia asked softly.Knowing what Patricia's concerns were, Nicole replied, "He won't. Harvey would not fall into the same trap twice. He would not disturb Mr. Ellison again."Nicole already knew what was going, and that was why she would even dare to visit Thomas in the first place. Still, she would do well not to bother Thomas over Harvey's matters any longer."Oh." Patricia said, feeling that Nicole's words made sense.As the car sped across the road, Nicole watched as the scenery flitted past her. She gently leaned against her seat with a relaxed smile on her face. It had been a long while since
Unexpectedly, someone had exposed them. The crux of the issue was that it was not published as a proper, official announcement, but as a gossip article. Needless to say, this made Nicole feel very unnerved.Hearing this, Jared hugged Nicole gently and said, "Let's have an official ceremony."Since they had already decided not to conceal the truth, which had already been exposed anyway, Jared thought they could just organize a ceremony to do Nolan and Lana's identities true justice in San Joto.Nicole looked up at Jared and bit her lips as she hesitated.Initially, they had thought that Nolan and Lana would appear in public together with them, and due to this, they did not have any reservations about making their existence known to the public. On the day when they were about to do it, they had to place it on the back burner because of Raine's act of gatecrashing them. This had led them to wonder if they should hold another banquet just for the two little ones."They're worth doing
Nicole looked toward Jared, her eyes seemingly brimming with questions.Jared frowned, and after a long pause, he turned to Nicole and said, "Don't let him know that you've regained your memories."At most, Lawrence would only come to discover that Nicole had retrieved the Fire Crest. After all, that system was always in Nicole's hands. They could always say that it was Nicole who had cracked the system and the Crest recognized her as the sole bearer. Nothing would be out of place, and besides, the Crests would never allow a switch in ownership unless the current bearer was dead.They would definitely not be able to tell that Nicole had gotten her memories restored. Perhaps the main thing which Lawrence was trying to test was this information."Yeah." Nicole nodded in agreement.Then, Nicole turned to Patricia and said, "What about Hanwick?"Patricia shook her head. "He still refuses to say anything. I'm not sure if he's waiting for Lawrence to rescue him."There was definitely
"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