Knowing someone was taking care of Sally, Nicole nodded her head in satisfaction. "Thank God.""Oh, there's news about that matter," Steve said with amusement.Nicole raised an eyebrow. "The matter about the Ellison family's factory?""Yup, everything's on the right track," Steve said proudly.'Harvey must be furious right now,' Nicole thought."That's great." Nicole smirked.She thought to herself, 'I'm shocked that this thing has results already. Harvey must be really arrogant to think no one is able to deal with him. Well, it's my job to show him that he's not untouchable. It's just that no one wanted to deal with him.'When Nicole entered her office, Patricia soon came in as well."There's been a breakthrough in NandoCorp's matter. I believe we'll soon achieve completion," Patricia reported."Okay, that's good." Nicole smirked again. There had been good news all along the week.Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Harvey's office was tense.Cautiously, his assistant said, "We di
"Hmph, so you were going to tell me after all," Maximillian complained, pretending to be haughty. However, deep down he was pleased with Jared's request.Jared raised his eyebrows slightly and teased, "If you're not keen on it, I could always ask Mr. Riddle Sr. to—""What nonsense is that? These are the children of the Johnston family! Why should you let that old man host the banquet?" Maximillian protested in anger, instantly showing his dissatisfaction."I'll consider this as your agreement to host the banquet then," Jared stated calmly, laughing secretly in his heart.Maximillian knew he was set up by Jared and grunted, "Of course."Nicole could not help but laugh at Maximillian's childish behavior, "Grandpa, they'll be called Nolan and Lana Johnston from then on.""Yes, I'll announce to everyone that they're Nolan Johnston and Lana Johnston. Both are my precious babies. Let's see who dares mess with them in the future," Maximillian said proudly.After discussing the return b
After a pause, Mr. Riddle Sr. continued, "Anyone who crosses my great-grandson or great-granddaughter in the future will have to deal with the Riddle family.""You're too serious, Mr. Riddle Sr. Why would we bother a small child?" everyone chimed in jokingly."Well, you won't. Go back and tell your kids to act accordingly and not to bully our Nolan or hit on Lana," Mr. Riddle Sr. informed them seriously.Maximillian was immediately united with Mr. Riddle Sr. at the idea and echoed, "Yes, no hitting on our Lana."Nicole could not help but feel bewildered at their instant unity, as they had just been secretly competing with each other."Grandpa, that's a little too far ahead," Nicole whispered. After all, Lana was just five years old. She was still at an age where she liked having fun. Nicole thought these two old men were thinking too far ahead."Why not? I had to protect Lana," Mr. Riddle Sr. rebuked.Maximillian lowered his voice and said, "Although Lana is young now, she's pre
Since Nolan was still not used to it, Jared did not want to force him and figured that all the child needed was some time.When everyone was about to give up waiting, Nolan softly called out, "Dad."The room instantly became quiet. Everyone was shocked.Jared's gaze showed a touch of satisfaction. He ruffled Nolan's head. "Good job."Nicole was also very pleased with Nolan and patted his shoulder. She knew her son was slowly accepting Jared.CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.A slow clap started, standing out in the quiet crowd. As the clapping sound became apparent, everyone looked up to find Lawrence approaching.Nolan and Lana exchanged glances and called out, "Hi, Godpa."Nolan did not pounce on Lawrence as usual, which had Lawrence taken aback. But he quickly regained his composure and smiled. "Of course, I'd definitely come to visit you on such an important occasion.""Thank you, Godpa."Lawrence arrived in front of the children and held out two boxes to them. "This is a little somethin
Lawrence took a seat in a corner as he waited for the banquet to end. On the other side of the hall, Jared sat with Maximillian as they watched the bride and groom happily chatting with their guests.Jared and Nicole led the twins to sit at their seats. Lawrence stared at them, not touching his drink or food. He sat there solemnly.Nicole could feel his gaze on them. She leaned over and whispered to Jared, "I'm gonna head over to the balcony for a breather.""Need me to accompany you?" asked Jared in a low voice.Nicole shook her head. "No need. If you come, he might not approach me."Jared nodded in agreement, understanding what Nicole is trying to do. He glanced at Patricia.The lady, who was sitting at another table, immediately locked eyes with Jared and understood. She stepped outside and stood where the balcony was in sight.Expectedly, Lawrence walked to the balcony and handed Nicole a glass of red wine. "Were you waiting for me to join you?"Nicole accepted the wine gla
Lawrence noticed that Nicole went silent for a while."Why? What's wrong?" Lawrence asked with a faint smile.Nicole mustered up a smile too. "Okay."A wave of relief flashed in Lawrence's expression. "That's good." He then looked at his watch. "It's getting late. I should head back now.""Where to?" Nicole asked. She got a feeling that he was leaving to somewhere else instead of his residence."Mecrounia."Nicole raised an eyebrow, stunned for a moment. "Oh, alright then.""There are some things that need to be sorted and it might take some time for me to come back here," Lawrence explained and added, "If there's anything you need while I'm not around, you can always go to Ian.""He isn't going with you?" she asked. 'Is Lawrence purposely leaving Ian behind so he could keep getting updates and news of what's happening here?'"We need someone to keep an eye on the company here, so I'd be glad if you don't disrupt him from work since you have Jared with you. I don't wish to cau
Everyone was already used to Jared's grim appearance, so no one dared to say much. Instead they turned to Nicole. "I didn't expect that you'd return and bring a pair of gems with you!"Nicole smiled happily. "Yeah, they're gems alright." She thought to herself, 'If it weren't for them, I don't know what I would've done for the past five years.'Nolan noticed that everyone's attention was fixed on their mother. He raised his eyebrow and looked at Jared, hoping to get an answer to things.Jared curtly ordered, "Focus on eating." He placed vegetables onto his son's plate."Dad, were these your competitors from before?" asked Nolan.Jared quickly scanned the table. "They're not worthy of your mother.""So they are," said Nolan.The sudden claim caused Jared to choke on his food.'One of these days, these smart brats will be the death of me,' Jared thought as he looked at the people standing around Nicole.His gaze was cold. A few people shuddered and immediately excused themselves
"Then all of our hard work was all in vain," said Ian, sounding dejected.Lawrence's eyes darkened. Then he said in a low voice, "So we have to think of other ways now."Things had reached a new point now with the Fire Crest being almost impossible to steal. Lawrence had no thoughts of giving up his plan, even if Nicole regained her identity and reinstated her ownership of the Fire Crest. Whether everyone around her had told her everything or she did not know anything, Lawrence was determined to fight for the chance to get the Fire Crest in his hands.Lawrence looked at Ian with determination. "Go and get ready, I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning.""Yes, sir." Ian quickly went to pack Lawrence's bags for his trip.Meanwhile, Lawrence laid on the sofa, staring out the window, consumed in his thoughts.The next day, the sun was shining, and Nicole had walked into the Riddle Corporation as usual. The things for DillCorp were running smoothly once more.As Nicole got out of the
"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