Nicole walked to the window and looked at the courtyard outside.Jared's car slowly came to a stop. He got out and walked into the house.Nicole drew her gaze away. Just as she turned around, Jared had already pushed open the door and approached her."You're back," Nicole said with a smile. In the next second, Jared embraced her."Were you waiting for me?" Jared asked softly, lowering his head to kiss her forehead.Nicole wrapped her arms around Jared's waist, tilting her head to meet his gaze. "Why are you so late?""An impromptu international video conference came up. I came back as soon as it ended," Jared explained while taking Nicole away from the window."Oh, I was wondering why you were so late."Jared smirked as he teased her, "You were worried about me, weren't you?""Mhm," Nicole admitted, leaning her head against Jared's chest. "Of course, I was worried.""You could've called me," Jared cooed, gently stroking Nicole's hair."I didn't want to disturb you in case yo
"Chloe found Ghost Hand?" Sean frowned. He knew that Ghost Hand was Nicole, so who exactly did Chloe find?"Did Stanley really tell you guys that?" Nicole was amused. She thought Stanley was just saying it offhandedly to avoid being nagged by their mother."Are we not supposed to know?" Steve was a bit annoyed."Of course not," Nicole replied with a smile. "I just thought it was a trivial matter."She really did not think it was necessary to distract Sean and Steve with this, so she did not say anything about it.Sean squinted his eyes. "What are you planning to do?""Nothing much. Chloe has to see Ghost Hand in person eventually. When that time comes, it'll be proven that the person is fake." Nicole shrugged as this was simple for her."Grandpa agreed?" Steve asked.Nicole nodded. "Yes, I went back to the family manor yesterday.""It's good that you discussed it with Grandpa. Let us know if you need our help," Sean said.Although Chloe did not know that Nicole was Ghost Hand
Patricia frowned. "Ms. Nicole, are you referring to Harvey or Everett?"At this point, the only people who could help Chloe were Harvey and Everett."Harvey won't." Nicole shook her head. She felt that he was more likely to help her.At this point, if Harvey helped Chloe, it would only spell trouble for himself. Harvey was not that foolish.On the other hand, it would be much easier for Everett. He was still hiding with Lawrence and had not shown himself anywhere. As long as he secretly contacted Chloe, he had the capability to help her.Unfortunately, both siblings had their own agendas. Even if they cooperated, they were both scheming. Success might not lead to good results for them, and Nicole would not let them succeed anyway."Ms. Nicole, what should we do?" If it was Everett secretly helping Chloe, should they give Chloe the opportunity, making Everett think he had succeeded, or should they immediately go after Chloe, forcing Everett to reveal himself?"Everett won't dare
After chatting for a while, Ellar left.Nicole went on to gulp the cold drink that Ellar had brought for her before leaning back against the couch, her eyes darkening as she drifted off into a reverie.Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.Chloe's so-called 'Ghost Hand' had finally arrived in San Joto, and so, she naturally turned to Mr. Riddle Sr., whom she proceeded to urge to pay for the treatment."Grandpa, let me handle this matter," Nicole said after receiving a call from Mr. Riddle Sr."Okay. But if something really happens, she might be on guard, so be careful," Mr. Riddle Sr. reminded her."Don't worry, Grandpa," Nicole comforted.After hanging up, Nicole turned to look at Patricia and asked, "How's the investigation going?""They've indeed made preparations. We can't find any abnormalities. If we didn't already know that this Ghost Hand was fake, it would be hard to suspect her," Patricia said in a solemn tone of voice.The people who were inves
Miley hesitated for a moment, after which she fell silent, despondent and dejected."Take me back to my room," Chloe ordered the housekeeper with a glance."Of course," the housekeeper replied, before wheeling Chloe away.Miley turned her gaze to Chloe, feeling a little distressed and helpless. She had hoped for the best for her daughter. Chloe used to shine like a bright star in the night sky. Everyone admired her, and she was the daughter Miley was most proud of.But now, her daughter had fallen from grace, and there was nothing Miley could do at all because of the failures of her own family. She even had to get Damien's approval before she could say anything to the Riddle family.Just as she was lost in thought, Miley suddenly heard Damien's yell, snapping her out of it. "What are you staring at?""You're back," Miley said in a soft, timid voice upon noticing Damien."Pour some coffee for me," Damien said grumpily, already seated on the sofa.After getting him his Cup of Joe
"You're awfully mysterious today." Nicole pouted and feigned displeasure."Hah," Jared chuckled softly, gently stroking Nicole's hair. "You'll find out when we get there."The car soon brought them to a bridal studio."Why are we here?" Nicole asked, surprised to see the bridal studio."Go in and take a look," Jared said, before grabbing Nicole's hand and leading her into the studio.Once inside, they were greeted by a myriad of wedding dresses in all colors, styles, and designs. It was a beautiful sight to behold."Mr. and Mrs. Johnston," the storekeeper immediately came forward upon seeing Jared and Nicole."Bring us to the special section where we can see what we've ordered," Jared said nonchalantly."Alright, please follow me," the staff replied, and immediately led Jared and Nicole to the inner section.Nicole finally realized that Jared's custom-made dress suit had arrived, and they were here to try them on."Woah, what's the rush?" Nicole whispered to Jared, surprised.
Then, Nicole looked up at Jared and smiled. "Thank you."Jared lowered his head and gently kissed her in the lips. "You'll have to thank me like this from now."Nicole's cheeks reddened as she rolled her eyes at Jared. 'You wish.'Smirking, Jared softly said, "I'm glad you like it.""Yeah, I do." Nicole nodded.She knew this dress was something he had tailored specifically for her. Though she liked it, she liked the effort he had put in even more.Jared's gaze was filled with affection as he reached up and smoothed the strand of hair on Nicole's forehead. His movements were so gentle that he looked like he was tenderly protecting a national treasure."Come on." Nicole grabbed Jared's arm and whipped her phone out. "I want to take a picture for my phone's wallpaper."This way, she could see him anytime and anywhere. She could even imagine what they would look like on their wedding day.Jared did as he was asked; he took her phone and proceeded to capture a number of selfies wit
"Let's have dinner before going home," Jared said, holding Nicole's hand as they sauntered into the restaurant.Nicole figured that it was better to eat out too, as everyone at home would have likely finished their meal by the time they got home.After sitting down, the two ordered their food.During the wait, a figure appeared by the table, causing Nicole's brows to furrow involuntarily."Hey, Mr. Johnston and Miss Riddle. What a coincidence," Harvey said, looking at the two, seemingly in surprise.After taking a deep breath, Nicole looked up with a faint smile. "It does seem quite coincidental, Mr. Ellison."Encountering him at any restaurant was something she did not like at all. 'How could we even bump into him when we're eating outside? Is this really a coincidence?'Harvey had noticed her tone, and yet, he feigned oblivion and cheerfully replied, "Indeed, it is. I was just feeling hungry and wanted to grab a bite when I ran into you both.""Since you're hungry, Mr. Elliso