After coming to an agreement on the project, Nicole and Jared bid goodbye to everyone and left the Biz Club.Nicole was rendered speechless. "I could never wrap my head around it. How could such an important business negotiation happen at such a serene place like this?""You'll gradually get used to this. In fact, some projects are completed this way," explained Jared, smirking.Nicole nodded. "I see... This way, I guess one can hold a meeting with a clear mind without external factors bothering them. The success or failure of the meeting will all depend on the individuals involved, with no intervention of third parties."Jared interlocked their fingers together. "The most important thing here is that it saves a lot of trouble."Nicole shrugged. "You're right."'Afterall, the scale of this project was quite extreme. If it were to undergo a bidding or investment method, it might not even be resolved within a few months. Companies after companies would come flocking in and come at
As the sun set in the west, painting the sky orange and red, the day transitioned into the evening.After work, Jared picked Nicole up to go home together. Suddenly, they received a call from Tia and she sounded really anxious on the phone."Nicole, we're in trouble! Oh my God, what should I do?" Tia's voice was filled with panic."Hey, calm down. Take it easy and tell me what's going on," Nicole said, comforting her.Tia cried. "Stanley is injured."Nicole was shocked. "What happened? Where are you guys?""We're in the ambulance now, on the way to the hospital," Tia explained."Okay, we'll be right there," Nicole said, forcing herself to stay calm. Hanging up the phone call, she instructed Max, "Max, take us to the hospital. Stanley's injured.""Alright," Max said. He turned the car around and headed to the hospital.When they arrived, Stanley was already in the emergency room. Tia and the kids were waiting outside."What happened?" Nicole asked Tia seriously."Mommy, is Un
If the people Jared hired had arrived later, the children might have been in real trouble."Thank goodness they were there," Nicole said, biting her lip. Things would have become complicated if no one had helped out today."They'll follow them closely in the future," Jared informed. He already gave orders to have his people be Nolan and Lana's driver to always be on standby."Alright, that's good," Nicole said, a determined look crossing her eyes, knowing Jared had made arrangements. As for now, they had to find out the mastermind behind this and uncover their motives.Jared held Nicole's hand and reassured her, "You should check on the kids."After experiencing the incident, Nolan and Lana were truly terrified. Besides that, they were worried about Stanley, so they needed some comfort from their mother.Nicole bit her lip and forced herself to maintain her composure. She walked over to the kids and held them in her arms."Mommy, I'm scared," the kids said, sounding distressed.
Stanley's feeble appearance made Nolan and Lana feel sad. They pouted. "It's all because of us that you're like that.""Hey, don't worry. As long as you guys are safe, I'm content. My injuries will heal soon," Stanley comforted.Nicole returned from paying the bills and saw Stanley's frail condition. So she gently took the kids away and suggested, "Uncle Stanley needs some rest. We'll go home first.""Who's going to take care of Uncle Stanley, then?" Lana asked worriedly."Tia will stay here." Nicole gently ruffled her daughter's hair."Oh." Lana looked at Tia, feeling it was best if she stayed back to take care of Stanley.Tia nodded her head in response. "Don't worry, Nicole. I'll take good care of him."Stanley took care of Tia when she fell sick last time. Tia would not turn a blind eye now that he was sick."Alright then. We'll get going to update the family, just in case everyone gets worried. We'll be here tomorrow morning," Nicole explained. After making the arrangement
"Don't worry, Mom. He's fine now, but he has to be hospitalized due to his injuries. So he'll be in the hospital for these two days," Nicole explained."What happened?" Daniel asked in concern.Nicole bit her lip. She avoided some important details, and talked about the minor parts. "Dad, we're still on the case. I believe we'll soon find out.""You have to investigate it through and through," Daniel said solemnly. Instinctively, he knew things were not simple this time."We will," Nicole promised."Let the kids stay at home for a few days," Gloria suggested, still having a lingering fear for the kids' safety.Although Gloria and Daniel were uncertain of the incident, they knew it happened on the way back after picking Nolan and Lana back from school."Don't worry. I got my people to be their drivers," Jared informed.Hearing that, Daniel understood that Jared and Nicole might not want the kids to stop school. So he compromised. "Alright then. We were thinking of changing the d
Nicole and Jared accompanied the kids to bed for a long time before the kids were soundly asleep.Back in their room, Nicole sighed with concern. "The kids were terrified by today's event.""They'll get better," Jared reassured, patting Nicole's back.Looking at Jared, Nicole frowned and asked, "Who do you think could be behind this?"The only culprit Nicole could think of was Harvey. At the same time, she felt Harvey would not be that reckless and stupid to do such a thing. However, other than Harvey, Nicole could not think of another candidate. She did not know anyone else in San Joto trying to mess with her. She could deduce that today's incident was ultimately targeted at her, but she could not figure out the mastermind.'Lawrence?!' As this thought crossed her mind, Nicole instantly dismissed the idea. She refused to believe that Lawrence would hurt her kids. If it was not Lawrence either, Nicole could only think of the people who hunted her down when she first came back to S
"I just thought that with your capabilities, things might get easier," Everett retorted, implying that Lawrence might have been too slow to make progress."Hmph, just go back and wait. I'll inform you when there are results," Lawrence replied impatiently.Everett calmly reminded him, "Please hurry up. Don't miss a great opportunity, or you'll have no one to blame but yourself."As Everett turned to leave, Lawrence suddenly thought of something and warned him, "Don't do things you shouldn't do, or you'll regret it."Everett paused briefly before walking away with big strides.A hint of darkness flashed in Lawrence's eyes. He sent a message to Ian, reminding him to be vigilant about Damien's family. He had a gut feeling that Everett's behavior was unusual, and he was also talking strangely. Lawrence figured that even if Everett was not involved in the incident, he surely knew something.The next day, the weather was sunny, but the family's spirit was far from cheerful.After a rat
Patricia shook her head. "Nothing.""You too?" Nicole furrowed her brows as she wondered who was good enough to stop both Max and Patricia from getting any updates.Patricia gritted her teeth. "Do you think they might have been..."She made a gesture of slicing her throat, her expression turned solemn.'Otherwise, why would they disappear without a trace?'Nicole looked at Patricia. "Not likely. After all, they're quite tough."It was impossible for them to be killed and disposed of without a trace."So what exactly happened?" Patricia murmured.Nicole looked up at her. "Speaking of that, could it be that we started off on the wrong foot?""The wrong foot?" Patricia seemed puzzled. 'Aren't we just investigating the traces of those people? How could we have gone wrong?'"Yeah. We were only searching for those few criminals, but if they disappeared so quickly, there's only one possibility – we've all overlooked one thing." Nicole's eyes turned dark.Patricia kind of understood
"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