It was then that Nicole and Lawrence knew that this might be the last time the two of them could sit together and converse with one another.Deciding to mention the days when they were on Crescent Island together before returning to San Joto, Lawrence looked up at Nicole and said, "Regarding the Fire Crest, I owe you a sincere apology."Lawrence had always wondered what would have happened if he had told her the truth of the object he wanted her to acquire. 'Would things have turned out differently than they are now?'Lawrence had deep regrets in his heart, filled with 'what if's' as he knew that the Fire Crest was the chief reason as to why they had fallen out of favor with one another."It doesn't matter really. To be fair, I don't think you are in the wrong." Nicole smiled.Nicole, on the other hand, thought it was normal. Lawrence's reason for keeping the truth of the Fire Crest from her was not entirely unexpected, given the fact that he knew she was its bearer.Lawrence the
Nicole looked up at Lulu before flashing her a wicked smirk. She did not want Lulu to be concerned about the Water Crest, let alone know that Lawrence was searching for it."It's nothing. Don't worry about it. By the way, there is something you should know. The more silent Harvey is, the more things he has up his sleeve. You have to be alert at all times," Nicole reminded."Yes! I will keep my eyes glued onto him," Lulu said.Lulu knew that Nicole had a million other things to deal with and among them, Harvey was nothing but a nuisance. She did not want Nicole to waste her time dealing with him and putting up with his crap.Nicole smiled as she stood up and walked to her desk, and that was when Lulu knew that it was her cue to leave Nicole's office.Meanwhile, Lawrence had just gotten into his car after walking out of the headquarters of Riddle Corporation."Mr. Royce, how are things with Nicole? Can she be of any help to you?" Ian asked.Lawrence shook his head. "She won't be a
As soon as they arrived at the Riddle residence, Nicole found that her expectations were met. The house was indeed very lively.Sally Kane had also shown up with a bloated belly and to Nicole's surprise, Cherry Jean was also present."Everyone's here now so let's head over to the dining room. We'll begin our dinner shortly," Gloria announced.Everyone nodded, made a beeline for the dining room, and took their seats next to each other. In no time, the dining room was filled with chatter and laughter again.Gloria and Daniel sat on the opposite ends of the long dining table across one another while the rest sat facing each other.As for Lulu, she took a seat next to Nicole and whispered, "What's up with her voice? Is Stanley really going out with her?"As obvious as it was to everyone, it was a family dinner. Therefore, it was surprise that Stanley had brought Cherry Jean over for dinner.'Is this a way of telling everyone that they're now official?' Nicole wondered."I'm not so
"Gloria, there's really no need to," Tia, who was helpless, pleaded.Everyone in the Riddle family really cared about Tia and was doing this for her sake. On top of that, Tia had been with the family for a really long time and had taken care of Mrs. Wallace Sr. for nearly a decade now. Something about leaving her to be single for the rest of her life just did not sit well with them.Stanley narrowed his eyes at Tia as a heart wrenching feeling gripped his heart."I know you have feelings toward her," Cherry whispered to Stanley.Everyone in the room could sense that Stanley had reserved a soft spot for Tia in spite of the fact that he had announced Cherry as his official girlfriend now.At a loss for words now, Stanley turned to Cherry and frowned.'Why do I feel like I have done something wrong?' Stanley wondered.Cherry saw right through him and patted his arm to comfort him. "Hey, hey. Pipe down, would you? You don't want to let all of your previous efforts go to waste now, d
"It's nothing," Jane replied with a smile."Your workload isn't heavy, so we'll be able to manage," Sean added."That's because you're capable enough to juggle between your tasks and my own, not because of how little work there is," Steve said.He knew that everyone already had their own share of assignments, so having them shoulder his burden would definitely add to the amount of tasks they had to complete."We are all family, and being able to help each other is a good thing," Daniel said, and looked at Sean. "But you need to take good care of yourself too. Just get another secretary to help you out if it's too much for you to handle.""Yeah, I'll think about it," Sean said.He knew that Daniel did not want him to sacrifice his and Jane's well-being for work, even though it was for the good of the company.Jane knew this all too well, so she smiled as a surge of warmth filled her from within.After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room to have a chat as a family. It wa
"Forget it. There's nothing more that I can say about it now," Tia finished.After all, Stanley was already together with Cherry.Mrs. Wallace Sr. looked at Tia and comforted her as she patted her hand. "You should go out there and make more friends in the future."Perhaps things would be different for Tia if she were in a different environment with new friends and a new life."I actually prefer staying at home," Tia told her truthfully. "I only agreed to go out because I saw everyone caring about me so much."She thought she should not let them down, so she would hang out with the others a couple of times and return to not doing so gradually.Mrs. Wallace Sr. patted her hand again, as she was still feeling sorry for her. "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore.""Let me help you up, Grandma." Tia lifted her up and sat her down on the bed.Then, she left the room after ensuring that Mr. Wallace Sr. was lying down comfortably.Tia sighed after closing the door. Now that she wa
"Okay!"Before Nicole could respond, both Nolan and Lana were already cheering and jumping up and down in excitement."Hey Tia. We're done eating. Let's go!" Lana ran over and grabbed Tia's hand."Let's go." Tia said, and proceeded to walk out of the house with Nolan and Lana.Nicole stared at Tia with her eyes narrowed.Then she looked at Stanley, confirming her assumptions. 'Something's going on between these two.'"Let's go," Jared said, whereupon Nicole averted her gaze and left with him."I'm done eating. I'm going to work." Stanley also got up, preparing to leave.However, Gloria was a little worried. "Shouldn't you rest for a few more days?"Stanley had just gotten discharged from the hospital. His injuries had not fully recovered yet, so she wondered if it would be advisable for him to leave."It's fine. I've already rested for a few days," Stanley replied.The seminar was nearing its end, and he had already delayed it for a few days, so he had to be present for the
As the saying went, "The best defense is a good offense." This meant that they should strike back while kiboshing Harvey's tricks successfully.Lulu's eyes widened. "So, can we really do that?"Although this idea was a rather ridiculous one, it would be great if they could seize the entirety of Ellison Group.Nicole smiled when she saw that Lulu finally understood what she was thinking. "We don't have the power to do so right now, and I don't have the intention to pull that off anyway.""Oh, what do you want to do, then?" Lulu raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. 'Wasn't that what Nicole meant just now? Did I misunderstand her or something?'"I mean, even if we do end up seizing a large percentage of Ellison Group's shares, we should just return them to Mr. Ellison. I don't want them."All she wanted to do was to teach Harvey a lesson, not wrest the entirety of Ellison Group for herself. She just wanted to get Harvey off her back, and permanently if possible. After all, with Thomas s
"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