"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
Feeling helpless, Harvey went on to say, "You don't have to turn me down so coldly, you know. After all, my grandfather is still in your hands."Upon hearing those words, Nicole glared at him. "Please watch your words, Mr. Ellison."'What is he saying? He's making it sound like I'm controlling Thomas and turning his grandfather against him,' she thought."Isn't that the truth?" Harvey shrugged. "It's very clear that my grandfather listens to you more than he listens to me now.""Pfft, so you finally admit that Mr. Ellison is your grandfather now, huh. You were so cruel to him. How is it that you did not bother to acknowledge that you're his grandson before this?" Lulu sneered with disdain.Nicole's lips twitched as she attempted to restrain herself from giving him a verbal lashing. She was annoyed because Harvey was still there.'Lulu sure is bold. So is it better to acknowledge him as a grandson or not?'Harvey looked upset as he glanced at Lulu coldly. "Although you are in cha
Feeling defeated, Lulu said, "He's basically using social coercion, isn't he?"Although Harvey said that everyone was going, that did not mean that Nicole must be there too."It's okay." Nicole smiled and looked at Lulu. "Perhaps there's something for me to gain out of showing up. You should come with me too.""Me?!" Lulu asked in surprise. "Are you sure it wouldn't be better for you to find a male companion?"Even if she did not wish to go to the event with Jared, Sean as her plus one would also be fine. Lulu believed her presence would not be of much help anyway."With so many shareholders and partners present, are you sure there's no one you'd like to get to know?" Nicole asked.Lulu blinked, starting to understand what Nicole was coming from.Then, she gritted her teeth and replied, "I guess that works too.""Hehe, alright. Gather some information when you're back," Nicole suggested.Knowing some background information about those people beforehand might prove to be handy
The car pulled up at a derelict building situated at the west of San Joto, where the kidnappers had instructed the driver to stop. However, they did not let him go. Instead, they knocked him out and left him in the car."Take her inside. Our job will be done once we're in. We'll take the money and leave," one of them said.The kidnappers wanted to leave San Joto right after they had gotten the money, which would be enough for them to start over.After entering the building, they tied Nicole to a chair and looked outside, seemingly waiting for someone to make an appearance.Nicole narrowed her eyes as a faint smirk crossed her face. 'Seems like Chloe won't disappoint me.'And as expected, Chloe arrived about ten minutes later.Nicole heard the scraping of a wheelchair on the ground, and that was when she looked up to see Chloe entering the building."Didn't expect to end up like this one day, huh?" Chloe mocked as she eyed a disheveled Nicole."Well, I'm not surprised," Nicole c
"Ah!"Following a shriek, the sound of a knife falling to the ground echoed crisply in the room.Everyone who was present was startled. None of them understood what had happened. It seemed that Chloe had just attacked Nicole with the knife, but it made no sense as to why she was in pain while Nicole seemed to be unharmed.Chloe, who was also shocked, looked at Nicole with disbelief. 'What just happened?'Nicole glanced at the knife on the ground and stood up, her gaze cold and dark.At that very second, everyone gasped. "What?! How did she escape?!"She was clearly tied to the chair, so how did she set herself free?Nicole flexed her wrists as she shot Chloe a cold, furious glare. "I've been injured, so my skills may not be at their peak, but a mere rope would never hold me down.""Hurry up! Go after her! Otherwise, we'll be screwed!"Chloe immediately retreated in a panic and ordered her assistant as well as the kidnappers to take care of Nicole.Everyone exchanged looks and
"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