"Did I disturb you?" Nicole asked when she saw him approaching her."Nope." Jared smiled, gently stroking her hair. "Just sleep. I'll watch over you."A warm feeling surged in Nicole's heart in an instant. She held Jared's hand, closed her eyes, and fell asleep, feeling content.Jared watched Nicole quietly, waiting for her to drift away before getting up and returning to the desk.His secretary had sent many files over to him, and so, he went on to get busy with his work.Meanwhile, Damien's house was empty and silent now that Damien was alone in it. Ever since he heard about what happened to Chloe, the air around him had been dark and oppressive.In the previous incident, Miley had taken the blame for Chloe, who was now arrested as well. Even Everett had fled abroad. This led him to wonder why his luck had been so rotten. It made no sense as to why he had been thwarted time and again.'Nicole is just a country bumpkin. Why is she so good at everything?' he fumed.He became li
"Forget it. Let's not talk about it anymore. We should be happy that we've finally caught the culprit who was trying to screw with me," Nicole said, slowly regaining her composure."That's right, and this deserves a celebration," Lulu agreed.She too had come to the conclusion that Chloe was reaping what she sowed."Mommy!" Nolan and Lana shouted as they pounced on Nicole, who went on to ruffle their hair."You're back," she greeted."Mummy, you came back so early today," they said, as they were used to arriving home before she did."Yep, I took half a day off," Nicole replied without giving them an explanation."Hi, Nicole," Tia came over to greet Nicole. "I'll get going then."Tia figured that since the kids had arrived home safely, she should return to her house at the back."Tia, please stay back and have dinner with us," June invited."Let's eat together. You should bring Mrs. Wallace Sr. along with you as well," Lulu echoed."No, I better get..."Tia was about to decl
Stanley dared not look back, as he had caught a glimpse of how depressed Tia looked when he was on his way out. All it would take was a second of hesitation, and Stanley might change his mind and stay back.'Let it be. Perhaps Cherry could help me out. If Tia cries for me, I will do my best to create a future for the both of us. But if she doesn't, I could only give her my blessings and leave her,' he concluded.After Stanley had vanished from the doorway, June and Lulu's whispering became even louder."Why is Cherry so rude?" Lulu asked."She looked alright the last time we saw her, though. Sheesh, I guess you can never judge a book by its cover," June said with a hint of disapproval."Perhaps they're in their honeymoon phase. People tend to act differently when they're in that phase, you know," Nicole stated calmly, though her gaze went to tell June and Lulu to quit it with the topic.Fortunately, the duo picked up on Nicole's signal almost instantly, and proceeded to change th
"I have no idea," Nicole replied.Shocked, both Lulu and June asked, "How could you not know?""Due to the fact that I've been very busy lately, I haven't had the time to ask about it. Besides, the date isn't even set, so there's no rush," Nicole said calmly.After hearing that, the two women rolled their eyes at Nicole. "There is nothing more important than this.""It's alright. Although we didn't have a wedding, we have been officially married for a long time now," Nicole said.She felt that a wedding would just be purely ceremonial since her situation with Jared was completely distinct from that of Lulu's and June's.Lulu sighed and shook her head, prompting Nicole to chuckle and ask, "What's wrong?"In response, Lulu looked at Nicole with envy and said, "Jared really does spoil you.""Hey, if you phrase it like that, a certain someone might get sad," Nicole teased.Knowing what Nicole meant, Lulu blushed. "I'm not saying Spencer's bad or anything."Lulu was just teasing N
Nicole opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Out of nowhere, Jared grabbed her and kissed right at the temple.Blushing, Nicole playfully frowned at Jared. "Get up already, would you?"With a gentle gaze, Jared planted a kiss on Nicole's forehead before releasing her for her morning shower.Nicole hurried off to the bathroom after she had gotten off the bed.She then calmed herself with a splash of cold water on the face. 'Will that jerk just chill in the morning? His appetite is almost too much for me to handle.'After washing up and preparing to make her way downstairs for breakfast, Nolan and Lana approached Nicole just as she was leaving her room."Mommy," the kids called out.With each of them clinging to Nicole's arms, the kids' faces lit up with delight as they headed to the first floor with their mother."Oh, you're all awake. Let's have breakfast then," Gloria greeted once she had seen them.As they were sitting at the dining table, Nicole noticed Stanley's pale complexi
Nicole chuckled and went on to encourage Lulu. "I sure will. Waiting for your good news.""The banquet is in the evening. Let's head there after lunch," Lulu suggested."I'm fine with that," Nicole agreed, as she was not planning to go on an empty stomach.Events such as these would usually provide wine and finger food instead of proper meals in large quantities."Nice, let's go grab lunch together." Lulu smiled.Nicole nodded and walked into her office, while Lulu returned to hers.Soon, it was lunchtime, and the two met up before heading out together."Ellison Group's annual celebration this year must be exceptionally grand, am I right? I heard many influential figures in San Joto are coming over," Lulu asked.Lulu had been to annual banquets before, but this was her first time attending one considered to be grand and high-budget."It should be." Nicole snorted.Regardless of how elaborate and grand it would be, she still had very little interest in it."Well, with Harvey
"Are these for Mr. Ellison?""Who would send so many flowers to him?"While everyone was busy discussing the flowers, the men carrying the bouquets unexpectedly stopped in front of Nicole and handed them to her.As Nicole could not hold all the flower bouquets on her own, she asked Lulu for help."What's going on?" Lulu whispered.Nicole shook her head, saying, "I have no clue."Then, a thought crossed Nicole's mind. 'Could it be from Harvey? Since everyone is here to congratulate Ellison Group, nobody else would dare to send me flowers on this occasion. Such frivolous extravaganza is something only Harvey would typically do.'"Thank you for coming to our annual celebration, Nicole. Your presence truly graces our celebration, so here is a little token of my appreciation. I hope you like it," Harvey announced as he sauntered into the venue."So it is Harvey's gift to Nicole.""But why did Harvey give Nicole presents?"As expected, the murmurs and whispers among the guests reac
With everything said and done, she turned around and left the crowd of screaming women. 'This is way too scary, even for me.'Nicole turned to look at Harvey after she had thrown the bouquet of flowers to the crowd of hormonal teenage girls, and in a monotonous voice, she said, "Mr. Ellison, I assume that everyone from your family is already here for the annual dinner. Shall we start? It's getting quite late."'I would like to see you try. You have the nerve for tricking me into coming. I'll show you how it's done. I can't believe he had the temerity to waste so many people's time.' Nicole sneered.Harvey smirked and gritted his teeth, trying to maintain his composure before making his way up to the stage to give an opening speech."He's flirting with you in front of so many people. Is he out of his mind?" Lulu asked in hushed whispers with a look of disgust plastered on her face.'I can't believe he really did that in front of everyone here. Come to think of it, I'm really starti
"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