Cherry, who had linked arms with Gloria, happily chirped, "I'll go over and visit her after we've eaten dinner."Cherry had taken a fond liking for Gloria, in spite of knowing that she would not be with Stanley. She envied him for having such an amazing mother, and if anything, Cherry actually felt at home under Gloria's wing.Ever since they met over a blind date that Gloria had set them up on, Stanley had made it clear to her; they would not progress beyond a relationship which Cherry could be on board with.On the other hand, Cherry loathed her family for setting her up on blind dates without her consent. She did not want anyone to interfere with who she wanted to be with. She had, for the longest time, been standing her ground and protesting that she was old enough to make her own decisions.At the dinner table, everyone chatted with one another happily. However, once the meal was almost over, Cherry slipped away to look for Tia. Nicole, who noticed this, shot Stanley a look of
'For the first time in a long time, he openly announced his relationship with her to his family. For him to do something like that takes a lot of courage. He must've thought very highly of her. I don't want to be the third wheeler here,' Tia continued.With an expression of sympathy on her face, Cherry looked at Tia and said, "Tia, have you never once considered that the person you love shares the same feelings for you too?"It was at that moment that Cherry understood why Tia was so afraid of crossing the line. 'She cares much more about Stanley than I've previously thought.'Cherry then reflected on how Tia had reacted when she attempted to pair the two of them together. Whenever Cherry tried to create opportunities to bring them both closer together, Tia would crumble into a panicky mess.'My efforts have pushed her to the point where she would guard her emotions even more fiercely. I'm afraid that dragging this on in the long run will obliterate whatever feelings they have for
Tia sat there in a daze as Cherry left the room.'This is a dream, isn't it? Everything just came rushing out all of a sudden. I can't believe he doesn't have a crush or a girlfriend all these whiles. But what did she mean when she said Stanley thinks that I have feelings for someone else? Who else does he think I like?' Tia pondered.Tia felt lightheaded as she dragged her feet back to her room. 'I think I need some time to process all of this information. I can't think properly anymore. Seems to me that a lot of things have happened under my nose...'Meanwhile, Cherry had just made her way to the living room.And when Stanley saw her coming in, he quickly stood up, "I'll send you home.""Sure!" Cherry chirped and followed him out."Stanley, the only person Tia has feelings for is you. You better go ahead and win her heart," Cherry teased and smiled.Stanley could not believe what he had just heard, so he gave her a blank stare.In turn, she simply looked at him and shrugged,
Nicole then theorized, 'If Stanley and Tia had gotten together earlier on, perhaps Mom might have a milder reaction as compared to what she's dealing with now.'Jared, who remained uninterested, gently caressed Nicole on the shoulder. "It's getting late. Let's head to bed."Nicole still had a lot on her mind, as she had been worried sick about Stanley. 'I guess I'll leave the rest to him.'After a slight pause, she looked up at Jared and smiled. "You can take a shower first. I have a call to make."Jared immediately understood Nicole's intent and made his way to the bathroom. "Okay, but don't take too long."Nicole took her phone out and dialed a number that was all too familiar to her now.Then, Zane's voice blared out from the speaker. "Nicole?"There was a tone of surprise as he greeted her.Suddenly, Nicole felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. "Zane?"Zane issued a massive sigh of relief at once. "Since you're calling me right now, this must mean that you remember every
Nicole was dead serious. "Yeah, I can't back out now."Zane pondered for a moment, whereupon he agreed, "Since we can't avoid this, we might as well work together once more. However, you don't need to come over to HQ to do any field work. You can stay where you are now and provide us with intel. Don't hesitate to let us know what you need help with."'As long as she doesn't put herself in danger, there shouldn't be a problem,' he thought.Nicole nodded. "Sure, no problem. I'll handle the side of things here at San Joto and leave the rest to you."To that, Zane sternly replied, "Okay."'If the Eastern Falcon is thinking of making a return, we won't hold ourselves back this time around,' Zane thought, determined to bring his adversaries down.Nicole sighed as she hung up and she reminisced about the days when she was still an active member of the organization. Near-death encounters were commonplace back in those days.Then, Jared came up to Nicole and whispered in her ear, "Have y
Since Harvey had given them the chance to bring him down, they would just seize it. It would be stupid not to.After careful consideration, Nicole smirked and said, "Well, that works.""I'll get on it then!" Lulu beamed excitedly, ready to do something big.And to that, Nicole chuckled and nodded in agreement, "Right. I'll leave it to you."Since Lulu had taken charge of any dealings with the Ellison Group, Nicole had faith that she would be able handle it well."I'll be on my way, then," Lulu responded, and began humming a cheerful tune as she left.After giving Lulu's figure a smile, Nicole got busy and flipped through the documents on the desk to peruse them.About an hour later, she heard a knock on a door."Come in," Nicole said without looking up, as she was focused on her work.It was Patricia, who then opened the door and walked up to Nicole's desk. "Ms. Riddle? There are updates pertaining to Damien."Upon hearing that, Nicole immediately looked up. 'Has he finally d
Nicole, expecting some sort of news from him, was surprised when Jared maintained his silence. "Did you really just come over to have a meal with me?"She thought something significant had happened, but upon noticing that he had not said a word along the way, she concluded that she had simply misunderstood.The smile from Jared proved exactly that. "Just a meal, yeah.""Oh, I thought something occurred, and you came over to tell me about it." Nicole took a sip of water.Teasing her, Jared said, "You seem quite disappointed."Annoyed, she rolled her eyes and placed her glass down. "Of course I'm not."As Jared's sudden appearances usually indicated that there was something he needed her to know, it was natural for her to assume that he had brought some kind of word with him. Still, she was happy that he had simply brought her out for a regular meal.With a gentle smile on his face, he explained, "I just signed a project, and I thought I'd come to see you after I'm done with it."
"Hehe." Ellar awkwardly smiled. "She got injured while saving me, so I just wanted to know more about her.""Is that all?" Nicole squinted at Ellar, unable to shake the feeling that he was up to something.There was something obviously unnatural and forced about the expression on his face, and yet he stuck to his guns and insisted, "Yes, that's all.""Oh." Nicole uttered, trying to stop herself from exposing him.After shooting him another glance, she said, "Patricia didn't come.""Is she okay?" Ellar asked, seemingly a little disappointed."The injury has already healed. You don't need to worry about it," Nicole replied with a slight smile as she looked at him.Ellar looked away in discomfort, and after coming up with an excuse to skedaddle, he said, "I'm running out of time. I'll go meet my business partner now.""Sure, go ahead." Nicole grinned.Ellar was beginning to feel a little uneasy. Something told him that Nicole had seen through him, and that was good enough of a re
"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