"Nicole, I've come to deliver good news," Ellar said with a cheerful smile."Wow, that's quick!" Nicole was surprised.They had discussed the matter in passing last night, and yet, the results were already in."Yes, I got the news, so I came over to tell you right away." Ellar proudly handed the documents to Nicole. "Please, take a look!"Nicole rolled her eyes and grabbed the documents.After flipping through them, she nodded in approval. "Excellent. Keep up the good work. I believe you'll be able to secure the project.""Although we've only passed the bidding phase this time, I will work hard for the project," Ellar said.He had invested a great deal of effort into this project, so it was natural for him to hope for a positive outcome."You know, for something like this, you could have just faxed it to me. Why bother coming over in person?" Nicole asked after placing the documents down."Well, it's quite a big deal for me, so I had to come and inform you in person. Besides,
Dusk arrived in the blink of an eye, and just like that, it was time for them to clock out.With that, Nicole and Lulu left the company together, while Patricia drove them to the location where they had agreed to meet up with the rest.Upon arrival, Nicole saw Tia waiting at the restaurant's entrance, waving happily as she spotted them."Hi, Nicole," Tia greeted Nicole with joy.The feeling of loneliness within her was gone in an instant."You're remarkably punctual," Lulu teased after they approached Tia."I didn't want everyone to wait for me," Tia explained softly.Lulu then glanced at Nicole and said, "Let's go inside. I think everyone else should be here by now.""Sure," Nicole agreed.But just as they were about to enter, someone called out to her. "Hey Nicole! Wait for me!"Nicole turned around and was surprised to see Ellar rushing over to her, causing a smirk to play on her face.She suddenly understood why Ellar was not reluctant to leave this morning. He had proba
Lulu smiled when she saw how reserved and introverted Tia was. "Tia, don't isolate yourself. Come play with us.""Why don't we eat first?" Stanley suggested as soon as Lulu had spoken.Lulu was taken aback as she thought to herself, 'It's already strange enough that Stanley is here today, and now, his behavior is even more unusual.'"Sure, let's have the waiter serve the dishes." Don got up to call the waiter over.Soon after, everyone got seated and dug into their meal.The bridesmaids had already met the scions of the Riddle family, so they were not very reserved during the meal. After chatting for a while, the men found common topics they could discuss and became even friendlier with each other.In contrast, Nicole appeared to be a little detached. There was a faint smile on her face as she watched the group of people chatting and laughing among themselves. Patricia, who was sitting next to Nicole, wanted to just remain quiet as well, but unfortunately, she could not.Ellar h
However, June seemed to have also realized what was going on; she seemed to have finally understood why Stanley would be here. Still, she was a little puzzled because she knew he was supposed to be preparing for his engagement with Cherry.As these thoughts raced through her mind, she could not help but shift her gaze to Nicole, who saw the frown of disapproval on her face. This gave Nicole a hunch that June was probably thinking that Stanley was cheating on Cherry.Upon realizing that, Nicole shook her head, signaling June not to worry and that they should let Stanley deal with his personal issues himself.Both June and Lulu approached Nicole after sensing that there was more hot gossip around the corner. "What's going on? Do you know something that we don't?""I can only tell you that Stanley and Cherry's engagement is all just smoke and mirror. Still, I must ask that you keep it a secret for now. Nobody should know about this, not even Samuel and Spencer," Nicole said to them.
"Tia?" Stanley frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy."Let's go inside. There's going to be a lot of misunderstandings if we linger," Tia said, and returned to the room.Stanley's arm froze mid-air as he reached out to grab her. All he could do was sigh and watch as Tia's figure disappeared into the room.He felt completely defeated and helpless, and had no choice but to return to the private room. However, his gaze darkened when he saw that Don had already pulled him a chair to get her to sit next to him."You're back. Come, have a seat right here." Samuel waved to Stanley, beckoning him to the seat beside."Stanley, why did you go outside just now?" Samuel asked, curious."It's nothing," Stanley coldly replied before lowering his head to eat what was left of the dishes.Having seen how Stanley had reacted to Samuel's question, Lulu and June lifted their brows at Nicole, and darted their eyes toward Stanley for a brief second as if to say, "Hey, it seems as if it's working."Nicole
He felt as if everyone was trying to bring Tia and Stanley together. However, he was puzzled as to why, as Stanley was already in a relationship with Cherry.June held Samuel's hand and beamed. "It's not a problem at all. Oh, I'm getting tired. I'm going home to get some sleep.""Oh, alright. Let's go home," Samuel replied once June had caught his attention.Smirking, Lulu turned to Nicole. "We'll get going first.""Okay, I'm going home too," Nicole echoed, and looked at Patricia. "Let's go.""Sure thing," Patricia said, and headed to the car.As for Ellar, he remained silent as he tailed her to the parking lot.However, his act had invited nothing but scorn from Patricia, who then stopped to roll her eyes and ask. "Aren't you going home?""Em," Ellar fumbled. "Are you mad at me?""Why would I be mad at you?" Patricia said, driven to the point of speechlessness.Ellar scratched his head and mumbled, "But you haven't talked to me the entire night."He did not dare to say anyt
Nicole felt that both Patricia and Ellar's personalities complimented each other well. However, the question of whether they could leverage that fact to build a connection was ultimately for them to answer.With this in mind, Nicole looked at Ellar, feeling that his future would be full of uncertainties.Meanwhile, Stanley was still driving Tia home. She was riding shotgun with her head bowed as she struggled with the awkwardness within her. She had indeed planned to head home without joining the karaoke session, but she did not want to go home with Stanley. With the two of them being the only ones present in the car, Tia could not help but endure the crippling anxiety she was feeling at the moment."What did Cherry say to you?" Stanley abruptly asked.He noticed that the way Tia treated him had significantly changed after her conversation with Cherry. It was as if Tia was purposely avoiding him, leading him to suspect that Cherry had said something controversial enough for Tia to
Tia blanked out and froze when she felt a warm sensation on her.Once Stanley had checked Tia's temperature and confirmed that she was not sick, he frowned and asked, "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?"Tia's temperature was normal, but she did not look comfortable at all in Stanley's eyes."Tia?" Stanley called out to her again when he did not get a response the first time."Em, huh?" Tia snapped out of it and looked at him.What the both of them failed to realize was that their faces were inches away from one another, and as expected, Tia's lips accidentally grazed Stanley's cheeks.Shocked by what she just did, Tia backed off and shivered as her mind erupted into chaos. Stanley, who did not see this coming at all, was also left in a daze.The atmosphere in the car became even more awkward than ever, but then, there was also a sexual tension that was not there before."Ugh." Stanley coughed, being the first to snap out of his stupor.He then repositioned himself a
"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