Nicole, in a frosty tone of voice, snapped back at Harvey. "We're indeed not as meddlesome as you."'Why does he have to butt in on how people raise their kids?' she thought.Harvey, who was feeling the sting from her words, replied, "I was just showing my concern.""We don't need your concern. You should rather pay attention to your own affairs," she said. 'He really should stop poking his nose where he doesn't belong.'Trying to suppress his anger, Harvey changed the subject and mellowed his tone. "Are you done eating?"'Nicole is getting ruder by the day. Am I really that bothersome to her?' he wondered.Instantly, Nicole got up with Jared. "Yes, we've finished. We'll leave you to eat your meal."Although Nicole's words were polite, her message to Harvey was clear; she was telling him to stay out of her and Jared's way.Harvey was seething as he watched them disappear from view, and so, he silently made a promise to himself, 'Just wait until my plan works out, Nicole. Everyt
"You're not going either, Patricia?" Lulu asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.She knew that if Patricia did not come along, Ellar would most likely not either. That would leave just four of them, making it somewhat less exciting for all of them.Patricia caught onto Lulu's hint, and after a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "Okay, I'll come.""Really? Count me in too!" Ellar's face lit up, as he was previously certain that Patricia would just say no to Lulu's idea.But before he could get too excited, Patricia shot him a frosty glare. "No, you can't join us.""Why not?" he asked, his momentary sense of joy dissipating. 'Where's the fun in that?'Lulu, whose brows were furrowed in confusion, turned to Patricia. "Come on, Patricia. Let him come. It'll always be more fun with more people, don't you think?""Yeah, exactly!" Ellar pleaded with Patricia, hoping she would change her mind.However, Patricia stood firm, going as far as giving him an ultimatum. "If you go, Ell
"Let's head inside," Patricia said, not giving away much about Charlie.She had not brought Charlie here to drink, and she was not here for that either.As the group went in, Lulu hung back and looked across the street.She could not spot Ellar's car, which made her worry. 'Will Ellar show up? Can he even find this place?'"Lulu, hurry up!" June called out."I'm on my way," Lulu replied and headed inside, completely oblivious to the van that had just pulled up at the curb.As the night progressed, Nicole and Jared were getting ready for bed when the phone suddenly rang. Such an unexpected call during such a late hour made Nicole frown as she picked it up."Ms. Riddle? Ellar has been injured." Patricia's voice came through, sounding grave."What's going on?" Nicole asked, her voice low and her gaze sharp."We were attacked at the bar. Ellar got hurt while he was trying to protect me." Patricia explained, her voice filled with worry and guilt.Upon hearing that, Nicole tensed u
Samuel looked at Spencer, his face as white as a sheet. "Are they talking about us?""Looks like it," Spencer replied as shivers ran down his spine.They were fortunate to have had Patricia on their side, or they would have been in big trouble.Lulu, looking equally worried, turned to Nicole. "Who are these people, Nicole?"Nicole's expression grew tense, and her eyes narrowed into a slit. She had hoped to keep them safe by not getting them involved, thinking that ignorance would protect them. But now, they were in just as much danger as she was."They're after Ms. Riddle." Patricia chimed in, deciding to fill others in on it after she had seen how troubled Nicole looked.June gasped, her voice filled with fear. "So, Nicole is their main target?"The thought that they were almost used as pawns to manipulate Nicole chilled her to the core. They owed their safety to Patricia and Charlie; otherwise, they could have been kidnapped and tortured as means to coerce Nicole into submitti
Charlie then gave Patricia a quick look and hurried out of the hospital."Ms. Riddle, it was all a blur. A guy pretending to be a waiter started a fight, and then a bunch of people barged in. That's when Ellar got hurt," Patricia said in a somber and heavy voice, her gaze fixed on the emergency room door.Patricia remembered being irritated that Ellar had tagged along when he had agreed that he would not. The next thing she knew, he had jumped into the fray. She was busy trying to shield Lulu and in the process, overlooked the other assailants who were sneaking up on her. But by the time she had gotten a firm grasp of the situation, she saw that Ellar's arm had already been slashed. That was when she and Charlie quickly neutralized their assailants and rushed Ellar to the hospital.Ellar's wound was bad but not crippling.Still, Patricia could not shake the feeling of guilt as she thought, "If I'd been more alert, Ellar wouldn't have ended up with a gash in his arm."Nicole saw th
While they were in the hospital room, Ellar helplessly muttered, "Actually, you don't need to stay. You should go home and get some rest.""Just go to sleep if you've got nothing else on your mind. I can get my rest anywhere and anytime." Patricia up to the couch, pulled a blanket over herself, and laid down."Let me know if you need anything," she said as she looked at him."Okay." Ellar sighed in defeat after returning Patricia's gaze.He was looking at the couch where Patricia was, shaking his head before laying down as well.Though Patricia had stayed to take care of him on her own volition, he truly hoped that she would just leave and get some sleep back in the comforts of her own home. However, it was evident at this point that Patricia would not listen to him; she would stay and accompany him through the night.'Forget it. I'm just going to keep quiet so that she can get some shuteye,' he thought.What he did not know was that Patricia was not able to sleep. Though she lo
"It's okay. We're still able to hold our own for now. It's just that the recent events have been rather weird, so I wanted to share some information with you," Nicole responded."Alright, if you need anything, feel free to reach out to me anytime," Zane agreed."Yeah, that's it for now," Nicole replied, and hung up."Isn't he with Lawrence?" Max's eyes widened in surprise. 'How could Everett go missing?'"He probably weaseled his way out of Lawrence's hideout," Nicole snorted. "Everett had only enlisted Lawrence's help to flee San Joto. It just so happened that Lawrence had decided to detain him there after they had both left the city. To flee at the slightest opportunity is something you can always expect from Everett.""Does Lawrence know about Everett's disappearance?" Max wondered aloud."He might, but as to whether he knows where Everett went, we can't be certain," Nicole sighed.After all, Everett would definitely elude Lawrence's vast surveillance apparatus if he truly wa
"Since you've made up your mind, let's go with your plan. The company has assistants and secretaries who can aid you if needed," Nicole reminded."Sure," Ellar agreed before giving her a smile. "And I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself.""Anyway, you should still wait a moment. Let the doctor examine you again. If everything is fine, you can prepare for your discharge," Nicole agreed."Okay." Ellar said, eagerly awaiting his discharge.Nicole then turned to Patricia, and in a voice brimming with concern, she asked, "How are you? Did you rest well?""You don't have to worry about me, Ms. Riddle. I slept well," she replied and shot Ellar a glance without realizing it.He was completely silent last night, and had probably done so on purpose to avoid disturbing her."As for the investigation, leave it to Charlie and Max. You should just focus on Damien." Nicole pursed her lips.She knew that Patricia was still feeling somewhat guilty and remorseful over the events of
"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