Just as Jared laid down, Nicole's arm reached over and landed on Jared's chest. She was leaning toward him as if she had sensed his presence.Smirking, Jared embraced Nicole affectionately and gently kissed her on the forehead before going to sleep.The next day, the sunlight was brilliant and warm. After breakfast, Tia came over to get the kids and send them to school.Jared and Nicole were ready to leave for work as well, but as Stanley was about to walk out the door, Gloria stopped him."Stanley, invite Cherry to have dinner at home tonight," Gloria ordered without stopping to ask for Stanley's opinion.She knew very well that Stanley would refuse if she had asked him."Mom, I don't think that's possible," Stanley frowned, feeling awkward and uncomfortable."Why not? Did the two of you really get into an argument? No wonder she hasn't been around lately," Gloria assumed, and her mind began coming up with all sorts of possibilities.Stanley was rendered speechless as he rubbe
Stanley looked at Nicole, stunned, unsure of how to respond to her. The situation between him and Tia had become so confusing and convoluted that he could not understand it either. Since the night when they accidentally kissed, Tia had been avoiding him. He could also feel that Tia had been keeping her distance from him."If Tia genuinely doesn't like you, she wouldn't have felt uncomfortable just now. She's probably just uncertain about her feelings. You should try being more direct with her. It's the best course of action for the both of you," Nicole said meaningfully, and gave Stanley a pat on the back."I should be more direct?" Stanley asked, and gave Nicole a frown. "But it would be too sudden for Tia.""If you don't take the initiative in relationships, someone else will," Nicole pointed out. 'If Stanley does not make the first move, what else can he expect? Is he waiting for Tia to take the first step?'Tia had always felt that she was inferior to Stanley. This much was obv
"I am the interim secretary assigned to help you out. I will be replacing Patricia until she returns," the secretary explained.Upon hearing this, Nicole understood that Jared must have assigned this secretary to help her out with the tasks that Patricia had always handled. The fact that she had shown up to sort through the documents was the reason as to why Nicole had thought for a second that Patricia was back.As it turned out, Jared had hired someone who mirrored her and Patricia's work habits and patterns. Everything was set up exactly like when Patricia was still here, which in turn made things easier for her.Feeling a sense of warmth and appreciation in her heart, Nicole smiled.She then instructed the secretary, "Alright. There's nothing here for now. You may leave.""Yes," the secretary said, and left the room thereafter.Nicole walked to her desk, grabbed the stack of files with a look of amusement, and began working in a good mood. With Jared's arrangements, Nicole fe
"Yeah, they won't stay mad at you for long once they know that you're happy and doing well for yourself," June chimed in.After all, most parents had only one wish for their children – for them to be happy and successful."Yes, I will," Cherry nodded.She knew her parents wanted nothing but the best for her, and she was willing to make concessions with everything except for her relationship. Once she had set her mind to being committed to one particular, she would absolutely not settle with others. Unlike other people, this was a compromise she would never make."Alright, here's to your happiness," Lulu said, raising her glass first."Thank you," Cherry responded, and lifted her glass as well.Others then followed suit, toasting to Cherry and wishing her well for the years to come. But like every farewell toast, this one carried a tinge of sadness too, and the atmosphere soon became less festive.After putting their glasses down, Cherry motioned for everyone to start digging in.
"No thank you," Tia rejected Lulu's suggestion, after which she grabbed her glass and chugged her drink down again.She did not want to answer anything, even if the questions Lulu had offered to ask her were simple. It was obvious that this game revolved around topics of personal gossip, making it hard for her to predict what was coming."Let me help you with that, " Stanley said, before taking Tia's wine glass away and chugging it down on her behalf.Tia looked at Stanley in surprise. She wanted to say something, but silence was all she could muster. She just could not find the words."Alright, let's continue," Lulu immediately called everyone back to the game, and they continued playing.From that point onward, Stanley went on to handle all the drinks, regardless of whether the turn was his or Tia's. Not only did he drink on Tia's behalf in all of the subsequent rounds, but he also gave all of his turns up."Lulu, that's enough. Don't get him hammered," June pulled Lulu aside a
Ultimately, Cherry felt that her family was so upset with her that they might even consider disowning her.Sensing Cherry's sadness, Stanley hesitated for a moment and said, "After you leave, I think your father will approach me. I'll try to talk him out of it."For a moment, Cherry's eyes lit up. "Thank you for that."She knew her father had a very favorable impression of Stanley. If Stanley spoke well of her, there was a chance that her father would not be as angry and saddened by what she had done.As they shared this sympathetic farewell, the others chatted away. No one was aware that Tia had been gone for quite some time."Where's Tia?" Nicole frowned and asked after everyone had eaten their fill."She said she went to the restroom," Cherry answered.She then frowned and pursed her lips as she suddenly realized, "She has been gone for quite a long time, hasn't she?""I'll go check on her," Stanley abruptly stood up and headed toward the exit.With that, Cherry followed su
After leaving the restaurant, Lulu burst into laughter. "Did you see that, Nicole? The expression on Harvey's face was absolutely priceless.""Those executives didn't look too pleased either," June added.Though she did not know the specifics, she knew enough to infer that Harvey was trying to make things difficult for Nicole."They were just feeling very awkward. It's fine. It won't affect our partnerships with them," Lulu explained.Upon hearing this, June nodded in understanding and smiled. "That's good, then."June understood the situation. Nicole and her team were collaborating with the executives, and coincidentally, Harvey had also invited them out, wanting to work with them. Hence, the meeting had taken a very awkward turn."Alright, let's all go home and get some sleep.""Goodbye everyone."After bidding each other their round of farewells, everyone got into their cars and left the restaurant.Just as Nicole and Jared were about to leave, the car suddenly came to a ha
Helpless, Harvey's assistant explained, "I was about to leave but I saw you kicking someone's car. I was concerned that you might get in trouble, so I came back."If Harvey got caught at the moment, his assistant would be the one left to bear the brunt of it."Hmm," Harvey snorted. "I could always throw money in his face.""If the owner insists on calling on the cops, you'll definitely get in hot soup." His assistant sighed.Those who had nothing to lose do not fear those in power. However, Harvey was the one with power in this case.Harvey then kept mum and stopped arguing with his assistant. If he ever got caught, there would indeed be another embarrassing situation to top the list for him. Moreover, the consequences would be disastrous if he allowed his personal issues to affect the company's image.After calming down, Harvey sat in silence, his gloomy eyes staring out the car window at the passing trees. The humiliation he had suffered today would be avenged. He would do his
"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