Jared went on to follow his family into the house, while Stanley stayed behind.Nicole arched her brows as she observed Stanley's actions, a smile creeping up her lips.She had deliberately mentioned to Stanley that they had just returned, and much to her amusement, Stanley seemed to have understood what she meant. If he did not, he would not have looked in the direction of Tia's quarters located at the backyard. At this time, he should be able to see Tia.Indeed, Stanley was looking at Tia. Though he had caught nothing but a fleeting glimpse of her back, which quickly disappeared into the house, his gaze remained fixed and unwavering.After a moment of hesitation, Stanley made a beeline to Tia's quarters in big strides.Things had settled down now that Cherry had left. However, he still could not shake the feeling that Tia had become more distant for the past few days.Today was a good opportunity for him to make his feelings obvious to her, so Stanley wondered, 'Why not clarify
"Let me help you with that." Stanley stood up.Stanley offering to help with clearing the table was something Tia did not see coming. She was so shocked that she almost dropped the plates she was holding."It's fine. I can do it myself," Tia declined, figuring that it would be inappropriate to let Stanley wash any of the dishes."Don't worry. I can help." Stanley said, holding the dirty cutleries and plates as he made his way to the kitchen.Seeing that, Tia could only follow him from behind. "Just leave them there. I'll wash them."Stanley, however, did not leave when he saw Tia rolling her sleeves up to wash the dishes. Instead, he simply stayed put and stared at her.Naturally, his gaze made Tia feel uneasy, which in turn made her clumsy. Even the clattering of the dishes in the sink became louder as she inadvertently struck them against one another. Stanley, however, was nothing short of happy. He could not help but smile upon hearing the clinking of the dishes.'If we ever
If he had just a little more courage, perhaps things would not have turned out this way. Fortunately, fate had been kind to him, making it so that Tia was not the one who got away."Martin and I..." Tia gritted her teeth, beginning to understand what Stanley was talking about. "There's nothing going on between us. I think he probably treated me well only because of Nicole."She had never thought that Martin would like her, let alone consider the idea that Stanley might have a crush on her. However, over the years, she came to learn that Stanley would always be there to help and support her whenever she found herself in a rough spot. Perhaps that was how she gradually fell for him.But due to their obvious differences in status, she had never dared to reveal her true feelings to herself. She believed that keeping them to herself was the best thing to do. However, that had only resulted in the both of them just silently looking out for each other, with neither of them having the coura
Nicole could not help but feel that something was off with Stanley today. She was wondering if he had made any progress with Tia, who showed up as the thought crossed her mind.Noticing footfalls in the living room, everyone stopped and looked back to see Tia approaching them."Have you eaten your breakfast?""Yes, thanks for asking. I'm here to pick the kids up," Tia replied."You're here early today, so I figured you might have skipped breakfast," Gloria said. "They're still eating, so you'll have to wait for a while longer. Come over and have a seat, please.""Oh, alright," Tia responded, not knowing where to put herself.Her relationship with Stanley had indeed changed overnight. Right now, she was plagued by feelings of uncertainty about how to best interact with the Riddle family moving forward, as neither she nor Stanley had informed others about the most recent development in their relationship."Stanley, it's been a while since you promised to tell me about your girlfri
"Harvey is now awake but he's in horrible condition. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario just happened. Harvey has become a broken man," Lulu sighed.Nicole had initially thought that she could be at ease once Harvey regained his consciousness. However, Harvey's current condition was anything but favorable. If anything, she should have stayed unconscious."Is Thomas still in the hospital?" Nicole asked."He's still here, worried sick about Harvey," Lulu replied in defeat.Nicole paused and thought for a moment, after which she ordered, "You should go ahead with your work at Ellison Group. Give him a few more days to process the reality around him and get his act together.""Alright," Lulu agreed, knowing that it would be a waste of time for them to expect anything from Harvey at the moment.As she hung up, Nicole frowned in frustration. 'Was the blow too strong for Harvey to handle?'"Do you think Harvey will recover?" Jared asked, his gaze conveying a hint of coldness.Nico
After hanging up, Nicole looked around her office with a sense of longing in her eyes. With Lulu's and Patricia gone, she felt rather lonely in this place. However, if Patricia's absence meant that she could find her happiness in BayCorp, Nicole would be more than happy to let her go. As for Lulu, she should be returning soon.She also believed that Harvey would not remain in the state he was in forever, although he would be broken and depressed for a while.Meanwhile, Thomas was sighing in despair as he stared at a catatonic Harvey in the ward. He had imagined all possible scenarios that would unfold following the end of the feud between Harvey and Nicole, but what he failed to anticipate was that the blow would be too strong for Harvey to stomach."Mr. Ellison? Will your grandson remain this way?" his assistant asked in concern."I hope he'll be back on his feet soon," Thomas replied, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness in this situation.He had hired some of the best psychol
There were so many family members present that there was not even enough space for everyone on the couch to sit on. Meanwhile, Nolan and Lana were clamoring to play outside, forcing Lulu and June to take them to the courtyard, with Samuel and Spencer following them.As Sally was pregnant, Steve was worried that she might experience bouts of exhaustion, so he got her to relax and reserved the most spacious seat for her. Sally then sat down, holding hands with Jane."Ah, would you just look at how sweet the couples are and how close the siblings are? It's truly a sight for sore eyes. I just hope that Emery's and Ellar's families will be the same when they get married." Emma sighed."Don't worry. It will," Gloria assured."Hey, Aunt Emma. Why aren't Emery and Ellar here?" Sean asked."Emery's girlfriend has an assignment abroad, so Emery has flown off to accompany her. As for Ellar, he is on a business trip and hasn't returned yet.""Oh, I see." Sean nodded, having asked the questio
Jared gently caressed Nicole's hair. Although moments of joy and peace like these made her content, he knew that all of the happiness the Riddle family enjoyed was only possible because of her. Having been through the trenches, she had endured and suffered her fair share of misfortune to make all of this happen. Thankfully, she had gotten what she wanted.After dinner was over, Benjamin called Sean and Nicole over to the study."Grandpa?" Sean asked with some confusion, "Why did you call us here? Is there something going on?"After casting a glance at Nicole, Benjamin turned his gaze to Sean and nodded. "Yes."Although she was surprised, Nicole had a vague feeling about what her grandfather was going to discuss. A faint smile crossed her face there and then."Grandpa, are you planning to announce this only to the two of us?" Nicole playfully teased.With a defeated smile, Benjamin replied, "You guessed it.""Clearly." Nicole grinned.It was rather obvious, so Nicole had no prob
"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