After dinner, Tia, blushing at Stanley's response, wheeled Mrs. Wallace Sr. out of the room. Stanley followed, offering to help.Gloria watched Stanley's caring gestures and felt a sense of relief. "I can finally relax now," she said, smiling contentedly.Nicole joked with Gloria, "Guess you don't have to worry about any of us anymore."Gloria turned to Nicole, and sensing Gloria's next question, Nicole quickly changed the topic. "Mom, I'll go check on Nolan and Lana," she said, pulling Jared with her as they quickly went upstairs.She had a hunch that if they stayed, the conversation might turn to her and Jared, which she wasn't ready for.Gloria shook her head at Nicole's hasty departure. "This girl...""Don't interfere in her matters," Daniel advised Gloria. He knew about Nicole and Jared's situation and didn't want to pressure them.Gloria sighed, agreeing not to pry. She trusted Nicole and Jared to sort things out on their own."Let's go rest," Daniel suggested, and they h
Jared was aware that what they had asked from Preston and his team might not be a simple task.Furrowed his brow slightly, he said, "Let's visit them at Finley Group tomorrow."Nicole, considering their options, agreed. "That's a good idea. We might be able to help if they're stuck on something."After shutting down their computers, Nicole and Jared joined Nolan and Lana, who were busy building with blocks. "Playing with blocks, huh? Mommy and Daddy will join you," Nicole said cheerfully.Lana excitedly agreed, while Nolan, letting go of his blocks, said, "That's great, you guys play with her.""You're not playing?" Nicole asked, surprised.Nolan shrugged, a look of disdain on his face. "It's a kid's game. I'm not interested."Nicole's lips twitched slightly as she was amused and bemused by her five-year-old's disdain for "kid's games".Nolan, unbothered, picked up a book and started reading seriously.Nicole shook her head, laughing lightly, and started playing with Lana. Lan
Nicole finally got why the project was dragging its feet.She had requested a tracking program, something she thought would be easy for the team.But it turned out they were up to more than she asked. They were setting a trap with a phishing program, aiming to switch the real decryption program with a fake at the last second. Their plan? To snag Water Crest's data without raising any alarms.Nicole bit her lip, pondering abit before she said, "That's a good idea, but it's definitely risky."Even she wasn't entirely sure they could pull it off. The program was complex."We can give it a try," Jared decided, after considering Nicole's words.Nicole looked at him, "We can't be certain of winning."If they failed, they'd alert the enemy and create more trouble."But it's worth trying," Jared said calmly, confident in their abilities.Gary was eager to get started, "Let's do it."Ryder also agreed, "I'm on board."Preston looked to Nicole, "I'll follow your lead."Everyone turne
"Good idea, we should try it," Ryder said, impressed and in agreement with Nicole's proposal.After deciding on their next steps, the team got busy implementing their plan."Done!" they exclaimed, as the clock neared noon.With a collective cheer, they finally completed the program on Nicole's computer."It's perfect timing. You can take the program with you, and our mission here is accomplished," Preston said with a sigh of relief. He had been under a lot of pressure these past few days, worried about affecting Nicole's work."Thank you all," Nicole expressed her gratitude. "Since it's lunchtime, let's eat together.""Sounds good, I'm starving after working all morning," Preston said, rubbing his stomach."Let's go then," Ryder and Gary agreed.Nicole smiled, "I'm paying, as a thank you for your help.""No need for that," Gary laughed. "We're friends, aren't we? It would be odd to be so formal.""Exactly, because you're friends, I want to treat you. How else will I have the
"We always tell the truth," Gary said earnestly.Nicole, smiling, complimented the group, "You've all improved a lot since five years ago."Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and before they knew it, lunch was over.As Nicole and Jared prepared to leave, Gary said, "Let's catch up again soon. I'm looking forward to your good news."Nicole nodded, understanding he was referring to the Water Crest program. "Definitely," she replied.After Nicole and Jared drove off, Preston also left, leaving Gary reflecting on how nice it was to work with Nicole again and how much things had changed for the better over the past five years.Back in the car, Nicole touched her laptop bag and said to Jared, "It looks like we'll have results soon."Jared, holding her hand gently, agreed, "Yes, very soon."Nicole smiled at him, "After all this time, some things are finally coming to an end.""Have you thought about how you'll accept the outcome?" Jared asked softly.Nicole nodded, "I've though
Nicole agreed, "That's a good idea. But I'm a bit worried about Uncle Dillon and Karen; they might say something that would upset Grandpa."In truth, she wasn't too concerned about Dillon, but Karen worried her."I understand. Don't worry," Daniel assured her.If Dillon or Karen said something too harsh, it could be overwhelming for Benjamin.After all, Damien was Benjamin's son. Even if he was disappointed with Damien, seeing Damien in such a state would surely be distressing.After breakfast, everyone departed from home.On the road, Nicole gazed at the bustling streets, a hint of contemplation reflecting in her eyes.Jared gently held her hand, speaking softly, "Everything will be alright.""Mm," Nicole nodded. She wasn't really worried, just suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed.The police car, taking Damien to court, was already leaving the police station, escorted by other police vehicles in the front and back.Following their planned route, everything was going smoothly
"Well, it's not like you're dead yet," one of the men shrugged indifferently.Damien seethed with anger. "Don't you want to get information from me anymore?""Hmph, when our boss arrives, you won't have a say in what you want to say or not," the man replied fiercely.Damien couldn't help but feel frustrated. At this point, he didn't have much leverage, so he had to ensure his own interests were secured. Otherwise, if they burned bridges, he'd be the one left in a tough spot."Boss!"As he was contemplating, Damien heard several people calling out, prompting him to look up.Frowning at the man approaching, Damien asked, "Are you Scorpio?""Speak," Scorpio responded tersely, not saying much else.Damien knew Scorpio wanted him to divulge information about Water Crest, but he wasn't foolish enough to reveal anything at this point.Struggling to stand up, Damien negotiated, "This place isn't secure. You have to take me to a safe location before I can tell you anything.""Actually
After departing from the scene, Seth and his group updated Max about the outcome.Max then relayed the information to Jared. "Mr. Johnston, everything went as planned. We let Scorpio go," Max reported over the phone.Jared, maintaining his usual calm demeanor, hummed in response.Max continued, "We collaborated with the police to apprehend some of Scorpio's men. Damien is back in custody and will face trial today."Pleased with the outcome, Jared commended, "Good job.""It all unfolded just as you predicted," Max sighed.From the beginning, Mr. Johnston had anticipated Scorpio's actions. After strategizing with law enforcement responsible for the case, they set up the trap, and indeed, Scorpio took the bait."Mr. Johnston, Scorpio might make other moves now," Max speculated.Given today's events, once Scorpio reflected on it, he'd realize he fell into a trap and would not be able to gain any information from Damien. So, he might take matters into his own hands.Jared narrowed