Nicole glanced around, missing Stanley's presence. "Isn't Stanley coming back for dinner?" she wondered aloud."He's in the backyard and said he won't be joining us," replied the butler.Realizing Stanley was probably with Tia, Nicole helped Gloria stand up, saying, "Well then, let's eat." Daniel and Jared got up, and they all made their way to the dining room.With a bit of teasing in her voice, Nicole remarked, "Seems like Stanley and Tia can't get enough of each other, huh?"Gloria, holding Nicole's hand, smiled warmly. "Yes, it's heartwarming to see them like that.""They'll be just fine," Nicole agreed with a nod.Then Gloria, giving Nicole a knowing look, said, "I know you're swamped with work, but don't forget about your own life too."Nicole blushed a little at the hint. "We know. We're pretty much ready, just waiting for the right moment."In truth, Nicole and Jared had everything set for their wedding, but the timing wasn't right yet, so they'd put it off.Gloria adv
Nolan remembered what Nicole had said: "If Lawrence needs help, he should just ask us."He wished Lawrence had asked because he would've been glad to help. But Lawrence chose not to, maybe because whatever he was doing wasn't good for them, and that's why he didn't tell them.Thinking about it made Nolan feel weak. He wished he was stronger so Lawrence wouldn't have manipulated him.'I need to work hard to reach my goal,' Nolan decided.Nicole smiled a bit and nodded at Jared."Let's leave him alone," Jared said quietly.They agreed to support Nolan, feeling both sad and proud of his determination.The house was quiet, everyone else was asleep.Nicole and Jared went back to their room. Nicole rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Jared then gently started massaging her head."You seem tired," Jared said, worried."I'm okay, just had a busy day," Nicole replied, shaking her head slightly.After a bit, Nicole patted his hand. "I feel better now."Stopping the mass
"Considering what you asked for, these are the folks I managed to find. You seemed in a rush. If not, I might've found more," Pisces explained, looking a bit helpless."Alright," Scorpio hesitated, then added, "Leave the room. They'll stay.""Sure thing," Pisces responded. "If you need anything, just let me know."Once Pisces left, Scorpio checked out the people Pisces brought in. "Were all of you previously bodyguards?""Yes," they answered together."And before that?" Scorpio inquired."Some worked as mercenaries," came the reply.Scorpio looked satisfied. Though fewer than he expected, their skills seemed sufficient for the task."I've got a job for you. Get it done, and this is what you'll get," Scorpio said, nodding toward a briefcase on the coffee table."We're in," they agreed, then inquired, "What's the job?""I need you to... handle someone for me," Scorpio replied cryptically.Silence settled in the room after Scorpio spoke."What, you nervous?" Scorpio frowned.
"Lulu, when those helpers arrive, can you please get everything organized?" Nicole instructed Lulu."Sure thing," Lulu agreed, "I'll start preparing right away."Lulu wanted to get things sorted in advance to avoid any last-minute rush when the others arrived. It would save effort once they showed up."Nicole, we understand things have been hectic lately. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take some time off," Sean suggested, concern evident in his eyes as he advised Nicole.Nicole smiled, "I'm good, no need to fret."Despite the increased workload, she didn't feel overwhelmed. Plus, Sean and Steve had their own tasks to manage. Besides, Steve had to look after Sally, so Nicole decided not to take a break.Frowning slightly, Steve asked, "You beat Lawrence and acquired the Water Crest, but he hasn't reacted in any way?"He found it odd for Lawrence to stay silent."No matter what his next move is, I'll handle it," Nicole's expression turned serious. She looked at Sean and Steve wit
Soon, they reached the kindergarten."Nicole, what should we do?" Tia's eyes were brimming with tears, her worry evident.Nicole gritted her teeth and suggested, "Let's talk to their homeroom teacher now.""Okay, let's figure this out," Lulu agreed, heading off to find the teacher.They found the teacher, her face etched with worry."What happened?" Lulu asked, puzzled at how the kids could just vanish from the kindergarten."They came in disguised as delivery people. When they saw Nolan and Lana, they tried to take them. Some people tried to stop them, and there was a clash."They all left the school, and when we returned, the kids were gone. We've been looking ever since," the homeroom teacher explained, her voice laced with panic."Could this be a trap?" Lulu wondered aloud to Nicole.Lulu suspected that the men who intervened were the ones Jared had sent to protect Nolan and Lana. They probably didn't want to cause a scene at the school, so they handled it quietly."Were
After hearing the teacher's words, Nicole headed straight toward the storage room.The door was securely locked, requiring a password to open. It was an electronic lock, not just any ordinary one.Nicole touched the doorknob, pausing for a moment. She then activated a special feature on her watch. The watch connected via infrared and a virtual keypad appeared.With a few quick taps, she unlocked the electronic lock, and it clicked open.The staff who had followed Nicole were shocked to see her open the locked door so easily. They stood there, amazed and confused.'How did she open a locked door? Could it have been unlocked all along?' they thought.But Nicole didn't pay attention to their reactions. She entered the storage room and immediately began searching for Nolan and Lana.She had noticed while unlocking the door that someone else had previously used the same method. In this place, she knew only Nolan could have done that."Nolan, Lana?" Nicole called out gently, her eyes
"We're okay," Nolan and Lana assured everyone.The school staff, visibly relieved to see the children unharmed, showed their concern, asking if the kids were injured or frightened."The children are fine. They hid and fell asleep, so they didn't hear when they were called," Nicole explained."It's good that the kids are found," the staff said together, clearly relieved that the children weren't in danger."I'll take them home now. They will rest for a couple of days before coming back to school," Nicole decided, intending to give Nolan and Lana some time off."Alright," the homeroom teacher agreed, accompanying Nicole and the children to the kindergarten's exit."Let the kids rest well. We're sorry this happened. We'll strengthen our security measures," the homeroom teacher sincerely apologized to Nicole.Nicole, feeling a bit responsible herself, replied, "We should be the ones apologizing."She knew it wasn't the kindergarten's fault and was just thankful that no other childr
At this moment, it seemed right to let Nolan and Lana relax and get a good night's sleep.After ensuring they were asleep, Nicole took Lana back to her room and then went downstairs. Lulu and Tia were still engaged in conversation with Gloria. Seeing Nicole arrive alone, they understood that Nolan and Lana had already retired for the night.Nicole casually joined the group on the couch, but her mind was elsewhere. She was anticipating news from Jared's bodyguards, who had been protecting Nolan and Lana near the kindergarten and were now pursuing the kidnappers. Nicole was expecting an update on the situation soon.Her phone rang shortly after. It was Max."Make it quick," Nicole answered."The operation went smoothly, but the outcome is still uncertain," Max reported concisely."Okay," Nicole acknowledged and hung up, pleased that Max was succinct in his communication. His brief update was clear to her but vague enough to not arouse Gloria's concern.As expected, Gloria, thinkin