Nicole gave Tia a meaningful look. "But ultimately, you can't keep picking them up forever, and if you want to see them, they're always here at home."With all that had been happening lately, Nicole had temporarily kept Tia in charge of sending or picking up the kids from school. But once things settled down, she planned to hire a driver. Plus, Tia and Stanley were planning to get married, and they would have their own matters to handle."Nicole, it's really no problem for me," Tia said, her cheeks slightly reddening."Don't worry, I'll arrange everything," Nicole shifted the topic. "Could you ask Mrs. Wallace Sr. if we can have dinner in the front yard?""Sure, I'll go ask," Tia agreed and headed toward the backyard."Mommy, if Tia isn't going to pick us up anymore, will Daddy and Mommy be the ones to do it?" Lana looked up and asked."You're getting familiar with San Joto, and you'll be starting elementary school soon. We'll arrange for a driver for you then," Nicole explained.
The new caregiver helped things work out smoothly. Tia could help for now and then marry Stanley comfortably once the caregiver got used to the routine."I get it, and I hope everything goes well for the kids. The caregiver is really doing a great job, so everyone can relax," Mrs. Wallace Sr. said, making it clear she was okay with this plan."Even though you have someone taking care of you, remember to let us know if you need anything," Stanley said. He knew Tia had been taking care of Mrs. Wallace Sr. for a long time and understood her needs."Don't worry, I'm good," Mrs. Wallace Sr. replied, looking happy and warm.The conversation flowed as they ate, and after dinner, they moved to the living room for a chat. The topic naturally drifted to Stanley and Tia's upcoming wedding."No need to hurry," Tia blushed, feeling shy."Well, I can't wait for Stanley to marry a great girl like you," grinned Gloria. Then she teased, "Stanley, make sure no one else snatches her away!"Tia blu
They had to plan stuff ahead so Steve could look after his pregnant wife without worrying about work and home."Okay, we gotta think about this and get it sorted," Daniel agreed, looking at Nicole. "If it's necessary, I can stay late at the office."Nicole shook her head, smiling. "Nah, Sean and I got it covered."Some department heads could decide stuff on their own, passing tasks as needed, while she and Sean would talk about and figure out the big decisions. She was confident they could handle it."Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? Take it easy," Gloria advised Nicole, looking worried.Nicole nodded, "I got it, don't stress."It was getting late, so after a bit of chatting, everyone went upstairs to rest.In Nolan's room, Nicole said, "I'll check out everything about Royal Creek Elementary before deciding.""But Mommy, I really want to go to Royal Creek Elementary. I'll work hard, even if it's tough," Nolan said firmly."Alright, I'll think about what you said," Nico
"Okay, got it," Ellar replied, then said, "I'll head back now.""Bye," Nicole nodded.As Ellar left Nicole's office, he accidentally bumped into Patricia. Feeling a bit flustered, he quickly explained, "I was just talking to Nicole about work stuff.""Work?" Patricia looked puzzled, thinking, 'Is there some new project he's been working on?'"Yeah, I'm done talking about it now. Gotta go," Ellar said, then rushed toward the elevator.Watching him hurry off, Patricia couldn't help but frown. 'Why is he in such a rush?'"Patricia, what are you looking at?" Lulu asked, coming over with a hint of confusion.Snapping back to reality, Patricia replied, "Nothing, I was just heading to see Ms. Riddle.""Let's go together then, I was going to see her too," Lulu suggested.So, they both entered Nicole's office together."Ms. Riddle, everything's sorted with DillCorp," Patricia reported."Good," Nicole looked satisfied."Everett has also made his move, we'll know more tomorrow," Patri
The next day, Patricia attended the bidding, and Riddle Corporation emerged as the successful bidder.Handing over the documents to Nicole, Patricia reported, "Ms. Riddle, everything went smoothly.""Good job," Nicole acknowledged, taking the documents.Lulu couldn't resist asking, "What was Everett's reaction?""He seemed shocked at first, then he left with a grim expression," Patricia replied, her voice tinged with coldness. "I'm sure he's figured it out by now.""Probably," Nicole agreed, her eyes narrowing slightly, knowing Everett wasn't one to be underestimated."Dealing with him is only going to get tougher," Lulu murmured.As they spoke, Patricia's phone rang suddenly.Frowning, she answered the call, "What's up?""I'll be right there." After hanging up, Patricia looked at Nicole anxiously. "Ms. Riddle, there's a sudden issue at the port. I need to go check it out.""Be careful," Nicole advised, sensing the urgency of the situation. She knew it wasn't the time to ask
"Come in," Nicole called out.Patricia entered, looking a bit tired. "Ms. Riddle...""Come, join us for lunch first," Nicole suggested, noticing Patricia's busy morning."Sure," Patricia agreed, taking a seat on the couch.After lunch, Patricia began, "There's an issue with the raw materials.""Everett's behind this again, isn't he?" Lulu clenched her teeth in frustration."Yes," Patricia nodded. "The cargo ship that arrived at the port had the wrong goods. We checked everything before it left, so something must've gone wrong on the way."Patricia added after a short pause, "I found out they swapped the goods at the last maintenance stop. So now, the real goods are probably with Everett."Nicole squinted a bit. "So, where are they now? Still in San Joto or at the last stop?""I've got someone checking, but no updates yet," Patricia replied."Let's wait for the news then," Nicole said, her tone getting colder. She figured once she knew where the materials were, she'd figure ou
At the end of the workday, Patricia and Lulu came to get Nicole so they could all leave together.Nicole glanced at Patricia and asked, "Are you heading to Martin's lab for your treatment today?""Today?" Patricia blinked, remembering that it was indeed supposed to be today."Martin said you missed the last appointment too. You would've forgotten again if he hadn't reminded you. Why?" Nicole asked, her brow furrowed.Patricia lowered her head. "I got caught up with some urgent stuff last time."She had indeed forgotten this time, too, as she had been preoccupied with the issue of the raw materials."Even if there's work, you could ask someone else to handle it. Your face is more important," Nicole expressed concern. "Work can wait, but delays with your wound on face could cause problems.""Ms. Riddle, I'll go in a bit," Patricia said, her voice dropping lower with what seemed like shame."Let's head over. Martin mentioned today might be the last time for the medication change.
Cindy looked at Nicole and asked, "May I treat you to dinner today?""Is everything okay?" Nicole noticed something strange in Cindy's tone and furrowed her brows slightly. 'She doesn't sound like it's just a casual hangout with friends.'"Well, I'm leaving, so think of it as a goodbye dinner for me," Cindy said, forcing a bitter smile.After all this time, she felt like she couldn't keep holding on and was ready to let go of her feelings for Martin."You're going back? Why all of a sudden?" Lulu was shocked. 'Didn't she come here for Martin? Is she giving up now?'"It's nothing. My research project ended a while ago, and I've been here longer than needed. It's time for me to go back." Waiting around felt suffocating, so she wanted some fresh air."Are you sure about this?" Nicole asked, showing concern."Yeah, I've made my decision," Cindy said firmly, feeling there was no reason to stay any longer.Nicole glanced subtly at Martin, noticing he seemed lost in thought. It meant