"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
Feeling somewhat awkward, Cindy gathered her courage and said, "I guess I'll ride with Nicole."Although she'd previously traveled with Martin, now that she'd decided to leave, she suddenly didn't know how to face him. Maybe more than anything, she worried about her own reluctance to part ways."Come in my car," Martin suggested, breaking the silence for the first time.Cindy secretly bit her lip, feeling a mix of emotions, but she could only agree with a stiff nod. "Okay."Once in the car, they both sat in silence, the air heavy with tension."You..." Martin started."You..." Cindy started at the same time. They paused, then Martin said, "You go first.""No, you first," Cindy deferred.In truth, Cindy didn't have anything particular to say; she just wanted to break the ice and avoid the awkwardness. But now that Martin prompted her, she found herself at a loss for words.Seeing her hesitation, Martin spoke up, "I just wanted to say, if you need any help, you can ask me."Cin
Even though they were sad to say goodbye to Cindy, they knew they couldn't change the situation. So, they all agreed to celebrate her farewell with happiness. They didn't want a gloomy atmosphere to ruin the mood.They raised their glasses in agreement, saying, "Even though you're going back, we hope you'll come visit us often.""I will, and if any of you ever come to my country, you must let me know so I can show you around," Cindy said, feeling grateful for their warmth.She had originally come for love, but despite that not working out, she had unexpectedly found friendship, which was a treasure in its own right."Cheers!" After clinking glasses, everyone finished their drinks."Come on, let's not leave here without feeling a little buzzed tonight," Lulu said, pouring more wine into everyone's glasses.As they ate, drank, and chatted, the sadness of saying goodbye started to fade, and the atmosphere became warmer."Cindy, it doesn't matter if you weren't happy here. Once you'
"You shouldn't drink so much when you can't handle it," Martin said with a hint of helplessness.Supporting Cindy proved to be quite a challenge, so he ended up carrying her back to her apartment.After he laid her down on the bed and tucked her in, Martin went to the kitchen.He made some lemon ginger tea and helped Cindy drink it, making sure she finished it all before feeling a bit better."Just try to sleep it off. You'll feel better in the morning," Martin said, putting the empty bowl away, ready to head out.Suddenly, Cindy grabbed onto the edge of his clothes, muttering something.Struggling to make out her words, Martin leaned in closer to hear her better."Martin, don't you get how I feel? Why do you seem so cold?"I'm leaving. I won't bother you anymore. I'm going back to get married. I hope you find happiness..."Martin, why don't you care about me?"While Martin was listening to Cindy's disjointed words, his frown deepened. 'She's going back to get married? Why di
With Cindy around, it seemed Martin never had to worry about anything; she always had everything organized and ready for him. Suddenly without her, he felt somewhat lost.After Nicole retrieved the backpack and arrived at Riddle Corporation, Lulu immediately thanked her. Nicole was surprised to see Lulu at the office. "I thought you were supposed to rest at home. Why did you come to the company?""I'm fine. I thought I'd do some work instead of just resting at home and being bored," Lulu shrugged, smiling.Handing the backpack to Lulu, Nicole advised, "You still look pale. Don't push yourself too hard.""I'll rest in the office if I get too tired," Lulu said, scratching her head sheepishly, "I didn't think I'd drink so much without realizing.""Now you know how uncomfortable it feels. Let's see if you dare to drink that much again," Nicole said, feeling a bit unsure.Lulu chuckled with guilt and then asked, "How's Cindy? She drank a lot too, didn't she?"Nicole shook her head, "
A loud bang echoed, followed by the screech of multiple vehicles coming to a stop."What's happening?" someone shouted from the halted vehicles, their voice tinged with frustration."Looks like a tire blew out, I'll take a look," another person responded, stepping out of the vehicle.After examining the tire and the road, the person's face went pale, and they couldn't help but exclaim, "We're in trouble!"The other vehicles quickly reacted, with around a dozen men getting out and forming a protective circle around the trucks."What's going on?" someone called out into the darkness.The person checking the situation replied, "Can't say for sure, but there's a spike strip on the road. The tire blowout was intentional."Tension thickened in the air at this revelation.The group remained on edge, keeping watch all around. They weren't sure when or where an attack might come from, but they knew they were surrounded."The group seems pretty alert," Seth remarked, his voice dripping
"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