'She's even cracking jokes in a situation like this. I can't believe I was genuinely worried,' thought Lulu."I'm really considering our options," Nicole assured her earnestly."Then keep at it. Hopefully, you'll come up with something soon," Lulu played along, further lightening the mood.As they talked, the atmosphere became more relaxed.The car came to a stop, and the chauffeur announced, "Mrs. Johnston, we've arrived."Nicole glanced outside before opening the door and stepping out.Following her, Lulu eyed the imposing signboard in front of them and said, "Let's head inside.""Weren't you worried just a moment ago?" Nicole asked."We have to go in anyway. We need to show confidence, especially since we're here to gather information; we might as well be proactive," Lulu winked playfully at Nicole.Nicole smiled, leading Lulu into the building."Hi there, I'm Nicole Riddle from Riddle Corporation. We're here about the trademark thing with NandoCorp," Nicole said, handing
"Ms. Riddle, you should check the news online," Patricia said."What's going on?" Lulu, just as curious as Nicole, pulled out her phone.When Lulu saw the news, she was shocked. "Dillon really did that!"She hadn't thought Dillon would personally step in to defend Nicole. This meant all the bad stuff said about her online didn't matter anymore.Nicole was surprised too. She hadn't expected Dillon to clear things up for her."Ms. Riddle, all the mean stuff about you online is gone now. This should all work out fine," Patricia said. She hadn't even put their plan for DillCorp into action yet."I guess I owe Uncle Dillon a thank you," Nicole said, genuinely surprised. "I'll go to the Riddle family place after work.""I'll come with you," Lulu said."Sure," Nicole said, smiling."What about NandoCorp?" Patricia asked."With DillCorp sorted and BayCorp's problem likely to be cleared by tomorrow, NandoCorp's the only one left," Nicole said."No worries there," Nicole said. "We mig
"Okay," they all said together, heading to the dining room.Once they were seated, June asked Nicole about the company stuff. "Is everything sorted out now?""Yeah, all good," Nicole confirmed."That's a relief," June said, feeling better.She had heard about the problems at Riddle Corporation and had planned to talk to Nicole and Lulu after work. When she found out they were going to the Riddle family manor, she decided to go with them."Today was crazy. Patricia helped with BayCorp, Nicole and I went to NandoCorp... DillCorp was the trickiest, but Dillon saved us," Lulu told June about their day."It's surprising how much of a difference it made," June said, surprised. Everett had been quiet for a while, but this was big."I just hope we can catch him this time," Lulu said, thinking hard. 'If we have proof, we can get him in trouble.'"He's sneaky; he might not leave any proof," Spencer said, looking serious.Samuel added, "We need to be careful.""We know," Lulu said.Nic
"Then we'll keep at it," Jared said, undeterred by the lack of evidence."What's your plan?" Benjamin asked, curious."I wanted a permanent solution, but if that's not possible, I'll keep playing the game with him," Jared said, determination in his eyes. He wouldn't let Everett win easily."Do what you have to. I..." Benjamin paused, his tone firm. "I've cut ties with that bastard. The Riddle family doesn't need him."To Benjamin, Everett didn't deserve to be part of the family, and cutting him off was the right choice."Got it," Jared said, his expression serious."Jared, thanks for looking after Nicole," Benjamin said, sighing. "I know she's not as agile as she used to be, probably because of everything she's been through.""Grandpa, it's my job," Jared replied. Protecting Nicole was important to him.But Jared couldn't shake the feeling. Even though he hadn't told Benjamin everything, he'd noticed the changes in Nicole.Seeing Jared's contemplation, Benjamin spoke frankly.
Meanwhile, at BayCorp, Patricia had already reached Ellar's office."Did the companies we planned to meet with arrive?" Patricia asked Ellar."Yes, they're here. My secretary showed them to the conference room," Ellar replied, standing up. "Let's go.""Okay," Patricia agreed, and they went together to the conference room.Inside were four people, each with an assistant behind them.Ellar looked at them and said, "Now that everyone's here, let's begin."He sat at the head of the table and said loudly, "If you have doubts about my company's qualifications, please check out these documents first."The secretary handed out some papers, and the attendees started to read them."When you wanted to partner with our company, you liked that it was connected to Riddle Corporation. Now, you're questioning my qualifications," Ellar said, looking around the room. "I understand. Legally, it's a problem on my end.""Mr. Riddle, some things were out of our control," one person tried to explain
"So, you're saying you don't want to end the contract?" Ellar raised an eyebrow, seeking confirmation.Aadesh sighed, "Let's not jump the gun. If the investigation goes ahead, not ending the contract will mean bigger losses for you."By then, not only would getting compensation be impossible, but they'd also be facing double the loss."But..." The others hesitated, their expressions showing concern."Hey, since you're not into canceling the deal or losing out, I've got an idea," Patricia chimed in, sensing it was the right time to speak."Who are you?" Aadesh scrunched up his face, not too happy. He'd thought Patricia was just Ellar's secretary, and usually, secretaries don't get a say in stuff like this.Patricia gave Aadesh a calm look. "I'm from Riddle Corporation, Nicole Riddle's assistant.""Nicole Riddle..." Aadesh's voice trailed off, sensing something wasn't right. His tone got a bit accusing. "You're Riddle Corporation CEO's assistant!"The other CEOs also started look
"Let's hear it then. What's the outcome?" Lulu asked with curiosity.Patricia recounted the meeting with the CEOs of BayCorp's partners, which made Lulu smirk. "Aadesh Lane must be regretting his decisions now.""Yeah, he looked pretty bummed when he left," Patricia said, figuring anyone in his shoes would feel the same."The more he regrets, the happier we are," Lulu said, relishing the situation. "Who does he think he is? Now he knows what it feels like."Watching the exchange, Nicole couldn't help but smile. "As long as things are sorted, that's what counts." They wouldn't push away those who wanted to keep working together, but they wouldn't cling to those who didn't."Now we just have to deal with NandoCorp. We're still waiting to hear back," Lulu said, getting back on track. "Nicole, how did you set everything up?""Everything's ready, just waiting for the official paperwork," Patricia replied."I can't wait," Lulu said, raising an eyebrow with anticipation."Same here,"
"Nolan and Lana's birthdays are almost here, and I was thinking..." Lawrence stopped for a moment, then said, "I thought about taking them to the amusement park for some fun."Nicole's expression changed as she replied, "I can take them. You don't have to bother.""But as their godfather, I want to show them some love too," Lawrence said, sounding a bit upset.Lately, he often found himself thinking about Nolan and Lana, remembering their time together on Crescent Island. Watching them grow up day by day and calling him 'goddad' was a precious memory. Unfortunately, things hadn't been the same since they moved to San Joto.Nicole frowned, realizing Lawrence's request was not as simple as that.After a moment of hesitation, Nicole's tone turned frosty. "I think it's best if you don't have any more contact with them."Lana might handle it better, but for Nolan, Lawrence's actions hit hard. Even though Nolan didn't show it much, Nicole understood. Back on Crescent Island, Nolan reli