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
"If Lawrence decides to break our agreement and see Nolan and Lana behind my back, I won't hesitate to cut off all contact with him," Nicole stated firmly."What is he even thinking? I can't wrap my head around it," Lulu fumed. "How can he hurt you and then act like nothing's wrong?"Lulu found Lawrence's actions incomprehensible. 'Is he heartless, or is he just not thinking straight?'"There's a lot you don't know," Nicole said, her eyes narrowing with meaning.Lawrence wasn't just a company's CEO; he held significant influence in Mecrounia. When Nicole and Jared sought his help five years ago, his status was already high.Now, his position in Mecrounia was even more prominent, not to mention his hidden, darker identity.Nicole was aware of all this, as Lawrence hadn't kept it from her before she regained her memory.As Lulu observed Nicole's thoughtful expression, her own demeanor grew more serious.While Lulu didn't know all the details, she could tell from Nicole's tone tha
"No, that's out of the question," Lawrence's voice held a firmness that emphasized the decisiveness of his choice. Pursuing Nolan and Lana at this point would jeopardize any chance of reconciliation in the future.Ian simply nodded, concentrating on driving, thinking to himself, 'If Mr. Royce can't devise a plan, there's little I can do to assist.'Reclining in his seat, Lawrence stared out of the car window, lost in thought as the sun began to set.After finishing work, Nicole exited the company and climbed into Jared's car."Max, let's head to the kindergarten," Nicole instructed."Got it," Max responded, steering the car in the direction of the kindergarten.Jared glanced at her, speaking softly, "Why the sudden decision to pick up Nolan and Lana?"Nicole took a deep breath, biting her lip slightly as she recounted Lawrence's visit to Jared, expressing her worry that Lawrence might try to see Nolan and Lana secretly after she had turned him down.A shadow passed over Jared's
"Back already?" Daniel and Gloria beamed with affection at their grandchildren.Nicole and Jared took their seats, explaining, "We had some free time today, so we decided to pick them up.""It's good to see you both have the energy to do that. It seems like Riddle Corporation must be doing alright now," Daniel remarked, relieved.The past few days had been hectic for both Nicole and Jared, but now that they had some time to relax, it seemed like their problems had been resolved."Yes, now we're just waiting for the penalty notice for NandoCorp," Nicole said calmly, with a smile.Gloria responded with a hint of resignation, "Let the penalty come if it must, as long as the issue is resolved.""Mom, actually, the penalty is a good thing," Nicole reassured her with a smile."I might not be involved in the company matters, and I really don't understand, but how can a penalty be a good thing?" Gloria asked, frowning slightly in confusion."Let's not talk about work now. You don't und
"Got it," Nicole nodded in agreement.Heading upstairs, Nicole and Jared entered Nolan's room.Seeing the two kids engrossed in their activities, Nicole smiled and said, "You're both so well-behaved.""Mommy, how's my drawing?" Lana, holding her drawing board and tilting her head up, proudly showed her work.Nicole admired Lana's drawing and praised, "It's wonderful."Lana laughed happily and showed her drawing to Jared, saying, "Daddy, check out mine too!"Jared, feeling warm inside, picked Lana up and looked at her artwork, saying, "Wow, that's amazing! How about we draw something together, you and me?""Yay!" Lana agreed, passing a brush to Jared.While Nicole watched them draw together, she smiled and went over to Nolan."What are you thinking about?" Nicole asked when she saw Nolan staring at the computer screen with a puzzled look."I'm stuck here. I think there might be another way, but I can't figure it out," Nolan replied, looking frustrated."Let me see," Nicole sa