"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
"Are you sure Nolan's feelings for Nona are pure?" Jared's expression turned serious. He thought, if Nolan could act like that, maybe Rami had some secret plan against Lana.Nicole was surprised by Jared's words. After a moment, she managed a smile and said, "It's not common to find a child as mature as Nolan."From Nicole's perspective, it wasn't right to suspect other children because of her son. Even if her son wasn't completely sincere, he wasn't as cunning as an adult."Okay, let's invite Rami to the birthday party," Jared decided. He wanted to see for himself if Rami was innocent or not.Watching Jared's frustrated expression, Nicole shook her head. She mused, 'Maybe all dads feel this way, wanting to protect their daughters from boys.'To her, the future was unpredictable, and the children would grow up. So, there was no need to be hostile toward Rami.****Nicole and Jared had been picking up Nolan and Lana themselves over the past three days as they wanted to make sure
"Okay," Lulu agreed, then turned and left.Nicole settled back into her office chair and picked up the documents beside her, ready to dive into her work.Meanwhile, Everett stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, seemingly looking outside, though his gaze appeared fixed on something in the distance."Mr. Wright, their press statement has been widely covered, and we're at a loss on how to proceed. I'm afraid..." Jerry's face was pale, his voice growing softer as he spoke.The Riddle Corporation's apology caught Everett and Jerry off guard, feeling more like a knife than an apology. Their move left them with no way to respond.The news exploded almost instantaneously, despite their attempts to address it as soon as they heard. It was too late."Hmm," Everett responded indifferently."Mr. Wright?" Jerry was confused. 'So, that's all?'Everett turned around slowly, his voice somber as he replied, "Nicole planned everything."'If it was Nicole's plan, how coul
"Oh, who's coming tomorrow, and have you told everyone?" Lulu asked.Nicole paused before answering, "Nolan and Lana have asked some of their friends in school, and the rest are family.""That's good. Too many people might make the children uncomfortable. As long as they're with their friends, they'll be happy," Lulu reasoned."First, we're going to the amusement park tomorrow, then we'll come back home in the afternoon. By evening, their friends should arrive, and the rest of the guests will be there too. That's when we'll start the birthday party," Nicole explained."Great, then I'll see you tomorrow evening. You all go and have a good time. I'll head home first to see if there's anything else I can help with," Lulu said with a smile. "I won't be joining you at the amusement park.""That works," Nicole agreed.Knock, knock, knock.Nicole glanced toward the door. "Come in," she called out."Ms. Riddle, Mr. Royce is here," Patricia said, opening the door and stepping to the sid
"I'll accept the gifts on their behalf, but I still can't invite you to the birthday party. It's just not appropriate," Nicole stated calmly, without hesitation.Lawrence, feeling a bit awkward, managed a helpless smile and said, "Even though I just threatened you, you didn't have to retaliate so quickly."He knew she wouldn't invite him to the birthday party, but her blunt declaration still made it hard for him to accept."I'm just stating the facts," Nicole replied with a serene smile, appearing innocent.Lawrence was momentarily lost in thought, just as Lulu came in."Mr. Royce, your coffee." Lulu said, placing the coffee on the table.A flicker of discomfort crossed Lawrence's face. "No need, I was just leaving now that we've discussed everything."Watching Lawrence leave abruptly, Lulu looked surprised. "He's gone just like that?""Nicole, was it something you said? He seemed a bit off," Lulu inquired."It's nothing, just that I didn't invite him to the birthday party," N