"Treat this place like your own home, and don't hesitate to make yourself comfortable," Emma comforted Doretta."Got it. Thank you, Aunt Emma," Doretta responded with a smile."If you're feeling tired after your journey, feel free to rest," Emma said, her concern evident."In that case, I'll leave you guys to enjoy your meal. I'll head back to my room," Doretta said as she stood up."Of course, take your time," Emma said, her satisfaction with Doretta evident as her smile widened.After Doretta left, Dexter quietly cautioned Emma, "Don't set your expectations too high." His advice was meant to temper any potential disappointment."You're not exactly helping by being so pessimistic," Emma replied, clearly unhappy with Dexter's comment."I'm just reminding you, some things can't be forced. You don't want it to backfire," Dexter explained.Emma rolled her eyes at Dexter. "I know. Even if I think Doretta is a good match, we still have to respect what Ellar wants."Dexter felt some
Nicole thought, 'Everett is utterly despicable. Even if he wants to target a building, there are so many people inside!'Her expression was grave as she said, "They placed it in your company?"Ellar replied, "Yes, I've felt something off these past few days. There's always been a strange car parked at the entrance of the company."So, I had my assistant arrange for someone to keep an eye on them."We even intentionally let the security guards lower their vigilance, and sure enough, they acted." His expression darkened with seriousness.He believed that Everett was planning a devastating blow to BayCorp when nobody expected it. If something happened to BayCorp now, all their previous work would be in jeopardy, causing unimaginable problems."How much did you discover?" Nicole inquired, her brow furrowed."We found it in several key departments of the company and near some warehouses storing flammable items," Ellar replied, clearly irritated. The preparations were so thorough that
Moreover, now that Ellar was aware of the need for caution and had taken precautions, Everett wouldn't find it so easy to target BayCorp.Nicole nodded. "You're right. But we still need to get everything ready ahead of time.""Absolutely," Lulu agreed. Her tone turned serious. "We can't let Everett win."Their discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. Patricia announced, "[Ms. Riddle], it's me.""Come in," Nicole directed.Patricia entered and approached Nicole's desk."How's the investigation on Everett going that you were tasked with?" Nicole inquired."That's actually why I'm here," Patricia replied. "Everett hasn't even been to his company these past few days, but his assistant has been going out frequently.""The guy named Jerry?" Nicole murmured, recalling the name Preston had mentioned."Yes, that's the guy. And it seems he's been in contact with several individuals. I've got people looking into those individuals, but we haven't got any results on their identit
"Sure thing," Charlie replied respectfully."Patricia's gonna keep an eye on Everett. Need someone to watch Lawrence too," Nicole said, her tone serious."Don't worry, I'll get someone to keep tabs on him," Charlie promised."Be really careful. I think if Lawrence does anything, it won't be obvious. He'll probably help Everett quietly," Nicole cautioned."Yeah, I get it. I won't let him get away with it," Charlie replied firmly."Good," Nicole said, then hung up.After she put her phone away, Nicole looked thoughtful, as if thinking about something.Meanwhile, Patricia had arrived at BayCorp."Why are you here?" Ellar asked, surprised to see her."Ms. Riddle asked me to look into something. I need the surveillance footage from the past few days," Patricia explained briefly, not elaborating with Ellar."Oh, sure," Ellar said, pressing the intercom button. "Can you have the head of security send over the surveillance footage from the past few days?""Of course," his secretary
"If you ever need my help, you can always come to me," Ellar offered."No need," Patricia replied, giving a polite nod to Emma before she left.As Patricia departed, Emma furrowed her brows slightly. "That girl seemed familiar.""She's working for Nicole," Ellar explained."Oh," Emma nodded, seemingly recalling something."Mom, I've got work to do. If you want to rest, help yourself to some fruit. Or if you'd rather keep walking, I can get someone to walk with you," Ellar changed the subject.Emma gave Ellar a look, feeling disappointed by his eagerness to see them go. She had invited Doretta over specifically to help them bond, hoping it would bring them closer."Aunt Emma, maybe we should let Ellar focus on his work. We can go back home," Doretta suggested."Look how considerate Doretta is," Emma said, gently reprimanding Ellar. "If only you were as thoughtful as her, I'd be happy.""It's like fate is making up for it by sending someone thoughtful to be with you," Ellar said
With a sigh of relief, Ellar emerged from the secretary's office just after Emma and Doretta had left.He had managed to avoid a prolonged conversation with them through a bit of trickery; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten any work done that day.Shaking his head, Ellar returned to his office, taking a deep breath to compose himself as he started to catch up on his workload.He thought to himself, 'Lately, I've had more on my plate, especially with keeping tabs on Everett. Now that Patricia is investigating Everett, could she possibly be in danger?'Meanwhile, Patricia, having obtained the surveillance footage, returned to the Riddle Corporation.Lulu was on her way to deliver documents to Nicole's office when she saw Patricia. "You're back. How did it go?""I just got back. I'm going to check the information I've obtained so far now," Patricia replied."How was Ellar?" Lulu inquired further.Patricia hesitated before responding, "He's fine." She headed to her own office after
As the sun set, Nicole left the company and found Jared waiting for her. She smiled as she approached and got into the car.Noticing the faint signs of fatigue on her face, Jared asked, "Tired?""It's okay, just a bit frustrated because some things aren't making sense yet," Nicole replied, leaning back in her seat and sighing."Because of the Eastern Falcon matter?" Jared seemed to understand Nicole's concerns.Nicole raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, "How did you know?""Take a look at this." Jared handed her a document.Nicole flipped through the file, her brows furrowing. It contained the latest investigative information on the Eastern Falcon, but the contents were unexpected, prompting Nicole to murmur, "They've been this quiet lately?"It didn't make sense to her. If the Eastern Falcon was indeed backing Everett, their low profile was inexplicable. And if they had other plans, it was unlikely that no evidence would be found."Look at the back," Jared prompted Nico
"Let's eat," Gloria called out.Nicole glanced over, noticing Stanley hadn't returned yet. Understanding that her mom was calling everyone to dinner, she realized Stanley must have gone to have dinner in the backyard to spend time with Tia and Mrs. Wallace Sr.After dinner, Nicole and Jared, along with Nolan and Lana, headed back to their room.Gloria and Daniel were resting in the living room.Gloria checked the calendar and said, "Nicole and Jared's wedding is coming up, isn't it? It feels like the two of them are not in a hurry at all."She felt like they had not even discussed anything about the wedding."They've got it under control; you don't need to stress," Daniel advised Gloria."It's a major event, and they're so quiet as if they haven't prepared for it at all. How can I not be worried?" Gloria complained, glancing at Daniel."Don't worry, Jared won't let Nicole down." Daniel believed that, even though Nicole and Jared seemed calm, they wouldn't rush through the weddi