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
After breakfast, Tia arrived to pick up Nolan and Lana."Nicole, Jared," Tia greeted.Jared and Nicole were preparing to leave for work. "Let's go together," they suggested to Tia.They all left the house and headed to their respective cars parked in the courtyard."Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mommy," Nolan and Lana waved to Jared and Nicole."Bye," Nicole waved back as the car carrying the kids started. She watched it drive away before telling Max, "Let's go.""Yes," Max responded, starting the car and leaving the Riddle residence.In the car, Max spoke in a low voice, "Mr. Johnston, Mrs. Johnston, I have an update from Charlie.""Speak," Jared's voice carried a hint of coldness."He knew Nicole had asked Charlie to investigate Lawrence. Any news from there was likely related to Lawrence."Charlie said he had people look into it. Lawrence may seem quiet on the surface, but he's actually arranged for Ian to secretly assist Everett," Max said.A cold glint crossed Nicole's eyes; she had
"Find a way to contact her and make her work for us," Everett coldly ordered."Yes, I'll arrange it right away," Jerry immediately responded."What has Lawrence been up to lately?" Everett's gaze darkened slightly. 'He's been unusually quiet, which is not his usual style.'After Jerry reported Lawrence's recent activities to Everett, Everett frowned. "He's actually in the mood to send birthday gifts!""Yes, but it seems he hasn't received any response," Jerry added."Hmph, he's still not giving up," Everett scoffed. "Given the current situation, even if Nicole were to fall from grace, there's absolutely no way she would go back to him. Doesn't he understand that?"Everett couldn't believe that Lawrence would still think about rekindling something with Nicole."There's another thing. Recently, it seems someone has been helping us from the shadows. I'm not sure who it is, but I suspect it might be one of Lawrence's people," Jerry cautiously said."Be careful. Even if it is his do
"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