Nicole replied with a warm smile, "Just tell me if it gets overwhelming.""Sure thing," Lulu replied before heading out.Nicole got back to work and, in no time, it was noon.They decided to have lunch at a nearby restaurant, chatting casually as they ate."Martin should have found Cindy by now, right?" Lulu asked casually."I'm not sure; he hasn't sent any updates," Nicole replied, also finding it strange that there had been no word from Martin. She wondered whether he hadn't found Cindy yet or if, having found her, he was too overjoyed to share the news.Lulu teased with a knowing smile, "He must have made up with Cindy and is too happy to remember us. You know, the thrill of romance."Nicole shook her head, half amused, half exasperated. "Stop gossiping, let's eat.""Hehe, I'm just showing concern for them," Lulu chuckled.After lunch, they headed back to the office.Nicole was on her way when Patricia called her."You're going to Ellar's house?!" Nicole was surprised, bu
Emma scolded her son, "Why do you have to be so loud? You've finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh? Why so early tod—uh..." When she noticed Patricia, she stopped mid-sentence."Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Riddle," Patricia greeted, sensing their surprise, she took charge."Please, come in," Emma and Dexter quickly regained their composure and invited Patricia inside.Ellar guided Patricia to the couch, while Emma, puzzled, asked, "Is Patricia here to pass on a message from Nicole?""Mom, no." Ellar sighed and explained. "I brought her here."He couldn't understand how Emma would jump to that conclusion. If Nicole had something to tell her, he would be the one relaying the message instead of Patricia. There was no need for Patricia to be there just to relay a message from Nicole."You mean she's here because of..." Emma looked somewhat bewildered. She was uncertain about what was happening, so she looked at Dexter.Patricia, known as Nicole's special assistant, handled many i
Doretta watched everyone closely, her expression neutral as she continued eating, pretending nothing was wrong.After dinner, Patricia departed.Emma, feeling content, took Ellar aside. "Well done, you've got a girlfriend now. I can relax.""Yeah," Ellar said, relieved."When do you plan to get married?" Emma asked.Ellar looked unhappy, forcing a smile. "Mom, do you really have to rush this? I'm your son, don't you believe in me? Am I that disappointing?""Of course not! You're not disappointing at all," Emma said innocently.Ellar let out a resigned sigh. "Then why are you so rushed about my marriage? Before, you were anxious when I didn't have a girlfriend. Now that I just got one, you're asking about marriage. It makes me feel like if I don't hurry up, I'll be single forever.""I didn't mean it like that," Emma said, noticing Ellar's misunderstanding. "I just hope you settle down soon." She always considered what's best for him."Mom, if that's not really the reason, can y
Patricia, her cheeks slightly red, didn't say more but changed the subject. "Ms. Riddle, that's all I know for now. I saw Doretta yesterday, and everything seemed normal, but I'll watch her more closely.""Okay, I believe you," Nicole smiled, not asking more about Doretta or bringing up Patricia and Ellar again."I'll go to BayCorp now," Patricia nodded and left.After Patricia left, Lulu also said, "I'll get back to work."Watching Lulu leave, Nicole bit her lip, looking thoughtful. 'Patricia's investigation into Doretta is going well, but how about Zane's progress?'As Nicole thought, her phone rang. Seeing Zane's call, she frowned slightly before answering, "Zane.""Nicole, we've found something," Zane said quickly."Tell me," Nicole's tone became serious."It looks like Everett is planning to destroy BayCorp," Zane explained.Nicole's expression hardened. Her voice was cold as she asked, "What have you found?""He's set a trap with the project he offered Ellar. It seems p
However, Everett believed it was better if Doretta had a condition. As long as someone had a weakness, they were easier to control. "Alright, agree to her terms," he responded.Jerry hesitated. "Are you sure you want to agree?""We need to make her feel secure enough to work for us." Whether Everett would fulfill the promise later was still up to him.Jerry seemed to understand and nodded immediately. "Okay. I'll pass on the message to her.""Mhm," Everett hummed in satisfaction, a shadow crossing his eyes.By setting this ticking time bomb next to Ellar, he doubted Ellar could easily escape unscathed. 'Nicole, let's see what you'll do when the time comes.'****The sun set, casting its last golden light.After a busy day, Nicole left work to find Jared already waiting for her.Getting into the car, Nicole smiled. "Have you been waiting long?"A softness flashed in Jared's eyes. "If you hadn't come down soon, I was actually planning to go up and see what had kept you.""Just
Daniel had actually heard some things at the Riddle family manor and wanted to ask Nicole and Jared about them. But he forgot that it might cause Gloria unnecessary worry."Really?" Gloria asked, sounding doubtful."Yes, I'm actually just worried about our children being overworked. I thought I'd remind them not to exhaust themselves," Daniel continued.Gloria nodded. "I see."Then, turning to Nicole, Gloria said, "But you do seem to have lost some weight recently. Is work too demanding?""Mom, it's been busy lately, but we can handle it. Don't worry," Nicole reassured with a smile, as if there really was nothing troubling her."Eat more," Gloria said, serving Nicole more food with a look of concern.Nicole glanced at Daniel. "Dad, don't worry. Together, we'll manage just fine."She knew Daniel's concerns weren't limited to business matters; he probably also knew about the situation with Everett."That's good to hear," Daniel nodded, understanding that Nicole was telling him t
"Alright," everyone agreed and made their way to their rooms.After making sure Nolan and Lana were asleep, Nicole and Jared returned to their own room.Following a warm bath, Nicole changed into her pajamas and approached the bed.As he gently smoothed her hair, Jared spoke softly, "If you're tired, rest early.""Mhm," Nicole agreed, lying down.Soon, Nicole fell asleep.Observing her peaceful face, Jared's gaze deepened slightly before he stepped out to the balcony.He dialed a number, and Zane's voice came through, "Calling this late, is it urgent?""Are you investigating the leader of the Eastern Falcon?" Jared asked, his voice grave."Yes, I've discussed it with Nicole. If we can find that person, we might be able to dismantle Everett's force," Zane responded."Max has found some leads. I'll have him send them to you tomorrow, hoping it'll aid your investigation," Jared said, his tone serious.Zane sounded surprised, "So, you've been looking into it too!"Though Jared
Arriving at her office, Nicole had just started working on a couple of documents when there was a knock on the door."Come in," Nicole called.The door opened, and seeing Ellar, Nicole was somewhat surprised. "You got here pretty fast.""I hadn't reached the office when you messaged me, so I came straight here," Ellar explained, taking a seat near the couch. "You said you needed to see me about something important. What's up?"Ellar knew that if Nicole asked him to come, it must be something significant.After sharing the information Preston had uncovered, Nicole cautioned him, "Be extremely careful from now on.""So, Patricia agreed to come home with me just to investigate Doretta," Ellar said, looking hurt.Nicole gave Ellar a disdainful look and asked, "Do you think that is important?""It's important," Ellar began to defend himself but then hesitated, finally conceding. "Not important."It was important to him personally but irrelevant to the bigger picture."Be very care