"Daniel, Gloria, Nicole, I'll be heading back now," Tia said with a smile, ready to leave after the laughter subsided."Wait a moment," Nicole called out to Tia, "Since we're all here today, there's something I wanted to discuss with you.""What is it?" Tia asked, puzzled."Come, let's sit and talk," Nicole suggested, guiding Tia to sit down before continuing, "It's about you and Stanley.""What about us?" Tia's cheeks flushed with a blush."So, I spoke with Stanley about your situation with setting a wedding date. It seems the main reason it hasn't been set is that you guys still have some decisions to make," Gloria explained. "We understand your perspective, but we should also respect Mrs. Wallace Sr.'s wishes. What do you think?"Hearing this, Tia bit her lip, her gaze dropping. Indeed, it was a significant dilemma that had left her indecisive.Nicole gently patted Tia's hand. "I understand your concerns, but I also believe that Grandma's plan might be better.""But if I com
"Alright, now that we've settled the matter at hand, let's all go have dinner," Daniel called out to everyone.Tia, feeling somewhat uneasy, said, "Daniel, Gloria, I think I should go check on Grandma first." After all, she hadn't greeted Mrs. Wallace Sr. since her return, and with the recent decisions made, she was still trying to process everything, her mind a whirl."I'll go with you," Stanley offered, leading Tia away.Gloria reflected, "Finally, one of my wishes has been fulfilled.""Seeing each of us getting married and settling down, you must feel particularly content," Nicole said playfully.Gloria corrected her with a glance, "That doesn't seem to include you."After all, she hadn't yet witnessed Nicole's wedding ceremony. Given that the children wanted to make their own decisions, and she had agreed to it, she wouldn't press further, but she wouldn't forget either—not until she saw them married.Caught off guard by her mother bringing this up, Nicole facepalmed, realiz
Sitting on Jared's lap, Nicole smiled and lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. "Actually, Nolan is right. Even though things have gotten a bit more complicated, life must go on.""I was thinking, maybe we could go ahead with the wedding as planned, but then I thought... perhaps not," Jared didn't spell it out, but Nicole had already guessed."You're worried that if we have the wedding, Everett might take the opportunity to strike," Nicole leaned her head on Jared's shoulder. "There might indeed be such a possibility."After all, during such joyous occasions, everyone's focus would be on the wedding, not their surroundings. If someone were to cause trouble, it would indeed be easy to succeed."Yeah, let's wait a bit longer. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I don't want you to have any regrets," Jared said, looking at her with affection in his eyes.He wanted to give her the best he could, wanting their wedding to be perfect and complete, without any risk of regret or disple
Nicole narrowed her eyes slightly. "Have they run into other issues?""Yes, several companies are facing challenges to different extents. I believe..." Sean's brow creased slightly."You think it's because of Everett?" Nicole asked, her voice low.Steve sighed. "That's our best guess. Besides him, we can't think of anyone else."Lulu frowned, murmuring, "Is Everett really that influential?"What do you mean?" Steve asked Lulu, seeking clarification."He's already dealing with Ellar, and he still has time to bother us? He's even managing to cause crises for several companies simultaneously. Can he really do all that?" She genuinely felt that if this was the case, Everett seemed too formidable."Everett might not be influential himself, but the people working for him could be," Nicole said, her tone carrying a hint of coldness."You mean... the Eastern Falcon?" Lulu's face paled slightly. She wondered, 'Wasn't it said that the Eastern Falcon forces Everett brought weren't signifi
"Need something?" Zane's voice crackled over the line."Here's the situation in San Joto," Nicole explained, then suggested, "We should focus on neutralizing Everett's influence here.""Okay, not a bad plan," Zane agreed. "I'll dispatch another team.""Perfect, with the current team there, that should work," Nicole replied.Zane cautioned, "I'll get it set up, but remember, you can't be involved in this one.""Don't worry, I know," Nicole replied, shaking her head helplessly with a smile."Stay sharp," Zane's voice was firm.Given Nicole's current situation and physical condition, direct involvement in the operation was risky. She needed to proceed with caution."Let's leave it there for now," Nicole agreed before ending the call."How soon can they get here?" Lulu inquired."Probably about three days," Nicole estimated."So, should we be getting things ready?" Lulu asked, wondering if they needed to prepare in advance."Not yet, just wait for them to arrive. But..." Nicole
As they reached the lobby of the company building, Nicole heard someone calling her and turned to look."Lawrence, what are you doing here?" Nicole was somewhat surprised to see Lawrence approaching her."Just passing by, thought I'd check on you. Heard you were out for lunch, so I waited," Lawrence explained with a light smile.Nicole's eyes narrowed slightly, her mind considering various possibilities, all of which she dismissed.With a composed expression, Nicole said, "Let's head up.""No need for that. I just wanted to see you. Now that I have, I'll be on my way," Lawrence said with a smile."Alright then." Nicole did not try to keep Lawrence.She found herself increasingly unable to read Lawrence, and subconsciously, she didn't want to interact with him more than necessary.With a smile at Nicole, Lawrence indeed left."Nicole, he didn't leave a time bomb or something, did he?" Although Lulu sounded like she was joking, she actually went over to check where Lawrence had
As the sun set, Nicole and Jared returned home to the Riddle residence.Laughter from the living room greeted them before they even stepped inside. Nicole noticed Mrs. Wallace Sr., Tia, Dexter, and Emma in the room.She greeted everyone and sat down. "I heard you all chatting and laughing just now," Nicole said. "What were you discussing?""Of course, we were talking about Stanley and Tia's wedding," Emma said with a smile. "Your mother stopped by today. I couldn't miss the chance to help out at such a happy occasion.""Yes, and we bring Mrs. Wallace Sr. over, so everyone could discuss together," Gloria added.Nicole turned to Mrs. Wallace Sr. and asked, "Grandma, are you satisfied with the arrangements?""Of course, I'm satisfied. This is the best," Mrs. Wallace Sr. smiled and nodded."Since everyone is okay with the arrangements, we can start discussing the wedding details," Emma said, then turned to Stanley and Tia. "Have you decided on a date yet?""Not yet," Stanley replie
"Yes, that's fine," understanding Jared's suggestion, Nicole smiled and nodded in agreement."Good, I'll give you the dress when you have your wedding party," Mrs. Wallace Sr. said with a smile.Tia took Mrs. Wallace Sr.'s hand and said, "Then I'll have a traditional Hustuaburgian wedding party, and I'll wear the dress you made for the whole event."Although Jared and Nicole's wedding party hadn't happened yet, Tia knew that everything was already set, and they were just waiting for the right time. So, to have Nicole wear a traditional Hustuaburgian wedding dress, it meant adding an occasion to switch gowns.As for her own wedding party, since it was still in the early planning stages, it seemed fitting to decide on a traditional Hustuaburgian-themed wedding party."Stanley, do you think that's okay?" Tia looked up at Stanley for his opinion."As long as you're happy," Stanley said, willing to fulfill her wishes."Good, you're all my good children," Mrs. Wallace Sr. said content