Deep down, Ellar knew that they couldn't keep their situation a secret much longer, but selfishly, he thought, 'if we can sustain it for one more day, then why not?'He was aware that this was all a dream for him, and there would come a time to wake up, so he wished to dream a little longer.Patricia looked at Ellar, her lips slightly bitten in hesitation, unsure of what to do.Then came a knock at the door, and both of them turned to look."Ellar, Patricia." Doretta stood at the doorway, hesitating as if wanting to come in but appearing somewhat awkward."What is it?" Ellar internally clenched his teeth but maintained a neutral tone."It's about some work..." Doretta glanced toward Patricia, seeming a bit troubled.Understanding the cue, Patricia looked at Ellar. "I'll step out then.""Then what we were discussing is settled," Ellar quickly added.Patricia gave Ellar a look, but couldn't refuse in front of Doretta, so she left.Ellar's lips curled slightly; he took that as P
"Yeah, we're going to pick up Nolan and Lana," Nicole replied with a light smile.Lulu remembered. "Oh right, Stanley and Tia went to take their prewedding photos."The two were finally getting their happily ever after, and another joyful event was being prepared at home.Leaving the company, Jared was waiting for Nicole, but Spencer hadn't arrived yet. Lulu said, "You go ahead. I'll wait a bit longer; Spencer should be here soon.""Alright." After agreeing, Nicole got into the car and left first.The car started and headed toward the kindergarten.After watching Nicole drive off, Lulu looked down the street, waiting. After a while, Spencer's car arrived."Sorry, there was some trouble on the road, so it got a bit jammed," Spencer explained after parking.Lulu got into the car, smiling lightly. "It's okay. I haven't been waiting long.""Where do you want to go for dinner?" Spencer asked Lulu.Lulu thought for a moment and then suggested, "How about we go home? We can invite J
Even though the relationship between him and Nicole was a silent understanding of their mutual antagonism, at this moment, Lawrence still did not wish to directly reveal himself as Nicole's adversary."Yes, I will," Ian responded.Leaning back in his seat, Lawrence asked, "How's that fool Everett doing?"Thinking himself clever, yet in the end, Everett still suffered great losses."There hasn't been any movement yet, but it should be soon. After all, he can't wait much longer," Ian speculated."Hmm," Lawrence hummed lightly, acknowledging that indeed, Everett could wait no longer."Sir, about Aquila..." Ian's expression turned serious.He knew Aquila was a formidable figure, one that they, too, needed to be wary of.A shadow passed through Lawrence's eyes, his expression growing colder. He hadn't expected Everett to have enlisted Aquila's loyalty, no wonder Everett dared to be so brazen."Although I've arranged for people to watch him, we've never succeeded, not daring to foll
Tia nodded, a soft blush tinting her cheeks, as she responded, "Yes."Lulu's observations were spot-on. Despite a hint of fatigue, Tia's spirits remained high throughout the day.The idea of marrying Stanley had once seemed distant, almost surreal. But now, here they were, immersed in the reality of their pre-wedding photo shoot.Clad in her elegant bridal gown and him in his sharp suit, they stood before a mirror. It was in this moment, gazing at their joint reflection, that the weight of their imminent union truly settled on her, filling her with a profound sense of togetherness and anticipation."We came back today to share in your happiness," June said, laughing and joking. "This is the happiest thing for our family lately.""Stanley, you're getting married soon. Shouldn't you take us all out for a big meal?" Samuel teased with a laugh."Okay, what does everyone feel like eating? Just let me know," Stanley replied.Seizing the moment, Samuel suggested, "How about we go to th
"It's just dinner time; let's have dinner together," Everett suggested, eyeing Doretta closely. He was quietly impressed. 'She's so composed, exactly the type who could turn on Emma and Ellar.'"Mr. Wright, based on what I've seen, Ellar is in a tight spot but is trying to hide it," Doretta got straight to the point. "He's spent the afternoon scheming to lessen BayCorp's losses.""What do you mean?" Everett's curiosity piqued, his eyebrows arching.Doretta let out a sigh. "It's unfortunate he believes he's outsmarting everyone, thinking he can offload BayCorp's assets now. You wouldn't let that happen, would you, Mr. Wright?"Everett's smirk was telling. "You're spot-on." Allowing Ellar any leeway was out of the question. His plan was to take everything BayCorp had."That's reassuring," Doretta remarked, getting up. "I'll leave you to your dinner then.""You're not joining?" Everett inquired.Doretta shook her head and said, "No, thank you. I just came to tell you about my work.
After settling in, Nicole turned her attention to the document beside her, signaling that pivotal moments were on the horizon.In BayCorp's office, Patricia hung up the phone and exchanged a knowing look with Ellar."I expect the results by this morning, as I requested yesterday," Ellar instructed his secretary, firm and expectant.No sooner had Ellar spoken than Everett's voice filled the room, "You might as well give up now; the struggle is pointless."Ellar's annoyance was palpable upon seeing Everett. "What are you doing back here? You're not welcome. We'll resolve this legally.""You might want to see this first." Everett sauntered into Ellar's office and casually threw a pouch onto his desk.Ellar, recognizing the seal Doretta had absconded with, pretended ignorance. "What is this?"Everett looked down at him, his voice tinged with a slight pity, "Seems like you hurried to shift BayCorp's assets. Wouldn't you need this?""How... did you find out?" Ellar acted astonished.
"Impossible!" Doretta burst in, frantically examining the seals one by one, muttering to herself, "It can't be, how could these be fake? This is absolutely impossible."Everett suddenly grabbed Doretta's wrist, looking at her menacingly. "You dare to play me?!""No, I didn't." Doretta shook her head in a panic, trying to defend herself. "He's deceiving you, these can't possibly be fakes.""Doretta, from the very beginning, I knew why you joined the company. How could I possibly let anyone get their hands on the real seals?" Ellar asked, his voice tinged with a chill, "How could you do this, considering how well my mother treated you?"He might not be hurt, or even care, but Emma really treated Doretta well, only to have her sincerity trampled upon like this."I..." Doretta's face turned pale. She was unable to utter a single word."The police have been alerted, you better cooperate with their investigation," Patricia stated, casting a cold glance at Everett, signaling the end was
"Disappeared! What do you mean?" A cold light flickered in Nicole's eyes. The news confirmed her and Patricia's suspicion that there was something off about Everett.She had wondered how Everett could surrender so easily. It appeared he had made arrangements well in advance.Patricia explained, sounding frustrated, "After they left, something felt off, so I followed."The police car drove off, but Jerry didn't follow Everett; he went in the opposite direction."I followed the police car, and halfway there, it suddenly broke down, and then Everett was taken away by someone."Patricia thought to herself, 'We should have been better prepared; how could we have overlooked Everett's cunning?'"So, this might have been planned by them from the start," Nicole remained calm, even feeling that this was indeed something Everett would orchestrate."Unfortunately, we haven't found where he's hiding yet," Patricia sighed in vexation."Don't worry, he'll show up eventually," Nicole confident
"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