"I always hope you can have the best, so naturally, I have to care a bit more," Gloria said with a smile, her lips curling up gently.Nicole, linking her arm with Jared's, responded, "I've already got the best.""But it's different, you know. You have to wear a wedding dress at least once in your lifetime, walk hand in hand with your other half toward a new life under the blessings of friends and family," Gloria said with a loving smile.In her heart, she thought, 'Besides, it's not like Jared and Nicole are unwilling to have a wedding; it's just that various things have been holding them up.'"Gloria, I think we should put aside Nicole's wedding for now and focus on Stanley and Tia's wedding," Lulu said with a laugh, helping Nicole out, and then she winked at Nicole.Speaking of which, their wedding date is indeed approaching. How are the preparations going?" Nicole understood and smoothly changed the subject following Lulu's lead."Oh, everything is ready. I'll confirm the fina
Jared's lips curved slightly, and he gently kissed Nicole's forehead, saying, "Let's rest early tonight; we might receive good news first thing tomorrow.""Hopefully." Nicole replied with a playful smile, pulling Jared toward the bed.The next day dawned bright and sunny.After breakfast, Nicole and Jared dropped off Nolan and Lana and then headed to Riddle Corporation.Getting out of the car, Nicole gave Jared a smile and said, "I'm heading up.""Alright," Jared nodded slightly, "I'll come to pick you up after work."Watching Jared's car drive away, Nicole turned and entered the company building.Inside the car, Max spoke in a low voice, "Mr. Johnston, there's still no news from Zane's end. Could it have failed?""Let's wait a bit longer." Even if it was a failure, they should have received some sort of update from Zane."I wonder if something happened," Max muttered quietly.As they were speaking, Jared's phone rang.After seeing the caller ID, Jared answered, "How did it
Watching Lulu's anxious expression, Nicole couldn't help but shake her head with a light chuckle, "Don't worry, it'll be alright." After all the preparation, she was confident that they could bring things to a successful conclusion."How can I not be anxious? Everett has managed to escape unscathed so many times; I won't be sure of the outcome until the very end," Lulu said, puffing her cheeks slightly in frustration.She was genuinely puzzled by Everett's uncanny ability to survive against the odds time and again.Nicole's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of darkness flashing through them. This time, Lawrence had rescued Everett, but she couldn't fathom why Lawrence would choose to help Everett at this time. She wondered, 'Could it be that Lawrence has some vulnerability that Everett is exploiting?'Frowning, Nicole felt increasingly skeptical. She knew Lawrence was extremely cautious; if he was aware that Everett had something on him, she doubted Lawrence would be coerced into help
Aquila thought to himself, 'It seems Lawrence had his plans set from the start, now holding us in his grip, just waiting for the right moment to succeed and then possibly pinning everything on us.'"Too bad his calculations are off," Everett said, a dark glint crossing his eyes. "Pack up, we're preparing to leave.""Where to?" Aquila asked softly.While they were under control here, he knew venturing out could be even more dangerous, unless they planned to leave San Joto. However, Everett seemed not inclined to depart from the city."Let's get out of the hotel first," Everett said, his gaze slightly darkening. There were always places in the vast San Joto where they could take refuge.Aquila hesitated for a moment, then inquired, "What about the woman? Should we bring her along?""Let her follow for now. If we find ourselves cornered, we can still use Emma," Everett stated as he stood up."Alright, I'll call her," Aquila responded.Soon, the three of them gathered in the corrid
"I'm here," Doretta said timidly, standing at the entrance of the factory."Just the two of you?" Lawrence's expression darkened, his displeasure evident. To him, Everett and Doretta were not the main threats; Aquila was the real concern."What else?" Everett shrugged nonchalantly, his demeanor exuding a sense of inevitability. He had intentionally separated from Aquila to ensure that, at this moment, he would still have a bargaining chip. If they had all been captured by Lawrence, the outcome would have been predictable.Lawrence demanded coldly, "What happened?"Someone approached and reported in a low voice, "They split up during the escape. We have people pursuing them, but there's no update yet.""Then we wait," Lawrence said, regaining his composure, his tone steadying.His next actions would depend on whether Aquila was caught or had indeed managed to escape.Everett stood his ground, confronting Lawrence, both seemingly awaiting news about Aquila.The factory was eerily
Doretta's pupils contracted slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she decided to stay put. She figured there was no need to follow; Everett wasn't likely to escape today. By threatening Lawrence, Everett had sealed his fate—if Lawrence managed to take him, the odds would not be in Everett's favor.Everett knew this as well; his earlier outburst was a desperate measure. He still planned to find a way to escape; being captured or returning with Lawrence wasn't an option, as it would likely lead to his death.Seth, leading his team, glanced at Doretta. She subtly gestured toward the back door, and understanding her hint, Seth directed his team to pursue.Ten minutes later, the operation inside the factory concluded.The captured men from Lawrence's group were sent to the police station by Max's team.As for Lawrence and Everett, Seth and his team pursued them, determined not to let Everett get away.Once everything settled down and quieted, Doretta slowly approached Jared's car
Doretta seemed convinced that Everett's threat had been effective, forcing Lawrence into a corner.Nicole's complexion turned a shade paler. Everett's brief words were a mere threat, but they clearly indicated the gravity of the past events.Reflecting on it, Nicole realized how someone had detected her return to San Joto despite her concealed identity and even her lost memory, managing to ambush her precisely at the airport.Everything started to make sense. Lawrence didn't want her back, hence the elaborate setup. To protect her children, she had stayed away from San Joto, concealing her whereabouts and living on Crescent Island with Nolan and Lana."Is there anything else?" Jared's voice was deep and somber."That's all I heard. I thought it was crucial to inform Nicole," Doretta replied."Max, escort her back," Jared instructed, then looked at Nicole, who remained silent.After Max took Doretta away, only Nicole and Jared were left in the spacious living room."With the tru
After briefly biting her lip, Nicole calmly responded, "It's alright, he probably realized there was no hope and thus abandoned Everett.""So, you mean Lawrence initially helped Everett but then gave up on him?" Preston surmised."Right," Nicole confirmed, giving a brief rundown of the events.Preston remarked, impressed, "I thought Everett was incredibly skilled to escape from such an encirclement. It's unbelievable." He had been shocked when he heard Everett was captured, hardly believing it was real. It turned out Everett's escape was facilitated by Lawrence's secret assistance."Does this mean all of Everett's associates have been rounded up? There shouldn't be anyone else, right?" Lulu speculated with a slight frown.She pondered, 'It must be so, especially if even Lawrence has abandoned Everett. It's unlikely anyone else would assist him now.'"Great, finally, everything is settled," Preston looked around the group. "Should we head back to Grandpa's place tomorrow?""I thi