Snow looked at the guy before her in disbelief. Her face went pale in a second. She asked cautiously, "Harvey, wh-what did you just say?"Harvey did not reply to her. Instead, he looked at her fair chin attentively. A faint regret rose within his eyes. But it did not seem to last long and disappeared without a single trace.Snow was full of anticipation when, upon seeing Harvey's attentive gaze. Nevertheless, his response was different from what she had wished.Harvey did not spare her a glance. Before he made a graceful exit, he gave Vivian, who was next to him, a courteous smile.Snow wanted to follow him, but Wayne and Lulu stood in her way without mercy. Instead of struggling further, she shot Vivian a glare with her reddened eyes."Why did Harvey treat you that way?! How could my Harvey possibly treat you that way?!When Vivian saw Snow's reaction, she was secretly pleased with the thought of the way Harvey treated her differently. She sounded indifferent and haughty as she
Nicole gave Claus a silent stare. Her reaction told him that the answer was obviously a "No."She just wanted to have the coffee Jared made for her.At this moment, the wind chime of the café suddenly jingled again.Someone opened the café door with brute force. The person who entered the premise walked toward Nicole's table in big strides.It was Gary. His face was full of anger. He acted as though he was someone's husband who was here to catch his cheating wife.Nicole frowned at his behavior."What now?"What Gary did in the classroom just now was utterly stupid. She did not place any on him, nor did she feel anger toward him.Gary looked at Nicole in front of him. When he entered the premise, he saw her sitting there, having a good time talking to another guy. She looked stunning. However, she would smile at anyone except for him. She would only give him the cold shoulder.A fit of anger rose within Gary. He gritted his teeth as he asked, "Nicole, just how many guys you've
Gary's chest heaved in anger. He stretched out a hand, trying to grab Nicole's wrist, but Nicole pinned him to the table with his hand at the back. She stood up, and she looked at him, who was in shock.Gary knew that Nicole was good at self-defense skills. Nevertheless, he had not believed that she was more skillful than him. After all, he had never fought her.But now, the subtle pain in his hand told him to admit that Nicole's self-defense skill was better than his.Nicole, on the other hand, showed no changes on her face. As her gaze remained on Gary, she pondered. She found the odd things he had spoken to her on multiple occasions annoying."If this is all you want to say, from now on, leave me alone."After giving Gary a piece of mind, Nicole shook his hand off. She took her seat, wanting to stay focused on solving math problems.Gary was in disbelief. There was a hint of embarrassment and anger on his face. 'She's really ungrateful!' he snarled inwardly.But Nicole had ma
'What nonsense is that?!'Nicole turned to Jared with an impassive face. "No such thing. Don't listen to him."Jared slightly raised his eyebrows at her beautiful face. "I'd come even if he hadn't told me that. What brings you here at this hour?"Still, Jared wanted her to tell him what had happened.Nicole's expression softened gradually, an icy glint fading from her eyes. Apparently, she knew Jared was worried about her."Nothing major."Although that was what Nicole had said, Jared was not as gullible as Claus. He squinted his glacier eyes and exuded a dangerous vibe."Let me know, or I'll go meet your brothers at your home and have them ask you instead."Nicole locked her gaze on his unearthly handsome face. She could not help but chuckle at how he said it because he made it sound like a threat.'He's acting like a kiddo who wants to complain to my family about this. Do I look like a kid?'Nicole's eyes got even softer. "Really, there's nothing major. I got annoyed when t
The Rogers residence--It was a sunny day. Lyana was in her bedroom staring at the messages she had sent to Jared. Apparently, there was no reply. She got up angrily, wanting to scream to vent her frustration. But before she did that, her phone screen suddenly lit up.Lyana was surprised. She took her phone. But when she read the message, her face gradually turned grave with vague light in her eyes.She got up and left her room. On her way out, her servant approached her in a servile manner, wanting to say something to her. But Lyana did not spare the servant a glance and left the mansion building.The Rogers family's driver waiting on the car porch was surprised to see Lyana. But it did not take him long to recover to his senses and open the car door for her.Lyana was in a hurry that she did not even bring along the bodyguards who used to follow her everywhere she went. She got in the car and instructed the driver, "Take me to the Riddle residence!"The driver was surprised aga
"Call the head of your family over. I want to talk to him about Nicole!"To Lyana, the Riddle family was nothing compared to her family. Her family could crush them like a bug. She thought so highly about herself that she felt she deserved to be treated with the utmost respect.The Riddles were startled for a second. They were puzzled about her intention to meet Mr. Riddle Sr. However, Dillon reacted immediately. He gave her a servile smile as he said, "Ms. Rogers, please take a seat. I'll let my father know."Lyana looked at the chairs and tables before her disdainfully. 'All chairs at my home are made of luxurious wood. These furniture pieces made of low-grade rosewood are just tasteless.'But since I'm here...' Lyana gave Damien a look. However, he did not show any response. He was not as quick-witted as Dillon when it came to this. Lyana felt unhappy."Wipe the chair clean for me!" she said.Damien lowered his gaze. His eyes glinted under the glasses. But he complied with Lya
When Damien was about to reprimand Raine and Snow, Lyana suddenly changed her haughty and disdainful attitude."What did you just say?" Lyana thought, 'These two girls seem to hate Nicole!'Only then did Snow and Raine take a close look at the beautiful yet arrogant young lady before them. But none of them spoke.It was a woman's instinctive wariness of another woman.Lyana rolled her eyes inwardly at the sight of it. She put away her look of despise and gave Snow and Raine a perfunctory smile. "Come, tell me more about it. How did Nicole bully you?"Snow and Raine were startled. Snow looked at Damien and got the hint to accept the invitation because Lyana was not someone they could offend. Hence, she walked over to Lyana and badmouthed Nicole.Raine, who was next to Snow, exaggerated some details.Damien could vaguely hear their conversation. Although he wanted to please Lyana, he was reluctant to let an outsider know about the incidents Snow and Raine had described.'No matte
Although Mr. Riddle Sr. was there, Lyana had no intention to give away the seat. She gave him a nod but showed no respect toward him. She stopped Snow and Raine from talking further and said coldly,"I'm here because I want to know how exactly you handle your grandchild. Nicole Riddle has made my grandfather lose his mind. I didn't expect she would also ruin your family. Is this how the head of a family does their job?"Ever since Mr. Riddle Sr. went through a life-and-death situation, his mentality had changed a lot. In the face of Lyana's questions, he said indifferently, "I do not know how Ms. Rogers arrived at this conclusion. From what I see, Nicole is just in her rebellious phase. What she did was not something as serious as you think."Lyana smirked. "I bet she got it from her elders. Is this how the Riddle family does things?"She got up and slammed the table.Dillon did not heed Mr. Riddle Sr.'s expression when he saw her angry. He quickly approached her, trying to comfor
"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