It had been over a month since he received the news that Jared had returned to San Joto, yet this unfilial grandson had not even come to see him.Jared knew very well what his grandfather was angry about. He casually took a few steps forward to come in front of his grandfather, looked at the crutch in his hand, and raised an eyebrow."I didn't know that you had started using crutches."Mr. Johnston Sr. used to be a soldier and had always been tough. Jared had never gotten word that his grandfather's health had declined, even to the point of having to walk on crutches.Hearing Jared's evasive reply, Mr. Johnston Sr.'s face turned grave. He wielded the crutch in his hand, wanting to spank Jared. When Jared did not dodge, he reduced the force of his hand and shifted the direction of his crutch to avoid hitting his waist. So Jared was unharmed.Jared seemed to have expected what would happen. He looked at Mr. Johnston Sr. as usual and answered his last question."It was boring abroad
Shawn took off the black blindfold on Nicole and watched her eyelashes tremble gently. She had not woken up because of the effect of the drug. Her snow-like face made her an indescribably fragile beauty.He could not control himself, wanting to touch her eyelashes gently.But just a second before his hand reached her eyelashes, Nicole suddenly opened her eyes, which stared at him emotionlessly. Shawn took several steps back as if he had been startled.There was no expression on her face. Nicole eased her wrists tied behind her. Feeling her blood circulation blocked, she looked down at herself and found herself tied to a chair, across from which many pairs of eyes of men in black were staring at her.Those black outfits were exclusive to the Rogers family's bodyguards. There was a hint of disgust on Nicole's face at the thought of this. This place seemed to be a secret factory in which a small number of white particles were suspended in the air. The place was not too terrible, and
While she was already an expert playing with this trick, Shawn was probably still a rookie.She was still looking at Shawn without saying a word, seemingly hesitating.Shawn looked at her expression, thinking she had started to give in, and hastened to continue."My dad didn't tell me what kind of organization you're working for, but I knew very well the organization must be a behemoth. If you tell me which one of them is the doctor who gave you the medicine, I promise not to harm you. How about that?"Nicole looked at Shawn with a faint look of internal struggle in her eyes.Shawn was overjoyed, but he did not show it on his face. He continued to ask, "Well, as long as you tell me, all the punishments that my father asked me to prepare will not fall on you, and I can guarantee that you will go unharmed."Nicole didn't expect that just taking a few A-grade pills from the medicine box freshly out of the research would land her in a fine mess with the Rogers guy.She had no expens
Shawn's patience had run out. He stood up to look at Nicole, who had been keeping silent all along, with a slight impatience on his face.He was just about to open his mouth when the door behind him slammed open, and Nicole soon heard the shrill of a woman."What makes you so long?"Lyana strode in. Those bodyguards in front looked back at her in unison, startling her for a moment. Shawn squinted when he saw her. She quickly calmed down and recognized that those people were from the Rogers family. Lyana glanced at them and then swaggered up to Shawn and looked at this brother-in-law of hers with disdain."Do you need to bring so many men just to deal with one girl?" she asked coldly.Not sparing a second glance at Shawn, she picked up a bradawl the thickness of an index finger and sneered at Nicole, who was keeping her head low."Has she told you where the diamond is?"A look of disdain flashed in Shawn's eyes, but he still replied, "Not yet."Lyana looked at him disapproving
"Let go of Lyana."Shawn looked at Nicole and said coldly, "I lost this round. You let her go, I promise not to harm you, and you can just leave."Nicole looked at the eagerness in his eyes, in contrast to the pretense of composure on his face, and sneered."Oh, really?" She looked at the man who was coming from the other side with his back to the light. He was quick, almost completely losing the usual calm composure, but also seemed to be completely welcome in her eyes. "But you're too late."Meanwhile, Mr. Riddle Sr. looked at Mr. Rogers Sr. They were flattered at first when they were invited to the Rogers Mansion, but when he excused himself for the third time and was refused, everyone realized that something was wrong.'Are we invited to be guests here? This is obviously a trap!'Mr. Riddle Sr.'s face changed subtly, and he said again, "I think we have been bothering you for long enough and need to make a move, Christo."He got up and wanted to leave, but Mr. Rogers Sr. did
But the Riddle family basically had Mr. Riddle Sr. As capable as Nicole was, he would never escape his grasp.Thinking of this, Mr. Rogers Sr. breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back haughtily in his chair, and sneered at Mr. Riddle Sr, who was still standing there."Aren't you conceding?" he asked.Daniel and Gloria had also stood up and walked up to Mr. Riddle Sr.'s side to stand with him.Meanwhile, the look in Damien's and Dexter's eyes showed they were struggling internally.Mr. Rogers Sr. looked pleased with seeing the dilemmatic look of those people in front of him."What are you all going to do? Standing here in protest?"No way he would let them out of the manor before he had achieved his goal.Miley also seemed to have been aware of some sort of anomaly. She looked at Mr. Rogers Sr. with a hint of fear in her eyes."Uncle Rogers, what do you mean by not allowing us to leave?"Mr. Rogers Sr. guffawed and turned to look at Miley with contempt."You don't deserve to ca
As the bell-like voice sounded, the door to the Rogers Mansion vestibule slammed open. Everyone was drawn to the sound, and all of them looked out in unison.Mr. Rogers Sr. also looked out the door with anger, wanting to know who was so daring to defy his order and storm into the house.His face changed abruptly upon seeing who the person was."Maximillian?"'Isn't the old man in a gray-blue business suit with a thick eyebrow Maximillian, the patriarch of the Johnston family? What is he doing here?'Mr. Rogers Sr. looked abruptly over at Mr. Riddle Sr in disbelief. He glanced up and down at Mr. Riddle Sr. several times before he could barely withdraw his gaze. 'Is he coming for the Riddles? Impossible. The Johnstons have always thought they are above everyone else. Even if Maximilian and Benjamin had a close relationship with each other before, the Johnston family isn't what it used to be; it is impossible for them to come here for the sake of the family. He must be here for som
The poor bodyguard did not know why he was hit, but he quickly reacted and ordered those men in black surrounding the Riddle family to step aside.Mr. Rogers Sr. looked flatteringly at Mr. Johnston Sr. and asked in a pleading voice, "Would you calm down now? Of course, you can take them away, and I won't stop them from going."The Rogers family had always survived by attaching themselves to the Johnston family. But after his ignorant third brother offended one of the Johnston family members, his father expelled him from the family. Now, it seemed that he was going to follow in the footsteps of his third brother.Mr. Johnston Sr. looked at Mr. Rogers Sr., hissed and ignored him, then went straight to Mr. Riddle Sr."Are you all hurt?" He had a kind look on his face as if afraid that he would scare them.Mr. Riddle Sr. was flattered and shook his head hastily. Mr. Johnston Sr. walked up to him with a gentle face. "Glad to know you're all okay. Let's go. I'll send you back and leave
"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