Gary stood up and took the stage to receive his award. Seeing that the second place was a student from the Royal Creek Institute, Mr. Ellison stood up with great satisfaction as he personally presented the award to Gary and patted him on the shoulder in praise."You did well."Gary thanked Mr. Ellison. When he looked at the person beside him, he was a little surprised to recognize the person as Mr. Hancock's student, Clement Atlee!He had lost to the latter by just one point in the last Math Olympiad, so he had a deep impression of Clement, yet he did not expect the latter to be ranking behind him this time!Seeing that Gary was looking at him, Clement scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly as he said to the former, "I didn't go around the last question and step straight on the trap. I got zilch for that one."His teacher was so furious that he got that question wrong and did not speak to him for a good while.Gary nodded to signal that he understood. Then did, he slowly walk
Mr. Kennedy snorted coldly at Ms. Emerson. He looked at Nicole with clear contempt. "Ms. Emerson, you seriously can't be thinking that Nicole could win first place and win her bet with me? Her grades are just that. It's fine if she doesn't participate in the Math Olympiad anymore. Let's not waste our time here..."Nicole sat there quietly as if she had not heard him say anything. She then gave the blabbering Mr. Kennedy an impassive glance."Why, Mr. Kennedy? Are you afraid?""Me? Afraid?"Mr. Kennedy let out a laugh before sneering, "You sure are stubborn. Fine, we'll wait with you!"He sat back confidently as he sneeringly looked at the big screen on the stage.He was somewhat impressed with Nicole's psychological fortitude. 'She refuses to give up first place that even Gary could not get!'Mr. Kennedy looked at the stage impatiently, already thinking about how he would humiliate Nicole and Ms. Emerson when they went back later.'I need to tell this to Ms. Thomson and get a r
'That was no difficult name to pronounce.' He could clearly see that name out of two common words.'So, the reason Mr. Wyance paused is that...'As he thought of this, Eric was sweating profusely, and no matter how he wiped them, they did not seem to dry off.They were not only the ones shocked, and everyone in the Royal Creek Institute too noticed something was strange, but very soon, everyone finally saw Sebastian's mouth move as he slowly read the name out."Nicole Riddle."'Huh? Nicole got first place?'Everyone in Class B was stunned.'WHAT?''What did Mr. Wyance just say?''First place? The first place that we had claimed could only belong to a robot is won by Nicole, the girl whom we had always looked down upon?!'Mr. Kennedy's sneering face froze as he opened his mouth in shock as he looked at the name that appeared on screen, completely stunned.'What's going on? Am I hearing this? The first-place winner is actually Nicole?!''This got to be a joke!'Norah was als
Eric Anderson was totally dumbstruck, and Mr. Kennedy had frozen into a statue.'Nicole actually knew Sebastian Wyance!'Even Ms. Emerson was surprised at this scene. She did not know her student had such a background.Both Norah and Raine were even more shocked as their mouths were open agape. When they saw Sebastian treating Nicole so affectionately, they were very dumbfounded.'Who is this person that we usually look down upon?'Gary's hand clenched silently, and he was never clearer as to how foolish he was than now.He quietly walked back to his seat as he silently looked at Nicole, who was not too far away from him, with a complicated look in his eyes.Nicole gave Sebastian a helpless look. She clearly saw that he was speaking to her with the microphone close at hand, which meant that he deliberately wanted everyone to hear this.It made her speechless."Long time no see, Mr. Wyance."Even the host was stunned by this scene as he did not know how to proceed next.This
The teacher walked away and disappeared into the crowd.Mr. Kennedy seethed with anger while staring at his retreating figure.This was the first time he felt like he hated his own mouth.'Why does it feel like I've jinxed myself? Everything that I've said has come true!' he thought.His thoughts suddenly took a sharp turn.'Nicole knows Mr. Wyance; they seem pretty well-acquainted,' he thought with panic.Mr. Kennedy turned to look at his uncle, that was on the stage. He quickly ran up to him."What's going on? How does Nicole know Mr. Wyance?" Mr. Kennedy asked.Eric turned to the dim-witted distant relative of his. He was annoyed about how Nicole treated him and had nowhere to vent."You're asking me how she knows Mr. Wyance?" he sneered.'If this dimwit didn't bring Nicole up during their phone call, none of this would've happened!' Eric thought.He glared at Mr. Kennedy before turning around to chase after Sebastian.Eric was a portly man. Even though he ran with all h
Eric finally caught up. He managed to catch a glimpse of someone leaving in Sebastian's car. He then quickly grabbed a random guy who was standing beside him."Who left with Mr. Wyance just now?" he asked in a panicked tone.The guy looked frightened. He gawked at Eric for a moment before speaking."Nicole. He left with Nicole!" he said loudly.'Nicole. It really was Nicole,' Eric thought.He thought of what he said at the Riddle family's house and felt disheartened.'Nicole actually knows Mr. Wyance, so she wasn't talking big,' he thought again.At this thought, Eric unconsciously let go of the guy's collar. He paced around anxiously for a while. Then, he clapped his hands as if he had made up his mind and left.Gary and Ms. Emerson were surrounded by the crowd; the two of them did not manage to catch up with Nicole.He looked in the direction Nicole left and frowned.'What's going on? Nicole surpassed me in the Math Olympiad; she got a perfect score and won first place. But
'Nicole landed in the huge limelight this time. Even Gary was looking at her affectionately just now,' Vivian thought.She was so jealous that she had lost all rationale. She had forgotten the lesson Nicole taught her earlier this morning; she turned around and started walking toward Ms. Emerson."Don't get too ahead of yourself, Ms. Emerson," Vivian said in a rather loud voice.Everyone present could hear her clearly.They all stopped talking and looked at her in shock.Ms. Emerson turned to her and slightly frowned."What do you mean?"Vivian sneered."Ms. Emerson, did you ever consider the fact that all of us are aware of Nicole's academic level? She's a country bumpkin, so how could she possibly understand national-level Math Olympiad questions? What's more, it's been years since someone got a perfect score. How could Nicole get a perfect score with her level? Someone must've leaked the questions to her!" she said in a confident tone.Everyone looked at her in shock the mo
Raine revealed an unnoticeable look of glee when she saw the scene unfold.'See, I knew it. Nicole can never start anew. She's a country bumpkin. Who is she to get first place in the Math Olympiad? Who is she to gain Mr. Wyance's favor? She's meant to be trampled like a speck of dust,' she thought.Just as everyone was fixated on Ms. Emerson, a solemn voice came from the podium."What're you all talking about? I'd like to hear it too."Meanwhile, Nicole and Sebastian were heading to The Grove; neither of them had a clue about what was happening in the hall. On the way to the restaurant, Sebastian asked Nicole what she had been up to. He then reminded her to take care of herself and to be attentive to her health despite her young age. On the other hand, Nicole responded to all of his questions and reminders. She felt as if he was close to talking her ear off by the time they reached the lounge.Sebastian seemed to have realized that he was talking too much. He quickly waved a waite
"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