Luke McCarthy, the representative from the McCarthy family, was looking triumphantly at Sean and Steve across from him. He already had a chin-wag with many people at the tender venue and was acquainted with Taylor Wyatt and George Allen; both were government officials.They now held all the cards and were expected to win the tender.He looked at the stone-faced Sean with disdain.'No matter how good an offer is, relationships are the last word. I will certainly be able to win the bid and then build a hospital on that land, making a ton of money out of those fools. Just like Michael, the CEO of San Joto Central Hospital, I will soon be able to multiply my net worth by dozens of times.Luke had a greedy look on his face, excited when he thought of the money he was going to get. He swaggered up to Sean, rolled up his tender documents, and knocked it on the table."Don't you know better, brat, that you should at least say hello?" He wanted to intimidate the young man. If the young man
"I know that the Riddle family is in decline now the moment I see you. Do you really think that you can get this land by hard work alone like before? I tell you what—you don't get a chance."Luke had just finished speaking triumphantly when the door of the conference room suddenly opened, with Sebastian and Merwin slowly walking in. Seeing Sebastian, Luke hurriedly greeted him, his eyes smiling servilely into slits.Sebastian felt like frowning at the extremely ingratiating Luke. But he did not show his emotion, just perfunctorily acknowledging him.In Luke's eyes, it was an endorsement.Luke's face glowed, and he almost walked on air, looking at Sean and Steve with contempt in his eyes.'These two idiots are waiting to lose!'Sean and Steve also nodded at Sebastian with just the right amount of humbleness, which scored them a lot of points in Sebastian's eyes.'Looking closely, these two young men seem to look a little like Nicole. Especially those slightly upturned eyes that l
Taylor felt smug as Luke occupied the stage for another few more minutes, repeating his determination for the land, and then took a defiant look at Sean before he finally got off the stage.Sean was not bothered by Luke. He picked up his presentation document and gave Sebastian and everyone else a copy. Then he and Steve stood in the center of the stage with confidence."Here's the content of Riddle Corporation's tender document." Subsequently, Sean went all out to present his plan for the land and analyzed the project.Looking at the Riddle brothers on stage, Sebastian finally understood why Nicole asked him to be fair. Because the Riddle brothers were slightly better from a purely fair point of view. He supported the Riddle family, not just because of Nicole.An hour had passed, and the dust had settled.Coming out of the conference room dumbfounded, Luke could not believe that he had lost. He looked at Taylor and then caught up with him, asking, "What was going on? Didn't you s
Joyce hung up after having a few words with Luke. She took off the mask on her face and angrily called Martin to question him."What the hell is going on with you, Martin? Haven't you promised me we would let our family win?" She was pissed with a take-for-granted attitude, completely having no self-awareness that she was asking Martin for a favor.Martin was tired as he had just finished performing surgery in the hospital. So he had no patience for this and scolded her angrily. "What's the matter with you? You'd better not call me again if this is why you called!"Joyce had never been yelled at by him like this. She was stunned in belief for a moment and then sobbed. "Martin, how could you yell at me? You yelled at me! Have you forgotten you promised me in the first place?"Martin kneaded his temples as Joyce's shrill gave him a headache. "I remember I've talked to my dad. Let me check with him."Then he hung up, wanting to call his father. Just then, his mobile phone rang, and t
Nicole returned to the Royal Creek Institute, and as she was just about to turn around and walk toward the café, she heard an extraordinarily emotional voice coming from behind her."Boss!"She looked back and saw Austin running quickly toward her with a few people. People who thought of coming up to Nicole to ask something quickly ducked aside when they saw Austin. They wondered why Austin always appeared around Nicole. They were even curious about the relationship between Nicole and Sebastian, wanting to come over and ask Nicole about it. But because of Austin's presence, they did not get a chance to do so.Austin did not care what was going on in the minds of those people. He came up to Nicole excitedly. "Boss, how was your exam?"Nicole raised an eyebrow, not knowing which exam he was talking about, but it did not make a difference to her."It was ok."Austin knew his boss had always been low-key. Even if she was the first in the entire school, she would not get carried away,
Nicole was not interested in such a thing. She pressed down Lulu's hand, which was holding a drink to her mouth. "That's enough for today."Lulu grinned and put down the wineglass in her hand when she saw it was Nicole.Jimmy looked at his sister in amazement, not expecting her to listen to Nicole even though she had drunk so much.June covered her mouth and smiled as if she also thought Lulu was cute."Do you know why they want to have stage plays?"Lulu might have put down her wineglass, but she never stopped talking. She looked around mysteriously for a while before finally speaking."Because Lukewarm crew is already preparing to restart filming. They are planning to search for a female lead in colleges and universities. It is said that Lloyd will come to the Royal Creek Institute's anniversary and watch the stage play."'What?'Bradley was the first to stand up. He had drunk a lot. He looked at Lulu with glowing eyes and asked in some disbelief, "Did you just say Lloyd woul
It was only normal for Nicole not to go.Soon the little episode was over, and the fat chewing continued until it was evening. Many of them proposed to hang out outside.Just then, Nicole's mobile phone rang. She glanced at the phone screen, and a faint smile flashed across her face. As she turned to go out, everyone looked at her from behind with a thoughtful look in their eyes.Austin nudged Sammey and asked in a low voice, "Have you ever seen our boss have such an expression on her face?"As Sammey did not answer, Bill Allen looked at Austin with disdain and said casually, "What's so surprising about it? Boss always has that expression on her face whenever she looks at her man."Sammey let out a gentle cough. As Austin seemed to have realized something, they all tacitly shut their mouths.Lulu and others looked at them, clueless about what they were talking about.'What man? What do they mean by she has always been like that? These guys are so strange.'Nicole walked outside
"Just a friend who said he needed me to do him a favor," Nicole said helplessly.Lulu looked suspiciously at Nicole. After all, Nicole's attitude told her they were more than just friends.June stopped her from asking any more questions by casually fetching bread for her. "Don't you like bread? You should eat more."Lulu was forgetful. When she saw the bread, she forgot what she was about to say. Jimmy looked at Nicole as if thinking of something, but he was not surprised.Just then, the door of the private dining room next door suddenly opened, and the laughter of girls was heard inside.Yvana looked at Snow, who was surrounded in the middle, with subtle jealousy in her eyes. "Snow, are you really going to leave so early? We aren't having enough fun yet."Snow glanced back at her with a faint disdain in her eyes."Enjoy the meal. It's on me." She just wanted to protect her circle and would not have time for them otherwise.Thinking that she would have to attend a dinner party
"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