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
This reminded everyone about what happened during the flag-raising ceremony the other day. But even so, they still did not know who this man was.Snow was standing aside, her gaze lingering on Jared with a faint hint of fear in her eyes. She did not know about others, but she knew exactly who Jared, who had just walked past, was. It was he who made her grandfather slap Dillon and almost send her abroad, causing her parents to lose favor in the Riddle family.Her fingernails sank into the flesh of her palms at the thought of how protective Jared was toward Nicole and the indifference he had just shown toward her. But thinking of the evening party she was about to attend, Snow took a few deep breaths, barely calmed her anger, and walked out without looking at the others behind her.The girls behind her looked at each other, wondering why Snow got angry again.Yvana scoffed at Snow's pretentious attitude. 'She really thinks she is superior just because she is from the Riddle family, w
Yvana saw Nicole and thought of the man taking Nicole away at the café, and Harvey could do nothing about it last time.What surprised her the most was that they were now together.Yvana was not afraid of Nicole. She gritted her teeth and said, "Can't I befriend him, Nicole? Don't you think you're too possessive?"Jared frowned upon hearing this, and he finally glanced at Yvana with a frosty look in his eyes. He opened his mouth and was about to say something.Yvana saw the look in his eyes, and an unspeakable fear rose within her. 'Has this man become angry just because I've rebuked Nicole?'Nicole took a couple of steps forward. With Jared behind her now, she looked at Yvana with a smile.Jared then heard Nicole's somewhat mischievous voice."Yeah, I'm just that possessive." Nicole walked up to Yvana and raised her upturned eyes. She stood tall and looked down at Yvana condescendingly. "Are you still not leaving?"Yvana looked at the bossy Nicole, so angry that she could not
"Nicole still denies that he is her boyfriend."Jimmy looked calmly at the creamy fondue; he had no doubt about it now.'When Nicole came to my rescue long before this, I knew that the relationship between Nicole and that man was unusual. That man's trust and support for Nicole is probably unmatched by anyone else.'Thinking of this, he patted Lulu on the head."It's not that she doesn't want to tell you. Maybe you have instead reminded her of something."Now everyone understood Nicole was probably not good at things like relationships.Nicole first went downstairs to check out, only to be told that someone had already paid for it.She looked back at Jared, who blinked gently at her with his charming eyes."Don't do this again next time," Nicole said. 'It has been agreed that I would pick up the tab. He shouldn't have paid for it.'Then she walked slowly toward the door with no enthusiasm. She did not enjoy going to parties and socializing with a bunch of people who put up a s
Nicole glanced back at Jared helplessly as she was pushed in front of the dress.Then she was ushered into the dressing room. The dress was hung inside, quietly waiting for its owner.In the dressing room--Nicole looked at the foreign makeup artist, who did not know where to begin but just marveled at her beauty. She sighed and took the things from the makeup artist."I'll do it myself," she said politely.She had been trained in transfiguration and disguise. No one knew her face better than she did, and no one knew better than her what kind of makeup to match the expensive dress. By the time Nicole had finished the last stroke, everyone was speechless.Nicole raised an eyebrow and casually picked up the dress with one hand while grabbing the matching shoes and jewelry with the other. Then she looked back at the makeup artist and others. "Could you all please wait for me outside?"The makeup artist was the first to come to his senses. He was a little skeptical of Nicole's makeu
Nicole could not see it. So as she turned slightly to look at Jared, the crystal earrings swung with her movements and glittered in the light.Claus looked on with his mouth agape at Victoria VII's crown that Jared put on Nicole's head and cursed in his mind.Nicole saw Jared wearing a black velvet suit, the hem of which was pulled open. Underneath the suit was a seemingly casual, dark red shirt. He looked extremely good in this attire. Those eyes that seemed to contain thousands of rays of brilliance were shining at her. When he saw her look at him, he bent forward gracefully. She watched on and felt his action so casual yet elegant as if it were a demeanor gifted from heaven."Please come with me, my princess," Jared said.'My princess?' Nicole put her hand on his and smiled. 'Let's go, my king.'At this time, Claus could not help but look back in the car. He knew Nicole was beautiful, but today, he could no longer take his eyes off her.Unbeknownst to the two of them, everyone
"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