The two walked to the garden of the Holder family manor. They stood facing one another. Lloyd looked on quietly at Harvey, his eyes deep. No one could tell what he was thinking.And Harvey hated this the most. He maintained his smile, but his voice turned icy."Come with me. The teacher wants to see you."Hearing this, Lloyd's expression did not change as he faintly looked at the man before him, his voice flat."So, you've him under your control."Harvey looked at Lloyd as the latter smiled. His aura was gentle, yet his words were bone-chilling."Yes, but it's pointless. He still insists on telling you alone, just like when he wanted to kill you last back then."As he said that, an undercurrent flowed within Harvey's eyes as he let out an inexplicable smile."I wonder what he sees in you."When Lloyd heard what Harvey said, he let out a faint sigh."Are we leaving now?"At this moment, both Nicole and Jared arrived at the café. As Claus complained about having barely eaten,
Jared did not hide anything as he simply just said. "I could tell that you're someone from Interpol with that skill of yours, but I never thought that you were S."When Nicole heard what he said, she smiled a little.This was the first time she met someone with such observation skills."You should join the Interpol as well."She said seriously. "If it's you, you might very well be someone more powerful than I am."Jared did not say anything but Claus, at the front, raised his eyebrows and said, "Boss, where should we do that? He is..."The remainder of his words were snuffed out by Jared's gaze.Nicole looked thoughtfully at Jared. She did not pursue the matter as she gently leaned against the car window and closed her eyes slightly.From Jared's angle, she was like a serene beauty in a portrait. Her beautiful eyes closed and her face serene, as if she was a sleeping princess that walked straight out of the Victorian era.He motioned for Claus to keep quiet with his eyes as th
Yet, Nicole gently placed her index finger between their lips as she looked at the man before her and smiled."Know your limits."Jared raised his eyebrows a little as he slowly moved closer to her. His eyes had a seductive charm to in, as if he was silently trying to bewitch the girl before her, to give her a second kiss.Nicole accepted his temptation and did not reject him.But at this moment"What are the two of you doing, Nicole?"When Nicole heard the voice, a look of disbelief appeared in her eyes. She immediately looked back, and when she saw the blond man standing at the door, her eyes widened in surprise."Carl!"'He actually found this place?!'Carl looked at Nicole not too far ahead of him as something flashed in his eyes. He raised his eyebrow as he opened up his arms as usual."Oh honey, I missed you! Come give me a hug!"Nicole looked at him, and the smile on her face faded somewhat. She stood up and took a step back, quickly taking an offensive stance.She s
Seeing the latter's smile, Carl regretted his bullheadedness as a confused look appeared in his turquoise eyes.'Who can tell me what I should do after I failed in a provocation. Need a reply, ASAP.'When Nicole saw the scene before her, a smile appeared on her face.She gently patted Jared on the shoulder and whispered. "It's okay."Jared could tell that she wanted to help Carl out of this predicament, so he nodded toward the latter and calmly said."Good strength. Do work on it more."He then casually let go of Carl's fist and even handed him a coffee."Enjoy."Nicole looked at Carl's befuddled face, a rare silly look appearing on his handsome and charming face.She smiled as she sat beside Carl and asked."Why did you come looking for me? Don't we still have a few days before the rendezvous date?"Only then did Carl look at Nicole. His pupils shrank as he finally eased up after taking a sip.He seemingly thought of something as his eyes looking at Nicole suddenly became
The run-down sanatorium in front was a wreck. The whole building was dark due to curtailment. It was very creepy.However, Lloyd did not hesitate. He asked softly without turning his head, "Which room?""Top floor. Room 312," Harvey said apathetically. His voice was unspeakably cold.They walked up the stairs slowly. Lloyd stood in front of an old paint-peeling-off door. He frowned his brows slightly as he said, "How could you let him live in such a place?"Harvey sneered as he turned back to look at Lloyd. His eyes were glowing with malevolence."He wanted me dead. It was merciful of me not killing him."'I don't like Lloyd's compassionate behavior. It's next-level arrogant. Others might not notice it, but I can see it. He's being so unreasonable and acting like he's above all,' Harvey thought.'But I'm still not sure how he got to know Nicole. He even knows about her S identity?'Lloyd sighed softly. He knew Harvey was telling the truth. He did not have any excuse to justify
'Hank and Harvey were only ten years old when they were following me. I can't believe they're all grown men now,' the man thought.'Hope he can be dealt with easily, just like when he was a kid.'Lloyd looked at the man in front of him as he walked slowly toward him unexpectedly.Harvey stood behind Lloyd. He did not move a muscle. A suggestion of a cold smile can be seen in his eyes.'Lloyd didn't understand suffering. It's time for him to taste pain a little.'Lloyd approached Cyrus Federick. He stared at the man who traumatized and shamed him countlessly. A cold glint flashed past his eyes."Yes?"Cyrus was stunned for a moment. 'I can't believe he actually came forward to me.' Cyrus was pleasantly surprised.'Can't believe he's still so gullible. Just like when he was a kid!'He extended his fingers without fingernails as he thought about that. His hand was trembling as he extended his hand toward Llyod's inscrutable face. It was almost like Cyrus wanted to feel and confir
While Cyrus was thinking to himself, Lloyd, who was still standing next to him, spoke suddenly. The color of his eyes was dark. Indescribable terror could be felt as he looked down. But at the same time, there was a delusion of him looking at Cyrus wholeheartedly.Lloyd stared at the man in front of him. He asked Cyrus the question he was most interested in."Why did you want me to visit you? What do you want to tell me?" he asked in a clean tone.Cyrus knew he could not make an omelet without breaking eggs. He stared at Lloyd, who seemed like he was evaluating his worth. He then gritted his teeth heartlessly as he looked at Harvey, whose face could not be seen clearly in the dark room."Y-You can't listen to what I'm about to tell Hank. He will decide whether he wants to tell you."Harvey raised his head and gazed at Cyrus, who seemed particularly presumptuous in front of Lloyd. He smiled instead of being angry."Sure."Harvey left the room without dragging his feet. He even cl
"What happened to the necklace?" Lloyd did not want to miss out on any clue regarding the girl.The truth is, Lloyd remembered clearly what happened after that. He thought the girl was murdered by Cyrus on that day.Not long after that, Lloyd and Harvey heard about the intense gunfight that happened on the hill. Cyrus did not return after the gunfight. There were only a few gangsters who were guarding the place when the police officers arrived. Abducted kids were separated into a few rooms. All of them were blindfolded, and their mouths were covered. The kids were emaciated. Numbness can be seen on their faces.Harvey and Llyod remembered Cyrus's voice clearly even though he escaped without them.There was no way they misidentified Cyrus.Harvey captured Cyrus and imprisoned him here in the sanatorium for revenge.But most importantly, he wanted to know the girl's whereabouts from Cyrus.However, Cyrus knew he could not tell Harvey what happened on the hill. Harvey was vengeful.
"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