Mr. Ellison snapped back from his thoughts when he heard Harvey's voice. He looked a little sad, but his expression quickly returned to being as solemn as usual."It doesn't matter." At this point, he turned to look at Harvey. "I sure will let you lead the entire Ellison family in the future. You will be the one who decides the course of cooperation with the Holder family."Harvey was startled, not expecting his grandpa to make such a promise to him. He felt he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.Lloyd followed Nicole to walk out of the building. He seemed to have something to say, but was hesitating to say. He just followed her quietly.Nicole's feelings for Lloyd were a complicated one.In her eyes, Lloyd was just one of her patients. They had once been on a mission together, during which Lloyd was seriously injured. Apart from physical injuries, the most terrible thing was that he also suffered from psychological trauma. He had fear of the dark, as if a physiological reflex
"Boss, things have gone wrong," Janus, his right-hand man abroad, whispered over the phone."We are unlikely to supply the next batch of goods." With that, Janus, who was on the other end of the phone, turned the camera around so that Jared could see what was going on at the scene.Jared's face darkened as he saw the deep explosion crater."Fortunately, none of our men were injured. They all evacuated in time, but the entire mine collapsed. Our months of hard work have gone down the drain," Janus said.Jared looked at the scene on the screen, squinting, his eyes icy as a glacier. 'Once I find out which bastard did this, I will not spare him!'Looking at the smoke and dust shown on the screen, Jared said in an icy voice, "Who did it?"Janus frowned and repeated the name of the suspect."I suspect that they have been planning this for a long time. They only launched the attack after being sure that you are indeed no longer in Mecrounia. It was done covertly; I could find no eviden
Claus looked at Gary, who was a little surprised, and the look on his face was even more surprised than Gary's."Don't you like Nicole? Don't you even know how badass Nicole's skills are?"He learned from Jared that Nicole had helped Rowan and others solve a problem that an entire bunch of top hackers could not solve, and Gary did not know about it. He looked at Gary and studied him with a meaningful smile."It seems like you don't like Nicole enough."Gary clenched his fists and looked at Claus with frosty eyes. "I don't like Nicole."He picked up what he had in his hand and was about to get up and walk outside. Claus looked at the shirt on the seat signed with Nicole's name and spread his hands helplessly."You don't like Nicole? So what's the matter with Nicole's autograph here? Kid, don't lie to yourself. Girls won't like you."As if he was playing the role of a teacher, Claus sat down in front of Gary and started to explain the facts of life to him.At last, after admiring
"I'm going to Mecrounia, and not sure when I will be back."Lloyd quickly sensed Nicole's impatience with him. He smiled gently and asked nothing more, well-disposed, and gentlemanly, just like on the silver screen."Okay, Nicole," he replied, his voice pleasant, with a very peaceful yet alienated tone. He was standing at a safe distance, causing no discomfort to Nicole. "I wish you the best of luck."Nicole looked at him and nodded, knowing that what she had just felt was not an illusion. "Thank you."Lloyd looked on with a thoughtful look on his face as Nicole went without looking back. He did not follow her again, but just stood where he was, quietly watching her leave.He gave out a vibe that felt difficult to guess and unfathomable.Many girls around him recognized him, but they did not dare to approach him because of his icy expression. But there was one girl plucking up enough courage to step out and look at Lloyd with admiration."Are you Lloyd?" the girl asked.Lloyd n
'How could they not come? Besides, they were humiliated in front of Sebastian recently and would certainly find a way to take revenge.'Taylor proudly stepped aside, waiting for the people of the Riddle family to greet him.But after a long wait, and people were swarming around Nicole to talk to her, no one bothered to come talking to him.'They're all blind.'Since Sebastian had not come, Taylor walked out angrily. Daniel was receiving guests when he saw Taylor walk out angrily. He asked Taylor in a whisper, "Where are you going? The party venue is in the opposite direction.Taylor was pissed and pushed Daniel away. "The party has no class, and the host has a poor attitude; why should I stay any longer?"Hearing Taylor's unsparing criticism, Daniel was startled and could not immediately find a word to respond.Taylor thought Daniel was rendered speechless by what he said. He sneered, looking at him with disdain in his eyes. "Look at you; probably you haven't met people like us
'What else if not because of your lousy presentation?'But he did not say it out loud, and Luke ignored him. As Sebastian walked toward Nicole, he looked on, and his suspicion was finally confirmed.'I did not expect that the naïve-looking Riddle family could secretly build such a relationship with Sebastian to the point where even Sebastian's own son could do nothing about it.'Taylor was also stupefied as he saw Sebastian and Nicole standing together and talking so happily with each other. He did not know that Nicole knew Sebastian earlier.Mr. Riddle Sr. stood to the side, looking at the attitude of the people around him toward Nicole, and clearly felt something strange.'Why are these people looking for Nicole when they are supposed to come to meet me? Could it be that those people who came yesterday were actually because of Nicole?'Seeing Nicole chatting with a group of businessmen, Mr. Riddle Sr. had a complicated look in his eyes. Even Damien and Dexter looked at Nicole i
Chloe could not care less about this cousin of hers, who did not even know who Sebastian was. She looked coldly in Nicole's direction and stood in place.Since Nicole was getting all the attention now, she would not go over and make herself miserable. But when she casually looked around, she spotted someone she never expected to see here.Mr. Riddle Sr. was clinking glasses with the guests. Since he had just recovered from his illness, he could only drink tea in place of wine, but this did not affect his enjoyment.Now, he was no longer worried her granddaughter would be bullied as she could now stand on her own feet.While he was talking to someone from one of the major families in San Joto, he heard an insidious voice that he recognized coming from behind him."Hello, Benjamin. Congratulations on your good fortune."Damien and Dexter also heard the voice and recognized it at once. They frowned when they saw Christo walk on crutches toward them.Christo seemed to have aged ten
After years of burgeoning, Christo thought he could still put the Riddle family in its place even if he was not as powerful as before.Sebastian watched in silence and understood what was really going on. He looked at Christo, who still did not see him but talked to himself, as if he had been immersed in his own world.Sebastian frowned. Just as he was about to say something to Christo, the door of the Riddle Mansion suddenly opened and a cold and forceful voice came."Christo, you've never changed, have you?"Christo shivered subconsciously upon hearing the voice. He immediately turned around and almost fainted when he saw Maximillian walk toward him.Everyone else looked at the old man with surprise. They did not expect to see someone from the Johnston family at the Riddle family's party. Many of them were not worried because they had made no mistake. 'We've made the right decision to come here, especially with the presence of the patriarch of the Johnston family in the Riddle f
"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