'Mr. Johnston Sr. had stayed a low profile all this while. I'm afraid he has come to the party to help the Riddle family and we have such an honor, all because of Nicole.'Mr. Riddle Sr. looked proud at the thought of this. They sat together and enjoyed talking with each other. Mr. Johnston Sr. was curious about Nicole and asked many questions, and Nicole answered all of them.She maintained a straight face, sitting with her back straight, looking extremely graceful in the face of such a powerful person.On the other hand, Damien found no opportunity to interject. Everyone else looked at Nicole, who was surrounded in the middle, with a complicated look in their eyes.At first, he looked down upon Nicole, but now her achievement was even higher than his. He figured he probably would not be able to do this if he were Nicole.Daniel and Gloria stood to the side, watching their daughter become the center of attention in front of those bigwigs and felt proud of her.Nicole looked at S
"Get out of the way. Didn't you see that I'm in a hurry?"'This little girl really doesn't know any better.'Chloe was embarrassed and quickly stepped aside after being reprimanded harshly. Behind her, Snow watched her being reprimanded and breathed a soft sigh of relief.'Fortunately, Chloe is ahead of me. Otherwise, I would have been the one facing this embarrassing situation.' She patted herself on the chest, glad that she was not the one being reprimanded. But the thought of Mr. Johnston Sr.'s attitude toward Nicole and Mr. Ellison's disregard for her frustrated her. 'There will always be a chance to fix Nicole,' She said in her mind.Thinking of this, she just remembered that, although Mr. Johnston Sr. was gone, Sebastian was still here. She hurried over to say hello to Sebastian. Her grandfather had ordered her father not to come out and enjoined her to build rapport with Sebastian.Snow walked toward Sebastian when she heard Sebastian say to Mr. Riddle Sr., "This time the R
Nicole returned to the room, put her bag down, turned around, and knocked on the door of the guest room next door."Carl?"There was no answer; probably he was not there. Nicole thought of Carl's restless personality and shook her head helplessly.The party downstairs did not seem to have ended. Probably some more guests had arrived as there was another uproar again. Nicole returned to her room, took out the silver-white shard again, and carefully studied it in the palm of her hand.At this level of damage, she could almost be sure that it had been hit by an extreme impact force. Ordinary weapons could not have shattered it; it had to be some heavy weapon, and to do this, the person needed to understand the weaknesses of this alloy. As the hardest metal in the world, it was impossible to break so easily.Nicole clutched the chrome-nickel alloy in her hand and squinted her eyes. She saw this rampant act as a direct challenge to her redline.Suddenly, there were light footsteps com
Mrs. Wallace Sr. nodded, not minding it. Instead, she looked at her granddaughter with puzzlement."Where are you going?"Nicole knew she could never hide things from her grandmother, nor did she intend to. "I am traveling with my parents, worried that you would miss me, so I first came to see you."Mrs. Wallace Sr. nodded. "Don't worry about me. I'm all right. Be careful when you're out there."Nicole listened patiently to her grandmother's nagging admonition without interrupting her. After a moment, she glanced at her watch. "Grandma, I have to go."Mrs. Wallace Sr. nodded downheartedly and sighed softly as she watched her granddaughter turn away.Nicole had always been sensible. Especially after she was lost and found, she became as steady and dependable as now; every time before going out, she would let her grandmother know lest her grandmother would be worried.Mrs. Wallace Sr. knew that her granddaughter had secrets, and that she probably was not going on a vacation. But s
He had long wanted to see what Nicole looked like, and yet he missed such a wonderful opportunity.Sebastian looked at his son with an innocent look. "I thought you disliked going to such parties, saying that the food was terrible, everyone there had an ax to grind, and it was boring. I did ask you to go with me a few times, but you turned it down. I thought—"Martin listened to what he said and scratched his head with chagrin. 'It seems to be true.' He was in no mood to eat. As soon as he put down the cutlery in his hand, he received a phone call.Sebastian glanced at it and showed that it was Michael.He quietly withdrew his gaze. He never interfered in his son's career. Martin was a successful doctor, whose medical skills were well-known through San Joto. This was what Sebastian was most proud of. The corner of his mouth curled up in a subtle smile at the thought of this.He saw Martin's face turn serious, and he did not want to disturb him from answering the phone."Who?" As
Nicole saw the confident look in his eyes and nodded."We've got company. Three and five o'clock. Split," she quickly said, and then dashed in the other direction.Carl reacted just as fast. The two of them had been working together for many years and had a tacit understanding. Before those people trailing them could react, Nicole and Carl had vanished into the crowd within seconds.The leader of those people was infuriated and gave a slap to one of his men behind him. "What are you all waiting for? They have noticed us. Give chase!"Nicole and Carl moved so quickly that by the time a dozen men split into two groups and went looking for them, Nicole and Carl were already nowhere to be seen. The group leader had now calmed down, took out his radio, and whispered to the person on the other end, "Boss, they were quick and got away; we didn't manage to catch them."The person on the other end of the radio seemed to have said something, and the man's face turned pale. He answered respe
Carl ignored him and walked inside with Nicole. The servant looked suspiciously at Nicole, whom he had never seen before. But since she came with Carl, he did not dare to say anything and let her in.Nicole looked at the magnificent building as usual, the darker paint only adding to its majestic vibe and did not overshadow its beauty. When the sunset fell on this manor, people would be amazed by the sense of history that came with time. This was a heritage that only ancient buildings possessed.Carl and Nicole walked side by side. The news that Carl had brought a girl home immediately spread throughout the manor.It was still not nightfall yet, but the hall was already brightly lit. People were neatly sitting on both sides of a long dining table, and in the head seat sat a senior man. He was draped in a black nightgown and seemingly could not keep his eyes open.A woman next to the senior man complained, saying, "Why hasn't Keynes come back? Doesn't he know the family is facing som
The Turmann family was powerful because of the mastery of the most powerful robotic technology, almost to the point of making Mecrounia the most powerful nation on earth. Their influence spread over the world, just because they possessed a top-notch core technology in robotic weapons manufacturing.Technology had developed to a level that robots had gradually become the most powerful combat weapon. No country could fight a robotic weapon-equipped force.But because of the difficulty of manufacturing and the rarity of the material, robots were rare. But one robot had the combat strength of a thousand troops. That was why the Turmann family could almost do whatever they wanted in Mecrounia.Some time ago, however, when Mecrounia requisitioned the Turmann family's robots, she suffered an almost fatal defeat on the battlefield. The enemy had used the same robotic weapons, even twice as many, and almost instantaneously shattered and destroyed the Turmann family's robots. Mecrounia lost b
"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