A thoughtful look appeared in Jared's eyes before his lips rose a little, revealing an extremely beautiful smile. It instantly dazzled Rhein, causing the latter to miss the chill in Jared's eyes."Sure," Jared answered flatly. He had a tinge of mocking disdain in his eyes, but it was hidden so well the other party could not detect it at all. After hearing Jared agreeing to attend, he excitedly looked up and said, "Thank you. It'll be nine tonight. We await your presence."Rhein thought, 'I knew it! If he knew it was us who did that, how could he agree to come? After all, one could tell this was a literal... Red Wedding!'Jared did not answer Rhein as he disconnected the video call. That assured Rhein even more that Jared was just a pretty face, and it was impossible for him to find out what went wrong.He did not mind how brusque Jared was earlier and instead walked out happily.Janus, standing by the side, looked at his boss and asked with some puzzlement. "Boss, why did you agre
She then ignored Carl's surprise as she used the cover of the night to rush toward the villa on the other side. She was so fast that she reached the limits of a human being. Carl shrugged helplessly and accepted his teammate's unconventional plan.He stood up and leaned against the wall as he approached the two burly bodyguards by the door. Just as one of them was not looking, he choked out the bodyguard closest to him and then slammed a karate chop on the other bodyguard before the latter could even shout.The two slumped onto the floor, and Carl was pleased with his handiwork before darting into the Thorne family villa.He darted around the shrubs in the garden to approach the main hall and quickly climbed onto a windowsill by the side. He then used it as a launchpad to jump onto the second floor before hooking his leg onto the wall and hanging himself upside down.This posture would hide him from sight from anyone on the first or second floor. Plus, he had also chosen a blind sp
In the dark, Carl saw the man as a look of surprise flashed through his eyes before a complicated look too over. 'The Mecrounian government actually mobilized this man. It seems like they are taking this banquet very seriously.'Carl had the fortune to meet the heads of that organization. It was during an auction in Calloway. Nicole's skill and technique caught Sliver's eyes, and he semi-forcefully inducted her into the team.He had never had a good impression of this fake good Samaritan.Upon hearing the man introducing himself, Jared did not say anything. Janus, on the other hand, stepped forward and said impassively."What business do have you with us?"Sliver squinted a little before saying slowly. "For the peace and fairness between nations, I'm representing the Mecrounian government. I hope that you can hand over seventy percent of the mining assets and resources you have for the nation's use. In our view, only this way could we best optimize the usage of the Mecrounian reso
Sliver listened to their angry mutterings. A few stood up as they looked displeased and shouted."You Intercontinental lapdogs! You would sell your soul for power? You're despicable!"Sliver's eyes were impassive. He did not care what they were saying as long as he could get what he wanted.However, that did not mean he liked hearing such words.Thinking of this, he heard Jared and asked coldly, "Have you thought it through?"The crowd on the side was still yelling and shouting. Rhein, standing behind Sliver, frowned a little before shooting at the feet of the man shouting.The entire venue fell silent, and no one dared to make a sound.Jared let out an inexplicable smile as he looked straight at Sliver and said slowly, "I thought you'd be a bit more reserved in doing something so shameless. I never thought that you'd be so brazen.""Should I be praising you guys for being straightforward, or should I be calling you a lot shameless?"Sliver looked at Jared once again and felt
Jared looked at Rhein with a faint puzzlement in his eyes."You seem to have some great animosity against me."Rhein looked at Jared again. Even though this was no longer the first time he saw the latter's face, it still managed to amaze him.He said indifferently. "Why would I?"Jared yet gave him a thoughtful look as he held the extremely thin dagger in his hand and casually twirled it, looking very threatening."Is that so?"He stood there indifferently; his aura was enough to cause everyone to suffocate. Seeing that everyone was just standing there unmoving, a look of anger appeared in Rhein's eyes."Since you won't agree, don't blame me then! Men, take Mr. Johnston down first!"Although Sliver gave him a displeased look, he did not say anything.The target of his mission today was just Jared.'Getting him to agree is the ultimate goal.'Thinking of this, he gently made a hand signal. Two people beside him got the signal and slowly made their way toward Jared.Carl look
Rhein looked gleefully at Jared. The menace in his eyes faded away, looking extremely normal now, with a tinge of faked sorrow.Yet, the smile in his eyes did not fade away.No one could have such a handsome face and not be destroyed. 'If there's anyone to be blamed for being so good-looking, it's Jared himself.'Thinking of this, he let out a weird laugh. "Oh, how the mighty falls. Mr. Johnston, people sure do hate you."Sliver looked at Jared, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. "Enough. Stop the nonsense. Deal with the others and get them to sign the agreement. As for Jared Johnston... I'll deal with him."As Sliver said that, he motioned with a look. A group of black-clad bodyguards immediately appeared from a dark corner and closed in on Jared. Rhein's two bodyguards immediately fell back. Since they could not get close to Jared anyway, they would be better off retreating.Janus tried to protect his boss. Although he felt things were going to be tough, he had no fear.
Upon hearing this, the first person Sliver suspected was Jared!'No wonder this guy was so calm. He came prepared!''I've grossly underestimated him!'"Jared Johnston, you!"He had deployed so many men, yet Jared was still unscathed. This was an absolute slap to his face!Jared stood before him, his aura imposing, like a king standing before the masses.Behind him, Janus stood respectfully.Yet, at this moment, a young man walked out of the darkness and came to their side.When Rhein saw that man, his eyes shrank as he said in disbelief."Carlisle?"'Why is he here?'Carl looked at the surprised Rhein, and while his face was still hidden in the darkness, the chill on it was palpable."No need to be surprised, Rhein."He said slowly, his voice low yet attractive, with an inexplicable tinge of bewitching."We should be settling the score between us sooner or later, right?"'What did he mean?'Rhein looked at Carlisle's blue eyes and felt anxious.'Has he found out what w
Jared's expression turned sullen, but he knew better than to stop Carl, leaving Nicole without any support.Janus looked at Carl's back and whispered. "Boss, do you need me to investigate who was the one who intervened tonight?"After all, his boss had not arranged for anyone to surround this place.Jared shook his head as he looked in the opposite direction Carl was walking toward, and a smile appeared. "Call everyone back. There's no need to keep an eye on this place any longer. Call back the satellite surveillance as well."Janus wanted to say something, yet Jared had already left. He looked at his boss, slowly letting out a smirk, and muttered to himself.'We've just survived an ambush, and even if you came prepared, you don't need to be in such a good mood, Boss.'After all, strategizing alone took time.Thinking of this, Janus held his headset and gave some orders before turning around to follow Jared and leave the place.Rhein stood behind Sliver with a livid face. He ca
"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