Merry was in disdain when she saw Nicole from the corner of her eyes."Who is this who thinks she's worthy of walking along my side?" she said.Vera noticed that it was Nicole. She smiled sweetly at Merry and said, "Don't be mad, Aunt Merry. Maybe this girl has yet to experience the world, so she wants to go have a look with you."Upon hearing that, Merry had a proud look on her face. She snorted as if she agreed with Vera's statement. She then walked out of the room without acknowledging Nicole.Vera followed closely behind Merry and stood there obediently. The two were about the same age and looked like sisters.However, Nicole did not pay much attention to those two. Instead, she slowly walked behind them. Not long after, even the collateral descendants of the Turmann family surpassed her and gave her a scornful look along the way.In their opinion, this woman wanted to get in on the throne. She was favored by the head of the house and the young master.The Turmann family had
Merry stared at the car window, her eyes filled with nervousness and curiosity.The founder of JJ Johnston Group was well-known in Mecrounia. He was a low-key and mysterious person, but few had met him. No one in the Turmann family had met him except Merry's late father.Vera noticed the look in Merry's eyes and whispered, "Everyone has heard of him, but no one has met him before. Do you think he's ugly?"Just as Vera finished talking, the side door opened slowly, and Janus walked out.He ignored the people in front of him and respectfully walked to the other side of the car. He pulled the door handle open and stood aside with his head down while he waited for the person to step out.Merry stared straight at the car in front of her without a word. She watched a pair of long slender legs step out of the car, and her eyes slowly moved upward. The face she saw was a face that she would repeatedly describe for decades to come.When the pair of striking eyes looked at her, she felt li
'The founder of JJ Johnston Group...'There was a hint of viciousness on Simon's face when he thought of this, but it was fleeting.Just as he wanted to say hello to the young man, he heard a strange voice behind him.Merry gently held onto her chest as she recovered from having a rapid heartbeat. She quickly showed her enthusiasm after her brother's invitation, fearing the other party would reject it."Yes, come in, come in. We're friendly people. Don't worry."Eber and Simon had never seen Merry so excited before. 'She had always been cold and arrogant. She's rude to everyone, but now she's showing interest to a stranger?' Both of them thought and glanced at Merry with a strange look.But Merry did not care what they were thinking. Her eyes were fixed on Jared.Jared turned a blind eye to her warm welcome. His eyes slowly moved back as if he was subconsciously looking for something.Janus noticed that his master was slow to respond. However, he did not know what Jared was thi
A thoughtful expression appeared on Elijah's face as he noticed Jared's smile.Nicole looked over toward them and saw Jared. Though, she was not surprised. She walked over to him casually, stood beside him, and said calmly, "You're late."The smile in Jared's eyes deepened. He watched as Nicole took his hand and pulled him toward Elijah."Here is the answer to your question," she said. Her voice was low, but there was a hint of certainty.Nicole glanced at Jared and said, "This is the man I like."At that moment, a set of complex emotions appeared behind Elijah's eyes. He subconsciously looked at Carl and saw the sadness in his eyes. He then turned to Nicole and sighed.'She's a clever girl,' he thought.Elijah did not want to humiliate himself, so he smiled and nodded."You have good taste," he said to Nicole.As if nothing had happened, the group invited Jared in. Though, everyone looked at Nicole in shock.'No wonder the leader valued her so much. She has a connection with
At this thought, Janus lowered his head and did not dare to continue looking.Meanwhile, the Turmann family sat across the two and gaped at the two. For some reason, they felt like they were intruding.'Why are they acting like we're not here?' they wondered.Nicole glanced at Jared."Did you already know about the Thorne family and the Intercontinental Party joining forces to bring down the Turmann family?" she asked resignedly.Many from the Turmann family were stunned to hear Nicole's words. They widened their eyes and stared at her incredulously.'How could the Thorne family and the government possibly bring harm to us? What is Nicole talking about?!' they wondered.Simon's eyes flashed with slight panic; he seemed like he did not expect Nicole to say such a thing.While Elijah did not doubt Nicole's words, Eber asked hesitantly, "How's that possible? The Intercontinental Party is also a victim in this incident..."Eber's pupils constricted in shock as he spoke.'We're ge
Eber widened his mouth in disbelief after hearing their suggestion. Then, he glanced at Elijah doubtfully.'The JJ Johnston Group should be able to overcome this challenge, so why do they want to collaborate with us? What's in it for them? Nobody would do something that doesn't bring them benefit,' Eber thought as he stared at Nicole.Meanwhile, Elijah stared at Nicole. He understood why the JJ Johnston Group was helping him; he was silent for a few moments before nodding in agreement."Sure, let's do it. What do we need to do?"Nicole turned to Jared; she seemed to be silently questioning him as well.However, Jared looked back at her and chuckled."Will you be leaving this place?" he asked.Nicole immediately shook her head without hesitation.Jared was not surprised at Nicole's response. He turned to Elijah with a smile before knocking on the table gently; it sounded unusually loud and clear."I'll think of a way to gather the needed materials within a week. There are only
Soon after, Simon revealed a look of ridicule while Eber looked genuinely anxious. Nicole sat across them and watched their expressions. Then, she smiled icily.Just as Eber was about to speak, Elijah met his gaze. He gently shook his head as a sign for Eber to not worry.Eber froze before forcefully suppressing his anxiousness. Meanwhile, Simon pretended to look nervous. However, he did not have intentions of saying a thing.Seeing that neither of them had any intentions of objecting to his requests, Jared chuckled before taking the item from Janus's hands.It was a paper document. Then, both parties signed the agreement simultaneously.Janus stared at the second clause that stated that Jared would stay next to Nicole's room; he felt like he was about to go blind.Regardless, he handed the agreement to Elijah with a straight face.Jared propped his elbows up as he watched him sign the papers. Then, he got up and followed Nicole upstairs.Jared barely slept last night, so Nicol
She did not expect them to actually create what she drew on the blueprints with the best materials. They told her that it was a return gift for her generosity.Nicole was fond of the initial head of the family, Carl's grandfather.'The Turmann family had suffered many disasters due to the jealousy of others. Carl and I were always the ones solving these issues, so I got used to it eventually. I suppose I'm an old friend of the Turmann family.'At this thought, Nicole lifted her head to meet Jared's gaze. Then, she raised her eyebrows slightly.She had given him an explanation.Jared stared at Nicole before smiling slowly. Then, he turned around and pushed her onto a chair before opening the door to leave."Where are you going?" Nicole asked with slight confusion.'He's not familiar with this place, so can he do?' she wondered.Jared turned around to look at Nicole. His eyes were beautiful; they looked like there were stars within.He blinked and said with a smile, "It's a secr
"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