She also did not expect her opponent to be so weak. According to the opponent's battle data, she had chosen a conservative strength level, and yet it was still so lethal.'I should have chosen the strength level of six or seven.'She did not regret it, though. She glanced at Elijah, who still appeared languid as usual, and looked at her with satisfaction and appreciation in his eyes."Nicole won."'It was Nicole, the girl whom we have always thought didn't even know what robots are, who has won.'Everyone looked grave. Even Eber was a little surprised. He had seen Nicole's abilities since the day she first came, but he did not expect that she had such a talent in robotics. Right now, as Eber looked at Nicole, there was a hint of mixed feelings in his eyes. He realized he had still underestimated this girl.Merry and Simon in the audience were also amazed, their faces turning from triumphant to pale. Merry, in particular, almost gritted her teeth as she looked at Nicole.'What th
"Carlisle, you're just as dumb as Nicole. How could that robot be the Dodge Tomahawk? It's nowhere as good as the Dodge Tomahawk. Didn't you see the data displayed on the big screen when she launched attacks just now? It wasn't even half of that of the Dodge Tomahawk," Merry said.At this point, she could not hide the disdain on her face. Carl glanced at her, his blue eyes lacking emotion as if he were looking at a strange living thing.'What did she know about the Dodge Tomahawk—so much so that she wants to make a big fuss about it here?'Nicole looked at Carl's expression and gently shook her head at him, then shot a glance at the defiant Merry. She did not want to put Carl on the spot, as Merry was still Carl's aunt.In the VIP seat, Jared was taking it all in. His eyes flashed with cold light as his gaze landed on Merry's malicious face.At this moment, a look of surprise appeared on Janus's face. He whispered a few words to the messenger through the satellite headset and then
Just then, there was a loud noise coming from the ring, followed by an awful scream."Carlisle, you b*stard! Just wait and see!"Simon watched as his robot was rammed around and damaged by Carlisle's robot, called Pando. He tried to call it back, but Carl ignored him or rather deliberately did not let go upon noticing Simon's predicament.He was rolling toward Simon, who was so frightened that he quickly directed his tattered robot to block Carl in front of him. The two collided, and Simon's robot was instantly knocked off the ring.Carl controlled Pando, staying precisely on the edge of the ring. Then he slowly stepped out of the cockpit and looked condescendingly at Simon, who could not even get up.As Carl was against the light, Simon could not see his expression clearly, but he could hear his mocking voice."Uncle Simon, I'm not pretending this time, am I? I really enjoyed beating you up; the feeling was so real."Simon was so furious that he pointed at Carl's head with a tr
Vera looked at those people in the ring and bit her lip in hatred.'If it weren't for Nicole, I would have been one of them in the ring now, not a crap inferior to me like her!'She stared dead at Nicole. Suddenly, she saw Olivia, whom Carl had defeated. She stared at the rig with relish and suddenly became upset. She came up to Olivia and said coldly, "You lost to Carlisle. How could you still have the nerve to stay here?"Knowing Vera's modus operandi, Olivia blinked and shrugged. "Even you, who lost to an outsider, have the nerve to stay, so why can't I be here?"Vera did not expect that Olivia would dare to talk back. She was infuriated but could not find a word to respond.People around were looking at Vera with contempt and seemed to mock her for being defeated mercilessly, despite being claimed to be the most powerful person. She looked so frustrated.Olivia looked at Vera, who had always known best how to manipulate those indirect descendants because they were not as good
Jared looked at Janus calmly, raising an eyebrow gently as he said in an unemotional voice, "So what do you think? Is she pretty?"Janus was too afraid to say anything as topics relating to Nicole were deadly in front of his boss. He kneeled on one knee and said respectfully, "I'm sorry."Jared did not look at him. Instead, his eyes were on Nicole, who was still in the ring. After a long while, he looked back and sighed, gently stroking the back of the dagger in his hand. The glinting blade and his shapely fingers looked like a strange yet enchanting combo.Janus did not dare to look up when he heard the calm voice of his boss."Get up. Don't let me catch you doing it again."Janus still kept his head low, knowing that his boss was aware of his mistrust toward him and Nicole, and his dissatisfaction with Nicole for influencing his boss's mood.At last, he opened his mouth and said firmly, "I won’t do that again."Jared stopped looking at him and turned his gaze back to Nicole wi
Because of Pando's powerful defense system, Merry's attack achieved little despite being ferocious. Even if it hurt every time, the progress was slow. As time passed, patience ran out. Merry's robot started to flash in a sinister red light. She halted her movements, her limbs swelling, becoming a little stouter. The already powerful arms had rebar-like veins popping up, its mouth wide open, looking as if it was charging up something. Nicole realized something was wrong. With no time to react, she called out to Carl at once."Carl, concede defeat!"Just the next second, after her voice trailed off, Carl's magnetic voice came from inside the chubby Pando. He disarmed the robot and slowly stepped out from the ring."I concede defeat," he said with no hesitation.Nicole was relieved to see that he was unharmed. Merry's face turned grave because she had not hurt Carl. She looked at Nicole, and the display of her robot turned chaotic. "It's you again! I will kill you," Merry's hoar
He turned and jumped straight down, leaving plenty of space for Nicole.The two had been partners for a long time; he had absolute confidence in Nicole that she could perfectly solve the problems she was facing, provided that he did not become a burden as a hostage. After all, Pando had now been proven to be no match for Merry.Carl left the ring and did not choose to turn back. Instead, he went up to the judges' bench and looked down at the ring with piercing eyes. "Father, do you know that Aunt Merry is capable of beastifying?" Robots' mimesis would only choose anthropomorphism, which was the principle that this weapon should not violate. After all, once an intelligent creature chose the beast's mode of thinking, the entire program would become chaotic, bloodthirsty, and irascible over time.Elijah looked at what had happened and slowly shook his head with an unconcealable grave look in his eyes.Carl found the answer when he saw his father's expression. "So she studied it hers
Olivia had noticed Vera's glassy expression. As much as she disliked Vera, she did not want anything to happen to her. As Vera suddenly lunged toward the ring, she quickly reached out and grabbed her. Vera struggled to break free, as if she had something to demand for an answer in the ring. When Olivia could not stop her, she hit Vera in the back of her neck with a backhand, knocking her out. She put her down and looked back at the ring with a graver-than-ever expression. Merry's robot was so powerful that it had destroyed her Golden Warrior and the seemingly impenetrable Pando. But now, its strength was growing further, so much so that its body had almost doubled in size.Nicole looked at the robot that was about to go on a rampage and said coldly, "Stop now, Merry, before it goes out of control."Merry ignored Nicole's advice and broke into a sinister laughter that sounded as if it could pierce through a person's eardrums. "Shut up! A slutty girl like you doesn't deserve to tal
"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