Nicole looked at her grandmother, feeling regretful, as Mrs. Wallace Sr. had been living a hard life all this while. She told herself she had to take care of Mrs. Wallace Sr. from now on.Nicole and Jared had lunch with Mrs. Wallace Sr., and took her to the beach to get up close and personal with the ocean. There were still many old folks living inland who had never seen what the sea looked like in their lives.After Mrs. Wallace Sr. settled in, Nicole told Jared to go home while she stayed with her for a few days.On the rooftop, Mrs. Wallace Sr. rested in a rocking chair in the sun, while Nicole took out her laptop and worked on the other side. She sent a message to Sean. [How is your investigation of the material problem going? Did the material supplier continue to supply?]Soon, Sean replied. [A few days before the material supplier resumed supply, there were indeed several companies in the market hoarding goods at high prices, but then, they suddenly stopped hoarding, and th
[Okay, I'll do my best.]Nicole turned off her cell phone and was deep in thought. 'It seemed that Chloe was quite alert, and Kelly might have a problem getting a photo of her. I've got to help her.'Suddenly, the phone rang again. Nicole thought it was Kelly and answered it."Nicole, it is Martin." Martin's voice came from the other end of the line."Can I help you, Martin?""I'm having a little problem here, like last time. If you are free, could you come over and take a look at it for me?" Martin asked.Since he did not sound too urgent, Nicole said, "Would it be okay if I go over tomorrow?""Sure, sure. Then I will wait for your call.""By the way, I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your betrothal party." Martin was so busy experimenting for the past few days, so engrossed in it that by the time he realized it, it was already the day after Nicole's betrothal."It's okay. I knew you must have been experimenting when I didn't see you coming. Don't take it to heart," Nicole reas
"Okay Grandpa, we will come to see you together someday."Back at the sea view villa, Nicole wanted to see Mrs. Wallace Sr. in her room, but Tia told her that Mr. Wallace Sr. had gone to bed.Nicole came to the dining room looking for something to eat, and Tia quickly cooked a bowl of ground beef pasta for Nicole."Awesome, Tia. I didn't know you could cook." Nicole complimented her as she looked at the luscious pasta made with red wine."Just don't make fun of me. Try it." Tia accompanied her."Yum, thanks for this." After a few bites, she thought about Jared, who she thought should still be at the office at this hour and not off work.After sending him a message and waiting a while, Jared called her back. Tia had good sense; she went to watch TV on the couch."Hey, have you had your dinner yet?" Nicole was concerned about him."Not yet. I'm still in the office. There's some paperwork to deal with. Have you eaten?" Jared was also concerned about her."I'm eating now.""What
"This car is quick. I rarely use it. I wouldn't have driven it today if it weren't for a bowl of ground beef pasta." Jared looked at Nicole with a smile."I didn't expect that you would really rush over for the sake of the pasta. Come in.""You know what I'm up to," Jared whispered in her ear.Nicole's face instantly blushed. "Tia is still inside. Don't talk crap like this when you go in.""Hello, Mr. Johnston," Tia greeted Jared respectfully."What did you call me?""Mr. Johnston." Tia looked at Nicole in puzzlement."What did you call her?" Jared glanced at Nicole.Tia immediately came to her senses. "I should call you my brother-in-law?"Jared was flattered. "That is what you call it from now on."Tia nodded. "I will go check on Grandma, my brother-in-law. You stay here with Nicole." With that, she hurried upstairs, not forgetting to steal a glance back.After Tia went upstairs, Nicole looked at Jared shyly. "Why did you ask her to call you that?" She was so embarrassed t
"Soon. It will happen soon. Why are you suddenly concerned about that?" Jared looked at her with curiosity."As the person closest to you, I want to be the first person to try out that awesome product.""You're looking forward to this product?""Sort of. Is the Chloe endorsement contract over when the new product is released?" Nicole beat around the bush and finally asked the question she wanted to ask."Chloe? Had Henry not recommended her, I would have replaced her," Jared said without mincing his words."I think with Chloe's current number of followers, she is the best candidate for the endorsement. Her character is average, but she wouldn't dare to make trouble under your supervision." Only if Chloe stayed in Johnston Group could Nicole monitor her better. Once Chloe left, looking for evidence would be much harder."When did you get so close to her you would speak up for her?" Jared stopped and looked at Nicole in bafflement."I'm not speaking for her. I'm standing up for th
"No, she didn't. You may go and rest." Jared said before Nicole could say anything.Tia stood on the stairs and scratched her head. "Looks like I was hallucinating.""Lead the way. I need to rest early because I have to work tomorrow," Jared said with a straight face.Nicole could only lead her to her bedroom. When she walked into it, and before she could react, Jared pressed her against the wall. The only sound left in the quiet room was Nicole's thudding heart."Are you nervous?" Jared teased her.Nicole gulped. "What do you say?"Jared stroked her hair and then planted kisses on her lips.The next day, Jared drove her to the office. Just as she arrived outside his company's building, Max came up and handed an envelope to Nicole.She turned to Jared and asked in puzzlement, "What is this?""Take a look and you will know." Jared was creating suspense.Nicole took the envelope and opened it—it was a set of car keys. "This is for me?""Yeah. Since you have to go around places
With that, Nicole was about to leave the lab when Martin called out to her. "Nicole.""Is there something else?" She looked back at him."If you have time, let's have dinner together and discuss." Martin made the experiment as an excuse to invite her.Nicole thought about it. "Okay."Upon leaving the hospital, Nicole drove for a while when two cars tailed her from behind. She wanted to find out if the two cars were really following her, so she stepped on the gas pedal and the car sped ahead instantly.She looked through the rearview mirror and saw the two cars were also catching up fast behind her. That confirmed her suspicion. Since she was still in the city, she could not deal with them here and decided to lure them toward the outskirts.On an open road, the Lamborghini was speeding steadily in front and the two cars slowly approached, looking like they were trying to sandwich her on both sides. Nicole waited patiently for them to level with her.Just as they were leveling up
"Chloe, who are you talking about?" Kelly casually asked."Nothing. Just an acquaintance."Just then, some of Chloe's fans came up to Chloe with a gigantic bouquet. "Chloe, what you just did was just perfect, superb!""Thank you. Could I have your autograph?" A fan looked at her with anticipation."Sure. Where do I sign?" Chloe did not see any pen and paper."Just sign here." The fan pointed to the left shoulder and leaned close to Chloe.Chloe smiled awkwardly, but remained polite as she gave him her autograph."Thank you. Love you.""I'm going up to take a break," Chloe said to the director and headed upstairs.She was sitting in the lounge and thinking about her sighting of Nicole just now when someone knocked on the door."Come in."Norah pushed the door open and walked in. "I'm here to visit you.""What are you doing here?" Chloe asked."Are you free at noon? Let's have lunch together." Norah invited Chloe with a serious expression.Chloe sized up Norah for a moment.
"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