"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.
"It was Jared who bought it for me," Nicole said happily."Mr. Johnston really has taste. The car he bought for you is not only luxurious but also very much in line with your style. Give him a like.""Knock it off. What's Grandma doing?" Nicole asked."She was just sunbathing for a while, and now she's sunning her quilt." Tia could not understand Mrs. Wallace Sr.'s behavior."It's okay. Grandma is used to living in a mountain village, and she feels uncomfortable not doing something every day. Let her do whatever she wants, as long as she doesn't get hurt," Nicole said to Tia, who then understood."Don't worry. I will take care of her." Tia assured Nicole."Grandma, I'm home." Nicole walked over to Mrs. Wallace Sr. who was sunning her quilt."You are back! I will make something to eat? What do you like?" Mrs. Wallace Sr. stopped what she was doing. She took Nicole's hand and walked back into the house.When they came to the kitchen, Mr. Wallace Sr. realized that she did not know
"It is alright. I will drive there myself." Nicole wanted to get there as soon as possible. If she had enough time, maybe she could catch the latest flight. "See you at my grandpa's house." Nicole hung up.Feeling that Nicole was a little out of sorts, Jared dropped the paperwork in his hands and drove straight to Mr. Riddle Sr.'s house."Grandpa, Jared and I will be back to see you in a while." Nicole called her grandfather."Okay. I will have someone arrange it now. You guys just come." Mr. Riddle Sr. was overjoyed to hear that Nicole was coming with Jared.Nicole packed up her belongings and then called for Tia. "I may not be staying back here for a while, so you take good care of Grandma here.""Okay, Nicole." Tia did not ask more questions.Nicole came to Mrs. Wallace Sr.'s room to say goodbye. "Grandma, Grandpa asked me to stay at his house for a while. I may not come here to see you for some days. If you need anything, just tell Tia. She will take care of you.""Don't wor
Chloe turned to look at Mr. Riddle Sr. "Grandpa, how do you like the Dresden Green Diamond that I asked Nicole to pass to you the other day?"Before Mr. Riddle Sr. could say anything, Snow chimed in. "There is no Dresden Green Diamond that you are talking about. It is only an ordinary diamond."Chloe immediately looked at Snow in surprise. "What did you say? An ordinary diamond?""Yes. Raine and I were both present that day. Inside the box was just an ordinary diamond," Snow said with certainty.At first, Mr. Riddle Sr. wanted to play down the issue, but now it seemed that he could not."Impossible. I looked at it when Henry brought it to me; it was not an ordinary diamond. I even checked it again on purpose before I handed it to Nicole." Chloe looked at Snow with a shocked face."Nicole, what was Snow just talking about?" Chloe looked at Nicole in disbelief.The entire family understood what it was about at this point, and they all, including Jared, looked at Nicole."When I b
"Why are you still sitting here? Disperse." Damien said with a peeved look on his face.What had been a wonderful reunion had been spoiled by Norah's underhanded manipulation, and that was the result she wanted to see.In the car, Jared looked at Nicole saying nothing. He believed Nicole was not that kind of person. Nicole suddenly stopped the car at the side of the road and looked at Jared. "I won't drive you back to the villa."Jared looked Nicole in the eyes. "Where are you going?"At first, Nicole did not plan to tell him, but they had gotten so upset tonight that she was afraid he would worry about her if she did not tell him again. "I'm going abroad to take care of some things.""Abroad? Right now?" Jared did not ask what was going on but looked at her with a serious face."Yeah, the flight is in a little while."He knew he could not stop her and that she must have something urgent to deal with. He reached out and stroked her hair. "How soon will you be back?"Nicole took
"Do you have your computer with you?" Nicole asked Carl."Yup.""This is the message Zane sent me the other day. Try going through the coordinates sent in this message to see if you can find out where Zane is." Nicole looked at Carl."Okay, I will look into it right away." Carl quickly searched with his computer.There was no signal detected. Carl looked at Nicole and shook his head. Nicole took a long exhale, wondering what kind of opponent Zane had met and where he was now.There were many questions on Nicole's mind. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes as Carl continued to search for Zane's coordinates. As long as Zane appeared once, he could pinpoint his approximate location.Two of them stared at the computer, one meditating in the chair until dawn."I'm getting some breakfast. You wait here," Carl said and went out.Nicole got up and moved around, looking out the window at the city of tall buildings. She had only one goal in mind, which was to find Zane.Soon
"Franco, there's a vehicle coming into Roca Este." A man reported."One? It doesn't matter how many. It will be fine as long as they don't get off the vehicle. Keep watching." Franco sat in a chair smoking a cigar while a woman with a hot body poured him a drink beside him."We have entered Roca Este territory." Carl cautiously warned."Stop the car. I want the precise location of Zane," Nicole said.She then took out a tablet. "Activate the smart radar.""The smart radar is activated."Nicole named the coordinates and the smart radar started searching. After a while, a red dot appeared on the tablet."Head this way." Nicole synced the tablet to Carl's car, who followed the route and kept driving toward the red dot.The road was quiet, occasionally there were cries of the island's animals. As they drove close to the location of the red dot, Nicole suddenly said, "Slow down and stay alert."Carl drove while keeping an eye out for movement in front and to his right, and Nicole w
Carl slowly withdrew his hand away from the weapon and was about to make a gesture signaling Nicole to shoot when a figure stepped out from behind. Nicole immediately took aim with her weapon and through the scope she saw the long-awaited face of Zane.She decisively made a code sound, which Zane and Carl both heard and recognized."Stand down. Friendly." Zane called out to his men with a frown.Zane approached and took a closer look at the person surrounded. "Carl?""Zane?" Carl did not expect the person surrounding him to be Zane."Are you okay, Zane?" Carl asked with concern."I'm fine. How did you find me here?" Zane asked."Zane," Nicole said as she ran out of the shadow."Nicole?" Zane's heart sank when he saw Nicole, not expecting her to find him here at last."Zane, is it really you?" Nicole carefully examined Zane, extremely thrilled.Zane, on the contrary, looked dilemmatic, as he did not feel so comfortable. "Nicole, what brings you here?""Of course I'm worried a
"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