After a moment of observation, Nicole said to Carl, "Leave a mark."Then the two of them went to check out other locations. "Leave a mark here."Carl did as Nicole had instructed."If the entire Roca Este is under the enemy's surveillance, how will the boats get in?" Carl asked the question Nicole had been thinking about."I'm thinking about this too, but we can't think too much now. We will know when we cross the bridge." Trapped on this isolated island, Nicole also did not know what to do next, but could only let Carl leave marks, and then they went back to study in detail.They had marked all the places suitable for boats to dock. "Carl, you go get the car back, and I will look around."After Carl went, Nicole went up to the top of one of the highest hills and took out her binoculars to observe the entrance to Roca Este. There were indeed many men in black guarding the entrance. With their current numbers and equipment, it seemed that fighting their way out was not really poss
"Zane, take it easy. Carl and I will go out and see what is going on.""You guys protect Zane. Make sure nothing goes wrong." Nicole instructed the ten bodyguards she had selected earlier."Aye.""What are you doing? I don't need protection." Zane looked at Nicole, not too happy.Nicole knew Zane's temperament and could only look at him with a solemn face. "This is not the time to try to be brave. All you have to do is protect yourself, so Carl and I can concentrate on the enemy. If something happens to you, then there is no point in us coming here." Nicole took Zane's hand and held it with force.What Nicole said made sense. Zane saw she was now no less capable than he was, and besides, he did have mobility problems, so it would be worse if he went and got into trouble. "Okay, you guys must be careful.""Don't worry. We won't die until we get you out of here." Nicole smiled, then left with Carl and the others.Nicole and Carl arrived at the best observation point and found a gr
On the other side, Franco listened to the report of the returning bearded man in the building, looking not the slightest surprised as if he had expected this result."Assemble the team right away and take four more sappers to sweep the mines, this time wiping out Zane and the others at once." Franco looked at the bearded man and barked his order, then picked up a glass of wine and took a sip as he looked at Roca Este on the monitor.At noon, with the sun baking the earth, Zane's men hid in the bushes. As they spoke, a large group of armed men advanced toward the island at the entrance to Roca Este. As they watched, the bearded man led the group to a stop where the minefield was."Sappers!" the bearded man shouted.Immediately, four sappers came forward to sweep the mines. There were no snipers among the men who had been ambushing outside the minefield, so they saw the sappers sweeping the mines but could do nothing about it.Nicole, who ambushed at the pickup spot nearest to the m
"You go and inform the nearest team to come over for reinforcements. The rest, hold on to your positions. Never let them climb up."The bearded man's men barely found a place where they could climb up barehanded. They set up multiple human ladders, working their way up toward the top of the cliff.Zane's men threw rocks and all available things at the human ladders. When one human ladder went down, a new one came up. At last, they could no longer hold their position and perished together with the enemy.After all of the men of the bearded man came up, they immediately searched the island. Carl received a distress call and immediately rushed to the cliff with his men. On the way, he and the bearded man respectively perceived a movement ahead and immediately ordered their men to take cover.After a while of taking cover and seeing no movement, the bearded man ordered a few men to go check out the situation. Carl, a stager at this, instructed those behind him, "No one shoots.""Boss,
"The leader of that organization is Franco's father."Hearing what happened five years ago, Zane could almost see the scene of that day. In the bloody battle, he succeeded in destroying the underground organization that had done so much harm to people. He killed the leader of the organization but did not expect that the child he spared was Franco, who was taking revenge today.Back then, Franco hid in a dark corner and watched his father die in front of his eyes. Since then, he joined an organization and kept strengthening himself. Eventually, he took out the original leader and became the new overlord. He had been looking for Zane ever since. This time, trapping Zane was the best opportunity for him.After knowing his enemy's purpose, Zane fell into contemplation."What about this guy?" Nicole asked Zane for his opinion.Zane looked at the bearded man. "He is our bargaining chip. Bring him aboard."Franco, who was in the building and had still not received any news for a long ti
"Check out the beach immediately. They may try to escape by sea. Stop them and if necessary, kill Zane." Franco's eyes were burning with anger. He would not let Zane escape, even if he had to kill Zane outright.Nicole and Zane led an ambush at the pickup point. As the boat was about to arrive from a distance, a group of men appeared 300 feet away. Nicole had guessed that Franco's men were looking for them and immediately ordered, "Protect Zane and get on the boat."She took out her weapon and led a fight to the death with the enemy. When Carl heard gunfire coming from Nicole's side, he knew that Franco's men had caught up with her."Take cover," Carl told the men behind him. Soon, there were two speedboats heading toward the place where the gunshots were heard. Carl saw the situation and had no time to think. He ordered. "Stop these two speedboats."He knew that if these two speedboats got there, Nicole and Zane would be surrounded and in deep sh*t. So he had to stop these two spe
When they arrived safely in Armoda, Zane's men had been waiting for them there. The three checked into a high-end hotel.Carl came into Nicole's room and looked at the bandage on Nicole's arm with a guilty look on his face. "If it weren't for saving me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."Nicole glanced down at her arm. "It is just a minor injury. I will be fine. Don't blame yourself."Carl sat her down in a chair. "I know you're a great healer, but don't delay in treating this wound. I will help you with it now."Nicole smiled when she saw the first-aid kit in Carl's hand. "Looks like you came prepared."Carl glanced at the first-aid kit in his hand. "Of course."After re-bandaging Nicole's wound, Carl finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Apply your medication once a day, and I guess it will be fine soon.""You still remember my medication works better, eh?" Nicole teased him."Of course I remember. Whenever I was injured in the past, it was you who treated me." Carl looked at Nico
" Mr. Johnston, the launch event, which the multinational company announced a few days ago, has been postponed for a week for some reason," Max said."Postponed for a week?""Yes.""Find out what is going on," Jared said."Aye.""Nicole, the helicopter has arrived. Get to the rooftop immediately." Zane called Nicole."Copy that." Nicole immediately grabbed her backpack and headed for the elevator. While walking past Carl's room, she knocked on the door.On the rooftop, Zane, who was already waiting in the helicopter, saw Nicole and Carl and called out, "Hurry up!"After Nicole and Carl got onboard, the helicopter took off and flew toward Zane's base at once.After a long flight, they finally landed at the base. It was now completely safe, and Nicole's tense mind eased up."You guys get some good rest at the base and go back only after you two have recovered fully." Zane looked at Nicole.Nicole nodded. As Zane left, she and Carl went to their resting place."What do you thi
"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