"Perhaps," Ian muttered, his head drooping. He genuinely didn't know how he'd been detected, but it seemed a plausible explanation now.Lawrence sighed and said, "It seems we need to be more cautious in our future endeavors."He was well aware that Jared was not an easy adversary, especially with Zane's support. Even though Nicole wasn't as physically formidable as before, her other capabilities remained intact, not to mention her possession of the Fire Crest and Water Crest."Sir, about the matter Everett mentioned..." Ian began hesitantly, his unease palpable, "if he were to reveal it..."The threat Everett held over Lawrence could severely compromise him if made public."Eliminate the threat. The dead don't talk," Lawrence stated coldly, his eyes harboring a ruthless glint.Even though Everett had blackmailed him, Lawrence never intended to spare him. Those who knew more than they should weren't worth keeping alive."Understood," Ian responded quietly.With a final nod to La
At that moment, Nicole was processing the news as well."How could this happen?!" Lulu exclaimed in disbelief.Nicole shook her head. "No one knows yet; everyone is investigating."However, she couldn't shake the feeling that this incident might be connected to Lawrence.Everett had leverage over Lawrence with his knowledge of Lawrence's secrets and had even used this as blackmail. Now that Everett was caught, it seemed unlikely that Lawrence would let him off the hook, especially if it meant keeping his secrets safe.But Lawrence probably hadn't anticipated that Everett's threats would be overheard by Doretta, and they could now conjecture the whole situation clearly."It's really something with Everett," Lulu shook her head. "After all the effort to capture him, he just ends up dead."Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she blinked rapidly, "He didn't commit suicide, did he?""No," Nicole shook her head, confident despite the lack of details, "I'm sure Everett wouldn't commit
Nicole looked straight into Jared's eyes and said, "I think you might be on his radar too, so we both need to stay alert and ready."Jared nodded. "Got it." He was all set to confront Lawrence once and for all.When they reached the Riddle family manor, they parked the car and joined Lulu and Spencer."June and the rest are already inside; let's head in," Lulu said, eyeing Samuel's car parked close by."Sounds good," Nicole agreed.They walked into the living room and saw June and Samuel talking to Benjamin."Have you seen Nolan and Lana?" Benjamin looked around, wondering why they weren't there yet, even though Jared and Nicole had arrived."Mom and Dad are picking them up. They'll be here soon," Nicole told him.Just then, Daniel and Gloria came in with Nolan and Lana, and not long after, Dexter, Emma, Ellar, Stanley with Tia, and even Preston showed up."Dexter mentioned, "Emery's caught up with work; he couldn't come.""That's fine," Benjamin said, knowing Emery was swamp
"Don't try to change the topic, Stanley. You're really looking out for Tia, aren't you?""Of course, she will be my wife soon. I've got to take care of her," Stanley replied.Everyone laughed together, enjoying the light-hearted atmosphere.The older family members watched the younger ones joking around and felt really happy.Gloria, smiling warmly, commented, "These kids are wonderful."Emma nodded. "It's great to see the family like this. When they're happy, we're all at peace."Karen then shared her feelings, "You're all so carefree. I get anxious if I don't see Preston, and yet I feel a bit sad even when I do.""Don't stress too much," Emma suggested. "Preston knows what he's doing. Things will work out.""What else can I do?" Karen let out another sigh.Just then, Alfred, the butler, came in. "Dinner's ready," he announced."Let's eat," Benjamin said, inviting everyone to the dining table.Everyone agreed and moved to the dining area to sit down.As they settled, Benja
"It's not that," Lulu shook her head with a sigh. "It's not that. I'm just glad Patricia really likes you. Otherwise, she might have given up waiting for you to make a move!"Ellar looked a bit downcast. "I've tried my best. I have to consider Patricia's feelings too, not just rush things."He silently wished love wasn't so complicated, pondering the challenges of winning someone's heart.Emma, picking up on the subtleties, asked, "Wait, have you two not officially dated yet?" She was surprised, having assumed their relationship was more developed.Ellar blushed, realizing he'd let slip more than he intended."Mom, I had no choice," he tried to defend himself, mixing seriousness with a hint of jest.Emma frowned. "What do you mean no choice? Were you planning to keep up a pretense?"Ellar hurried to explain, "It all started with Doretta. If you hadn't tried to set me up with her, I wouldn't have turned to Patricia for help. And it turned out, Patricia felt something was off abou
"Dad, we're off now.""Grandpa, time for you to get some rest; we're leaving.""Great-Grandpa, we're heading back home."Benjamin, with a warm nod, responded to each farewell, "Take care, then."As everyone left, Dillon and Karen reminded them, "It's late, drive safely."The house became quieter, and Dillon offered, "Dad, let me assist you to your room."Benjamin, maintaining his independence, declined, "I'm fine, I'll go up on my own."Karen sighed as she looked outside. She reflected, "I never imagined Preston would be the last one single. He's always done things his way, so different from the others."Dillon reassured her, "Everyone finds their own path in time. I'm just happy we have such a peaceful life now." He thought about past hardships, grateful for the present calm.Karen nodded, lost in thought.Dillon, holding her hand, encouraged, "Let's focus on the present and the future. We've made it through a lot.""All I want is for Preston to be happy," she said, echoing
Nicole gave Patricia a knowing look and simply said, "You're back."Now that Ellar was out of the hospital, it was normal for Patricia to resume her regular responsibilities at the company."Ms. Riddle, it seems clear Lawrence was involved with what happened to Everett, but he's covered his tracks too well for us to prove anything," Patricia reported, her frustration apparent. 'We've caught the people who did it, but linking them to Lawrence is proving impossible.'Nicole wasn't shocked. "That's to be expected," she acknowledged. Lawrence would naturally ensure his involvement was untraceable.Patricia, looking concerned, asked, "What's our next move?" The inability to directly connect Lawrence to the crime was troubling."We stay vigilant and wait," Nicole replied calmly, maintaining a composed demeanor. They needed to keep their cool, especially when Lawrence was likely feeling the heat.Patricia nodded, understanding the cautious strategy.Just then, Lulu burst in, delighted
"Yes, sir," Ian said.Lawrence looked up a bit at Ian and asked, "How are Nicole and Jared doing?""They went back to the Riddle family's house yesterday. It looks like they sorted out the problem with Everett. Everyone seems pretty calm; I think they feel it's all settled," Ian answered."That's good. They haven't caught on to us," Lawrence said, with a pleased look. He thought if Nicole and Jared had found out sooner, it would have messed up his plans.****In the afternoon, when the sun was brightest, Nicole was relaxing in her office after lunch.Suddenly, there was a quick knock on the door. Lulu came in, looking very happy, and said, "Nicole, Sally had her baby."Nicole got up quickly. "When?""Just now, Steve called. Your mom and dad are already at the hospital. Do you want to go see?" Lulu was smiling with excitement, looking forward to meeting the new baby."Let's go." Nicole was already heading out as she spoke, and Lulu quickly followed.No sooner had they left the