Jared said, "Alright, then we'll set it for a month from now." He looked at her warmly.They had been planning the wedding for a while, and he was just waiting for her to confirm the date."Okay," Nicole agreed, feeling sure about her choice.Thinking about their soon-to-happen wedding made Nicole excited.Soon after, the car came to a stop.Seeing they had arrived at Riddle Corporation, Nicole opened the door and got out. "I'm heading up.""I'll pick you up after work," Jared said, his eyes brimming with affection."Okay." Nicole smiled brightly and turned to enter the building.After watching Nicole go inside, Jared instructed Max, "Drive.""Yes, Mr. Johnston." The car started moving, and Max spoke softly, "I'll arrange for someone to reconfirm the wedding party's schedule and all related arrangements once more."Even though everything was ready, it was best to be cautious as the actual moment approached."Good," Jared replied, pleased, then instructed, "Keep the news unde
"Just... happy with how things are," Cindy said, her voice tinged with shyness."So, you're together now," Lulu chuckled, shaking her head. "After all the heartbreak he caused you, you forgave him so quickly. You should have tested him more."Martin had only realized his feelings for Cindy after she left heartbroken and hopeless. Lulu thought Cindy should have made Martin experience the same feelings.Understanding that Lulu was just being protective, Cindy smiled and said, "He has made a lot of effort already.""Oh, there's a story here," Lulu immediately revealed her gossip-loving nature."You're right," Cindy agreed, starting her story. "When I returned, my family tried to make me marry someone right away."Despite still feeling heartbroken from San Joto, I didn't want to rush into marriage like that, so I refused."However, my family then took my phone and restricted me from going anywhere except home, cutting me off from the world.""No wonder Martin couldn't reach you and
"What's up?" Lulu asked, seeing Nicole's worried look."I think that car following us looks suspicious," Nicole remarked, eyeing a car discreetly."Where?"Lulu began to look but Nicole warned, "Don't show we've noticed."Lulu nodded seriously, "Got it."Lulu quietly asked Nicole, "What should we do?""Just be careful for now," Nicole suggested, staying alert."Got it," Lulu nodded, her expression turning more vigilant.Although she didn't know what was happening, she felt confident that following Nicole's lead was the right decision.Nicole then instructed the driver, "Let's head back to the company first.""Yes, Ms. Riddle." The driver responded and accelerated toward Riddle Corporation.Back at the company, Nicole and Lulu had just alighted from the car when Patricia returned as well."Ms. Riddle," Patricia approached them."Why are you back so soon?" Lulu asked, somewhat puzzled."All the work at BayCorp has been handed over clearly, so I came back," Patricia replied.
"Alright, tell them to be cautious," Nicole advised.Patricia assured, "Don't worry, they will be.""Nicole, who could those people be?" Lulu frowned slightly, puzzled about who could be tracking them at this time and for what purpose.Nicole's eyes narrowed, her voice low, "They are likely Lawrence's men.""Lawrence?" Lulu puzzled. She wondered, 'What's going on? Why would Lawrence have people tailing Nicole, and what does he want?'"Lulu, I've only recently come to know about some past incidents. This time..." Nicole paused, her tone turning serious, "Lawrence helped Everett not just because he needed to use him. Everett had something over him. That's why he had Everett killed.""He did all that!" Lulu's eyes widened in shock."Yes, but he was well-prepared, so in the end, he couldn't be charged," Patricia explained.Lulu looked at Nicole with a slight frown. "So, what's the deal? Is Lawrence planning to do something to you now that he knows you figured out he was the one beh
Nicole understood Lulu and Patricia's worries, but she wasn't too concerned. She knew about Lawrence's past deeds and felt in control.At first, she respected Lawrence because she thought she owed him for saving her life. But after discovering it was all manipulation, she stopped worrying about that debt.Knowing Lawrence was after the Fire Crest and Water Crest, and probably had already acted, Nicole chose to wait and see what would happen. She knew soon it would be clear who the winner or loser would be.After leaving Nicole's office, Lulu turned to Patricia."Patricia, you're staying to protect Nicole. What about Ellar, aren't you going back there?" Lulu asked."My primary duty is here, and everything at BayCorp has stabilized; they don't need me there anymore," Patricia replied, her priority clearly being Nicole's safety at the moment."And what about you and Ellar? What's going on with you two?" Lulu probed further."Us?" Patricia bit her lip slightly, "There's nothing goin
"Are you sure about that?" Patricia remained somewhat skeptical."Of course," Ellar reaffirmed, sensing that Patricia was just speculating, and he doubled down with more certainty.Patricia eyed Ellar critically. Despite his convincing tone, she couldn't shake off a lingering sense of doubt.Seeing Patricia's hesitancy, Ellar quickly changed the subject, "Do you have any other concerns?""No, that's all," Patricia replied."Great, my mom has asked me to invite you over for dinner," Ellar offered. "If you're free, why don't you come along?"Patricia felt a bit uneasy. "I'd better not, considering our history..."Although they had clarified their situation to their families, she still felt somewhat guilty toward Emma and was apprehensive about facing her."It's okay, my mom knows that our relationship was just a temporary arrangement. And now that everything with Doretta has been cleared up, she doesn't see you as my girlfriend anymore. But she mentioned she likes you a lot and h
Doretta nodded, understanding that Patricia and Charlie had also been through tough times. Fortunately, through their own efforts, they had supported each other and made it to this point.Emma glanced at the time and suggested, "It's about time; let's talk over dinner.""Sure," everyone agreed, standing up and heading to the dining room.After a lively dinner, Patricia and Doretta said their goodbyes and left.Ellar was a bit sad as he watched Patricia and Doretta walk away together, refusing his offer to escort them. He had been happy when Patricia agreed to come with him, but now he wondered if she only came because of Doretta, which made him feel more alone.After they left, Patricia and Doretta didn't go their separate ways. They found a quiet spot."Is there something else?" Doretta checked their surroundings before she spoke."It's about Ms. Riddle..." Patricia then briefly explained the situation that had unfolded earlier in the day and cautioned, "I know you're investiga
"Alright, I'll go after breakfast tomorrow," Gloria decisively stated.Seeing Gloria's attention diverted, Nicole offered a smile. She couldn't let Gloria worry, so she decided not to share anything with her.After a while, as it got later, everyone headed upstairs to rest.In the deep silence of the night, only one villa remained lit, and a car drove up to it. Someone got out of the car and quickly entered the villa."Mr. Royce, we've received a message from Mecrounia; they are ready," Ian spoke in a low voice.Lawrence's eyes narrowed slightly. "Since they're ready, let's begin the operation.""Yes," Ian responded, then hesitated before cautiously adding, "You've decided to move ahead with the plan suddenly. Did you discover something?"Their plan was still in the preliminary stages, and it was Lawrence who had suddenly decided to move forward, prompting Ian to get Mecrounia to prepare for action sooner than planned.Lawrence was silent for a moment before replying softly, "I