As Nicole was surrounded by her family's joyful faces, her eyes brimmed with happiness.She thought to herself, 'This is how a peaceful and beautiful life should be. I will strive to maintain it.'****Patricia had just gotten back to her apartment when she found Ellar waiting for her, which surprised her. "Why are you here?" she asked."Just waiting for you," Ellar said, like it was totally normal.Patricia looked puzzled. "Is there a problem?""Yes," Ellar nodded seriously. "We need to talk about something."Patricia couldn't explain why, but she suddenly felt nervous. She bit her lip and asked, "What's up?"Ellar's serious tone made her heart beat faster, filled with both excitement and worry."Let's go inside," Ellar suggested, taking Patricia's hand and leading her confidently into the apartment.Patricia was shocked. "How did you get keys to my place?""I borrowed them from my brother-in-law," Ellar said confidently."Brother-in-law?" Patricia was confused for a secon
Patricia gradually regained her composure. As she looked down into Ellar's eyes, the raw intensity in his gaze enveloped her, rendering her momentarily breathless."Ellar..." She tried to speak, but couldn't find the words.Ellar, worried she might say no, quickly said, "We've been through a lot together. You know how I feel, and I get how you feel. I don't want to lose the chance to be with you; I hope we can be together forever.""I..." Patricia felt her face get warm. She really did understand how he felt, and she cared about him too. Before, she was hesitant because of her commitment to Charlie. She chose to stand by Charlie through thick and thin.'But now...' Thinking about what Charlie had said before, Patricia realized he was okay with her moving on and she started to feel ready to back him in his decisions.And for her, since Charlie wanted her to be happy and safe, and all she wanted was a calm life, following her heart seemed the right choice.Seeing Patricia still uns
Doretta cast a glance at Ellar, her expression turning serious. "There's a situation. I thought it best to discuss it in person."Hearing these words amidst their personal joy seemed to dampen the mood."What's going on?" Ellar, noticing the sudden change in Patricia's demeanor, furrowed his brows in concern. 'Why do I get the feeling that they all know something I don't?'"Let's sit down and talk about it," suggested Charlie.Initially, Charlie hadn't planned on informing Patricia. But considering she was close to Nicole, he thought she might need to be prepared for what was coming, or perhaps it could be beneficial for her to know.Hence, seeing their door open, he had decided to come in with Doretta.Since Ellar was there, it seemed fitting that he should know as well. Besides, if Patricia and Ellar were together, it would be hard to keep secrets from him. He was bound to find out sooner or later, so there was no point in hiding anything now.Once everyone was seated, Doretta
"Ms. Riddle, Doretta came to my place yesterday..." Patricia shared the information Doretta had given her with Nicole.Nicole's eyes showed a hint of seriousness. 'It looks like Lawrence is finally making his move. He's probably getting impatient.'"Jared has started the process to buy the MierMare Group. We're hoping to see results by the day after tomorrow at the earliest. Do we have enough time?" Lulu asked, worried.Nicole's eyes narrowed a bit. "It should be enough time.""They're keeping a low profile right now, not wanting to show themselves, so they won't act too quickly. We should have enough time in three days," Patricia added."That's good to hear," Lulu responded, feeling resolved. "I'm speeding up our work here, trying to get a plan ready quickly our company can handle this situation smoothly."With Jared's move to acquire MierMare Group, her job was becoming a lot easier.With Jared's move to acquire MierMare Group, her job was becoming a lot easier.Once MierMare
Patricia wanted to keep her relationship with Ellar discreet because she didn't want to leave when she felt she needed to be there for Nicole.Nicole gave her a reassuring smile, "It's fine, don't worry."But Patricia was firm. "No! Ellar agrees that I should stay. It's important for me to be here with you right now."She was determined to stay, not just because of the risks facing Nicole, but also because she felt a strong sense of duty and loyalty.Nicole saw how determined Patricia was, thought for a bit, and then agreed, "Okay, stay for now. After everything calms down, Ellar can come for you.""Thanks," Patricia breathed out, relieved she could stay.With a gentle smile, Nicole said, "Okay, go ahead with your work.""I will," Patricia replied, and left the room.Nicole watched her go, moved by the care and commitment Patricia and Ellar had for her.'After this is all over, I'll move Patricia to BayCorp. She can't stay here forever, or Ellar might start holding grudges aga
Nicole smiled. "Doretta and Charlie make such a great team. Their cooperation is seamless."She felt the operation was more effective and smoother due to their teamwork."Yeah, having Doretta and Charlie working together really puts my mind at ease," Patricia agreed, thinking back to her past worries about Charlie facing danger or getting hurt."Let's be extra careful for now. Even if Lawrence can't find solid evidence, he might still suspect something," Nicole advised cautiously.She knew that Lawrence, aiming to target her and Jared, would naturally suspect them if his plans were foiled. She assumed Jared must have received the news by now and would know what measures to take next."Got it, no need to worry," Patricia affirmed solemnly."Good," Nicole nodded.After finishing her report, Patricia left the office.Nicole's expression turned contemplative. She bit her lip slightly, feeling a mix of emotions.****In his office at Johnston Group, Jared listened to Max's report.
Ian hinted that if the problem took place in San Joto, the only person capable of such a move would likely be Jared."It's gotta be him," Lawrence scoffed, his tone icy.Despite the uncertainty of the situation, the list of people in San Joto with both the ability and the motive to strike against him was short, and Jared's name was at the top."Could it be that Jared has discovered something?" Ian pondered, worrying they might have exposed their plan.Lawrence, deep in thought, suggested, "Or maybe we've been under surveillance without knowing it."He considered that Jared's precise capture of his men indicated prior knowledge, regretting his own oversight while he was busy with his plans."What do we do now?" Ian asked, realizing that if Jared had caught on to their plans, their next moves might be compromised. Plus, with their team missing, their strategy was in shambles. Bringing in new people was risky, especially with Jared possibly watching, and time was not on their side.
Lawrence had made sure to keep tabs on those close to Jared and Nicole, so it seemed unlikely that such significant actions could have happened without his knowledge. He suspected there had been a lapse in the information relayed by his people or an oversight on their part.Picking up on this, Ian said, "I'll get right on it."After a moment, he cautiously asked, "And what about the company?""I'll have someone handle it," Lawrence said, his focus on finding any overlooked details."Got it," Ian said, then quickly left the room.As evening approached and people started to head home, Nicole and Jared picked up Nolan and Lana, heading home."Mommy, when are Uncle Stanley and Tia coming back?" Lana asked, looking up at Nicole.Nicole gently tapped Lana's forehead, smiling. "They've only been gone for a week, honey. Already missing them?""Yes," Lana nodded earnestly.Nolan glanced at Lana and teased, "You just want the presents they'll bring."Lana pouted. "No, I really miss Unc