Ch. 1971..1975: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 1971-1975

Chapter 1971

"But, Grandpa, I don't know anything about business management," Nicole voiced her insecurities.

Sean and Steve looked at her. Steve said, "Nicole, where did your confidence go? You used to be decisive and capable during your high school days. Despite your lack of business management expertise, every choice you made prevented crises for the company. Now that you're back, it's time to take over. Sean and I can teach you if you need help."

"That's right. Everyone has been hoping for your return," Stanley added with a smile. After all, when it came to dealing with their uncles, novelebook.comneither of them possessed Nicole's decisiveness. They had been stifled by restriction all these years.

Nicole felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened these few days. It felt like a dream. 'I just met this family, and now they want me to inherit a company? I hadn't given my true identity a thought in the past five years of wandering the streets. I had no idea I was a multimillionaire heiress with an inheritance.'

Feeling immense pressure, Nicole replied, "I had just only gotten back. Let me think about it first."

Noticing Nicole's stress, Gloria heartily chimed in, "Dad, Nicole just only reunited with her family. Let her take some time before discussing this matter."

Mr. Riddle Sr. did not want to push Nicole too hard and compromised. "Alright. If that's the case, you should take a week off. We'll discuss this next week."

Mr. Riddle Sr. had no choice but to give Nicole a week's time to think about this matter. Nicole remained silent as she could sense the urgency in her grandfather's tone. The two families before were not easy to deal with, and the company had always been in a difficult situation.

"I got it, Grandpa. Wait till I work out what's going on in the company. I'll make my way there as soon as possible."

If Mr. Riddle Sr. and her family trusted her, she would not let them down.

Jared watched Nicole closely. Even though she had lost her memories, she was still his confident and strong-willed woman.

"Don't worry. I'll help you out," Jared reassured. He held her hand, soothing her.

Nicole glanced at Jared by her side, unexpectedly finding some comfort in his words. After visiting Mr. Riddle Sr., everyone went downstairs as he grew tired.

After they got downstairs, Janus took the bottle of medication from Nicole's hand and went to have it tested. Nicole did not stop him. With Jared's connections in the country, his approach would be faster than her personally going to the hospital for testing.

Daniel looked worriedly at Nicole. "Nicole, these few days may be tough for you if you're returning to the company next week. Besides understanding the company's situation and knowing the business partners, you should also..."

Nicole turned to look at Daniel after his last sentence. "Is there something else going on?"

Daniel replied, "To be frank, in the five years you were missing, we announced to the outside world that Jared was protecting you and you would not be managing the company. Many suspected your absence, wondering if you were missing or in trouble. The company's partners has gradually decreased as well. So before you take over next week, you should host a banquet and announce your return, emphasizing that you'll inherit and take over the company."

The Riddle family had been looking forward to this day for far too long. Nicole never expected a banquet, as she was bad at socializing. "This... I'm not good at this."

Jared interjected, "Uncle, rest assured and make the arrangements. I'll go with Nicole and make sure she doesn't slip up."

Jared understood Daniel's intentions, and he did not want Nicole to encounter any problems. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "Good to hear. Thank you for your hard work, Jared."

Nicole watched as the two of them finished their plans and kept her thoughts to herself.

Chapter 1972

Nicole's gaze naturally landed on Jared. Her problems did not seem as daunting when he was around. For the first time, she figured having a man around was not that awful.

Initially, Mr. Riddle Sr. prepared a welcome banquet for Nicole and the whole family to dine. However, Damien and Dillion's family left in anger, leaving only Dexter and his family behind. Nicole and the others, along with Dexter, Emma, Emery, and Ellar had a meal together.

At the dinner table, Ellar and Nicole seemed to get along well. Jared whispered in Nicole's ear occasionally, reminding her how to handle things and not reveal traces of her memory loss. The two families enjoyed a pleasant time during the meal.

After dinner, Dexter looked discomfited while facing Nicole and Daniel. "Daniel, our company's performance this month is still not promising. If we continue at this rate, we might really struggle to keep the company going."

Dexter initially opposed the idea of breaking up the family and separating the companies. The other three siblings supported the plan, though.novelebook.com Therefore his department was also divided into a subsidiary business.

Dexter was not skilled in negotiating partnerships, so he struggled the most in managing the business among the four siblings. Over the past two years, they managed to survive by relying on the collaborations from the headquarters. Dexter was quite concerned because this year's HQ collaborations were down 30%.

"Don't worry, Dexter. Now that Nicole's back, we would definitely secure more partnerships at the headquarters. Like before, you can select some projects your company can handle and take over," said Daniel.

Dexter let out a sigh of relief, grateful for Daniel's support and generosity. "Thank you, Daniel. I must have put you in a difficult place while relying on the headquarters' support these few years."

Dexter knew he had been a burden on Daniel and his family, but it would be too embarrassing to shut down his business.

"It's nothing. We're family, it's completely normal," Daniel said magnanimously. His reaction put Dexter and Emma at ease.

Nicole, who had been silent all along, cast a grateful and kind glance at Dexter and his family. She could tell that Dexter and his family were not bad people, and had a pretty close relationship with her parents. She spoke slowly. "Uncle Dexter, if you don't mind, try organizing your business's financial statements and documents. Perhaps we can help you identify the problem."

Riddle Corporation was financially strong. Dexter, after all, came from the third branch of the Riddle family. Nicole believed his situation should not be like this, and there must be some oversight somewhere.

"Yes, definitely! You even know how to manage businesses, Nicole?" Dexter seemed to glimpse a glimmer of hope.

However, this question left Nicole speechless. Jared chuckled. "Nicole does have some knowledge of managing business. Both of us will discuss and help you."

Dexter was pleasantly surprised that Jared offered to help. "That's great! I'll get someone to prepare and send it to you tomorrow!"

"Fine by me." Nicole nodded and spoke no further, though she felt relieved in her heart. It was rather nice to have Jared as a shield.

Nicole did not understand business management. She had simply spoken out earlier because she felt that something was amiss. Maybe they could really find out something from it.

After finishing the meal, Sean and Daniel wanted to stay back to discuss some matters with Mr. Riddle Sr. Thus, they headed back first. Gloria, Samuel, and Spencer went home together in one car.

Jared, on the other hand, took Nicole with him. Noticing her silence, he asked, "What are you thinking?"

Nicole sighed. "I only thought I had many enemies here, but I never expected my own family was waiting for my return. Besides, there's a company waiting for me to manage it."

Nicole missed out on so much in the past five years. "To be frank, I came back here once when I was pregnant five years ago. However, my enemies hunted me down, and I almost had a miscarriage. Since then, I never once set foot in Hustuaburg, for the sake of my children

Chapter 1973

If Nolan had not returned to Hustuaburg, Nicole might have never returned until her kids were grown up. Her parents would have grown older by then, and she would have had no idea how the business would be doing.

Jared's expression instantly grew cold, but he looked at Nicole tenderly. "Someone attacked you?"

Hearing Nicole mention she almost had a miscarriage, Jared's eyes turned red. "Did you figure out who it was?"

Nicole shook her head. "I lost my memories. How could I possibly know?"

Jared's gaze became downcast. The Raven had been dealt with, and the matters overseas had come to an end after retrieving Brave. Jared wondered who could have attacked Nicole. With that thought in mind, he asked about a more pressing matter. "Is the Fire Crest still with you?"

Nicole replied with her eyebrows raised. "Fire Crest? What's that?"

As Jared expected, it seemed like the Fire Chest was lost. Turning back and looking into Nicole's innocent eyes, he decided not to bring the matter up again. Since Nicole had already forgotten about it, he did not want to burden her by telling her now.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Nicole looked at him curiously.

Jared simply shook his head, saying, "There's no need. You don't even know about it, so it must be missing. If it's lost, then let it be."

After all, Jared always thought that the Crest was dangerous. Maybe the people who attacked Nicole five years ago were after Fire Crest. It was better now that it was gone. He would investigate its whereabouts and whether it had changed hands before bringing this matter up again.

Nicole did not press Jared further as she observed Jared's peculiar expression.

Mr. Riddle Sr. had given Nicole a week's time to prepare. Thus, Nicole planned to bring Lana back from Romania the next day.

However, she did not expect someone to ring the doorbell of the Riddle family's house early the next morning.novelebook.com The people having breakfast exchanged skeptical glances before Daniel instructed the butler to bring the person in. To their surprise, a pretty little girl dressed in a pink gown burst into the room.

Upon seeing the little girl, Nolan was the first to react. "Lana!"

He instantly slid off his chair and rushed toward his younger sister. "Lana, how did you get here?"

Lana looked at her brother and glared at him with a pout. "What do you think?! Mommy did not come to pick me up because you brought her back here!"

Nolan was reduced to silence by Lana's retort. Although Nolan had no fears, he dreaded Lana's tears. And true enough, Lana's eyes welled up with an anguished look at this precise time.

"H-Hey! Don't cry! I didn't do it on purpose. I just wanted to watch the hacker's competition..."

"So you'll let me wait for Mommy alone overseas? I waited so long..." Lana's innocent voice filled with pity. The more she spoke, the sadder she became.

Nicole's heart melted as she hurriedly picked up Lana, comforting her. "I'm so sorry, Lana. Mommy let you down. I broke my promise since I didn't go pick you up in three days."

This was the first time that Nicole had been separated from Lana for so many days. Lana hugged Nicole's neck tightly, her voice so sweet and childish. "I missed you so much, Mommy!"

With a teardrop, like a falling pearl, everyone's heart was instantly melted by her behavior.

Jared felt his heart melt as he stared at the beautifully delicate little girl.

Chapter 1974

'Is this the little princess Nicole gave birth to? She's so adorable,' Jared thought. He stepped forward and got closer to them.

Sensing a stranger approaching, Lana looked over at Jared. Just one look and her big eyes lit up. "Who's this handsome uncle?"

Hearing Lana call him handsome, Jared could not contain his joy and his mouth curved into a smile. "I'm your..."

Just as Jared was about to say he was her father, Nicole suddenly interrupted him. "You should not call him a handsome uncle. You're talking nonsense again. Call him Uncle Jared."

Everyone at the table exchanged looks upon hearing Nicole ask her daughter to call Jared 'uncle'. But no one said anything about it.

Jared's expression turned ugly, thinking, 'I'm the father of the child. How could she call me uncle?'

At the side, Nolan said pleasantly, "That's right. He's Uncle Jared."

Jared had a disapproving look on his face.

Lana, on the other hand, flashed a brilliant smile. "Hi! Handsome Uncle Jared!"

Indeed, daughters would always be Daddy's sweetheart. Jared's darkened expression softened instantly. "Hello. Even if you call me uncle, it sounds so nice."

How could Jared still be unhappy?

Nicole was a little awkward, looking at Jared's behavior. 'Why is he so happy when she called him uncle?'

Putting her thoughts aside, Nicole asked Lana, "Lana, How did you come here? Who brought you here?"

"Uncle Ian!" Lana pointed in the door's direction. Ian was waiting at the entrance.

Nicole felt relieved upon seeing Ian. "Thank you, Ian."

Jared's expression turned sour as he saw Nicole being so friendly toward the other man. After all, Ian was the one who was going to take Nicole away at the airport. Since then, Ian was an eyesore to Jared.

"You're too polite, Niki. Leo ordered me to send Lana here," Ian replied.

Hearing this, Nicole raised her eyebrow. "Leo? He's here too?"

Nolan's eyes lit up when he heard Leo was present. "Is Godpa here too?"

After a brief period of embarrassment, Nicole was suddenly relieved to learn that Leo was present.novelebook.com "Why didn't Leo come in since he's here?"

Jared's eyes became downcast when he heard Leo's name. This codename gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Ian pretended to be in a difficult spot and looked at Nicole. "Mr. Leo said he knows you are in safe hands and didn't want to disturb your reunion with your family."

"He won't be disturbing anyone! I want to see Godpa!" Nolan said. He thought, 'If Godpa doesn't come soon, Mommy would be taken away.'

With that in mind, Nolan rushed out.

"Nolan!" Nicole called out to her child, but Nolan had already rushed out. Nicole could only put Lana down to chase after Nolan.

However, Jared grabbed her and said, "Since he's here, why don't you introduce me to Nolan's Godfather?"

Nicole could feel Jared emanating a powerful aura, chilling the room. Jared's aura was too strong, and Nicole feared the gentle Leo could not handle him.

Soon, Nolan brought Leo in. All eyes turned to see a man with blue eyes and gold-rimmed glasses walking into the house. He wore a white suit, exuding a pure aura, and had an unmistakable sense of nobility.

Jared's eyes immediately squinted suspiciously when he saw Leo. His information previously was accurate, but he had some doubts about it. After really meeting the person, Jared found that the man he investigated was indeed Lawrence.

Chapter 1975

At this time, Lawrence acted unfamiliar to Jared. He walked over and stretched out his hand. "Mr. Johnston, it's been a while."

Jared's face hardened. He did not extend his hand.

Nicole was surprised when she noticed the tension. "You guys know each other?"

'For the past five years, Leo had been taking care of me, but did they know each other?'

Jared's expression was stone cold. He smiled cruelly. "We're not just acquainted. He once helped me transport some things back to San Joto before... novelebook.comand now that my wife had gone missing, it was him who found her back for me."

'Jared's wife?' Nicole looked at Lawrence suspiciously, thinking that he would be taken aback but Lawrence looked calm.

"I'm afraid that there's been some misunderstanding between us two. Why don't we have a talk about it?"

Everyone in the room was stunned to see Lawrence and hearing what Jared had said, everyone left their food untouched. The butler cleared up the table and everyone moved to the living room and sat down.

Jared sat across from Lawrence. With an unpleasant expression, he asked, "Now can we talk about it?"

'Nicole had been missing for five long years, it's so obvious that he had kept her hidden for this long. I want to see what kind of excuse he could make up this time...'

At this moment, Nicole, Daniel, and the others were listening to the conversation, waiting for Lawrence to tell them the truth.

Lawrence calmly took a sip of his coffee before speaking. "When Ms. Riddle disappeared back then, I had sent out people to help you find her. But under the circumstances of the plane crash and that she was missing for so many days, I was beginning to think that she had died. It wasn't until much later that I found someone on an island with a child. I thought that she looked just like Nicole, but I didn't dare think much further as she might be a wife to someone else. So, that's why I hadn't been giving any unnecessary feedback to you, Mr. Johnston, to save you from further false hope."

Lawrence had made it sound like he was concerned about Jared's wellbeing, but to Jared's ears it was all rubbish.

Lawrence peered at Jared's gloomy face, not giving one thought about him before looking at Nicole. "To me, when I saw Nicole back then, it was love at first sight. I fell in love with her, thought she looked like her, and she was carrying a child. I didn't mind, and I just wanted to protect and take care of her."

Nicole was in shock at Lawrence's words. 'What's going on? Was this the reason he was good to me? He fell in love with me at first sight. Everything makes sense now, how he treated me so well, wanting nothing in return.'

"Even if she was carrying a child, shouldn't the first thing you do be reporting to me?"

When Jared left Ramania, he had assigned Lawrence to the matter. It was unexpected that Lawrence had stabbed him in the back like this.

'He's the reason why Nicole and I were separated for five years!'

Lawrence was silent for a moment before speaking up. "Mr. Johnston, do you know how powerful Ms. Riddle was back then? But now, Niki is just a normal single mother. Of course, by right, I wouldn't want her to be with someone who is unable to protect her. I have to admit I am a tad bit selfish."

As soon as these words came out, all of Jared's flaws were brought to light. Jared reminisced on his past regrets of not protecting Nicole well enough. The pain and regret went deep into his bones, like a wound that would not heal, and to have it picked on by Lawrence, the pain was unbearable.