Ch. 1981..1985: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 1981-1985

Chapter 1981

Nicole reached out and patted the back of his hand. "It's all in the past."

Nicole did not care if anyone around her was concerned about the matter.

"It's not." Jared slowly let go of her, pulling her wrists away and checking her wrists to see the scar on the tendon of her arm.

"Before this, you were able to do anything. Even I couldn't lay a finger on you, but now... you're much weaker in strength..." Jared looked at Nicole with a troubled look, before reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear. Jared's action was so natural which caused Nicole to blush, but she did not shy away from it.

Nicole felt relief in her heart, knowing that she did not jerk away from his touch.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm at the age where I don't have to bother using any strength. Plus, now that I'm home, novelebook.comI doubt there'd be anyone who'd dare bully me."

Jared had a dead set expression. "Whoever dares to hurt you again, I'll let them suffer the consequences."

The serious look on Jared's face sent cold chills down Nicole's spine. Mentally, Nicole knew that Jared meant every word he said.

Soon enough, it was noon. The Riddle family had prepared a lavish lunch for Lawrence. The table was filled with various dishes. Jared pulled a chair for Nicole to sit on and Lawrence sat directly on the side of Nicole. Nolan followed en suite and sat next to Lawrence, as if he was declaring his support by standing by Lawrence's side.

Lana went and sat next to Nolan, her face wearing an irritated expression. "Nolan, you're really annoying."

Nolan's eyes widened in shock. "Me? Annoying?"

Nolan was known to take care of Lana well. He cared for Lana, and did his best to keep his sister happy. 'What did I do to make her so angry?'

Lana peeked at her mother's awkward expression, immediately feeling unhappy. "You made our mother upset! I hate you!" Lana then turned her head away after she finished speaking.

Nolan seemed to have understood Lana's meaning and decided to stand his ground. 'Now I finally understand. So what, if he's my birth father? He didn't even take care of our mother and let her go through so much pain and suffering! Compared to him, my godpa had been taking care of us for the past five years! My godpa always shows up every time we're in need. The only person suitable for my mom is my godpa. He will be and always will be!'

The squabble between the two children was unrecognized by the adults as Daniel and Gloria were still getting everyone to their seats. Nicole was in an uncomfortable position, unable to muster out the courage to speak up.

The moment Lawrence sat down beside her, Jared had tensed up. The air in the room became tense.

Nicole could not help looking at Jared in embarrassment. "Don't you think the room's a bit cold?"

'Stop acting so cold!'

With a nonchalant smile, Jared said, "Is it?"

'She brought a random guy home to meet her parents and she's afraid of such confrontation?'

Nicole was embarrassed to the point where she did not know how to refute.

At the same time, Daniel spoke up to break the tension. "This meal here today is dedicated to Mr. Lawrence, to thank him for taking care of Nicole. Here's a toast to you."

Lawrence immediately replied, "Mr. Riddle, there's no need for a toast. Let's cheer." After saying that, Lawrence reached out his glass to clink his glass with Daniel's.

Daniel nodded before motioning for everyone to dig in.

Nicole let out a sigh of relief, thinking that she could finally eat. But just as she picked up her utensil, Jared suddenly placed a shrimp onto her plate.

"Eat up."

Chapter 1982

Jared's actions were smooth like butter. Nicole had almost believed that they were an old married couple.

Lawrence noticed Jared's actions and copied them. He poured a glass of warm water for Nicole. "You should eat less of the raw food. It's not good for your health."

Jared and Lawrence both looked at each other. If they were in a comic, one would see the lasers zapping out from their eye contact. Nicole wished the earth would open up and swallow her to get her away from all the embarrassment.

"Thanks, guys," Nicole said before lowering her head in embarrassment.

However, the battle between these two men was not over yet. Jared served Nicole a bowl of soup. "Here, have some soup. It's more nutritious than water."

Lawrence ignored Jared and gave Nicole a smile before putting some vegetables onto her plate. "Don't drink too much soup. Here, have some veggies."

The jealousy between the two men made Nicole extremely uncomfortable.

Jared was unwilling to admit defeat. He noticed a grain of rice on the corner of Nicole's mouth. Jared reached out his hand and wiped it off for her. Nicole blushed instantly and hid her face.

Witnessing Jared wiping off the grain of rice, Lawrence's facial expression changed instantly. He quickly grabbed a ply of tissue and wiped the corner of Nicole's mouth.

Nicole, who had enough of the two men projecting their childish rivalry onto her, stood up abruptly. "Enough!'

The sudden outburst led the entire room to quiet down. Nicole could not bear it anymore. "I just want to eat my meal in peace.novelebook.com Could you two let me do that?"

The feeling of having two childish men competing on either side of her had made Nicole queasy and unable to eat peacefully!

Jared and Lawrence both turned to look at Nicole before looking at each other, both complaining about one another.

In the end, Jared pulled Nicole down to her seat. "Alright. Sit down and eat."

Jared was unhappy that Lawrence was present, but Nicole being his priority, he did not want her to feel uncomfortable.

The feeling was mutual for Lawrence, he did not say anything and just smiled. "I didn't mean to offend."

Nicole was helpless, not knowing how to explain to Lawrence regarding the situation. Thus she could only lower head to eat.

On the other hand, Lana was shooting glares at her brother. 'It's all this stinky guy's fault!'

Nolan had not repented on his actions and even glared at Jared. 'It's all that guy's fault! My mom has never been angry with my godpa before. But now she even yelled at him! This birth father can't be trusted!'

Though everyone still had their own concerns, the meal went on without any further conflict.

After the meal, Lawrence and Nicole sat down together in the living room.

"I'm sorry that my presence during lunch has caused you trouble," Lawrence apologized.

"No... You're my friend and you just came over to eat with us. It's my job to make sure you feel at home," Nicole said while shaking her head. Nicole made sure her words were not directly aimed at people.

However, Lawrence lost his breath when he noticed Nicole's annoyed look. He smiled gratefully. "I know you didn't mean it. There's no need to feel sorry about it." While speaking, Lawrence reached out and patted Nicole on the head.

Jared, who happened to witness the scene, immediately became angry and pulled Nicole into his arms.

With a smile on his face, Jared said, "Mr. Royce, you do know that if one has caused trouble for other people, it's a cue for them to leave."

Jared had enough of this. He could not bear to see other people touching and getting friendly with Nicole.

Nicole, who noticed this, broke free from his grasp and said, "Lawrence is my guest. You have no right to drive him away like this."

The way Nicole had treated Lawrence today was already enough. She did not want to hurt Lawrence's feelings anymore. However, Nicole's words had hurt Jared tremendously. His face became gloomy.

Chapter 1983

Jared stared at the arm Nicole had broken away from. At that moment, he felt like he was the third wheel.

Jared faked a smile and said, "In that case, you treat your guest well. I shall leave." After the words fell, Jared turned around and left.

Seeing this, Lana started screaming, "Dad! Are you leaving?"

Lana's aggrieved look made Jared and her uncles feel distressed when they saw her. Even if Jared was upset, he could only say, novelebook.com"I'll be right next door. You can come visit me if you want to, Lana."

"Okay..." Lana nodded and pursed her mouth in an angry manner.

Though Jared by nature was soft-hearted, the situation had forced him to leave temporarily. He needed time to sort out his emotions.

Nicole watched Jared leave, thinking that she would be feeling relieved, but her heart was inexplicably heavy. Nicole stared at Jared with some reluctance in her eyes while Lawrence's eyes were filled with glee.

Smiling, he said, "I'm sorry I made you guys fight about me."

Nicole shook her head. "No, it has nothing to do with you."

'It's Jared who cares too much about her... However, Nicole understands that she's important to him. He's been missing her for five years and trying to make up for the loss for his wife. Watching her treat her husband as nothing more than a stranger, it seems like she really doesn't know him well enough. And to have him be this disappointed...'

Nicole could not help sighing before perking up and saying, "Anyway, I have to thank you for bringing Lana to me personally... and coming over to see me in person."

Now that Nicole had recovered her real identity, there was an indescribable awkwardness between her and Lawrence.

"It's nothing." Lawrence took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "You know, when I found out you were the daughter of the Riddle family, I was surprised and also very sorry. Perhaps if I knew you were from this family, I would've persuaded you to come home sooner... That way, you wouldn't have been separated from your family for so long."

Nicol saw the sincerity and regret in Lawrence's eyes. It was true that Lawrence did try to convince her to go home and offered to help but after thinking over all the options, Nicole chose to stay there for the sake of her children. Her children had never had a father. If something were to happen to her children, what would she do?

On top of it all, Lawrence had strongly opposed her going back to San Joto before. Nicole did not dare take risks as she was unsure if she really had family in San Joto.

After gathering her thoughts together, Nicole let out a sigh of relief. "Actually, it's not really your fault. It was my choice from the very beginning, so I still want to thank you for all your help and care over the years..."

Lawrence listened as Nicole said her goodbyes, and added, "Not only in the past. In the future, I'll take good care of you too."

Nicole was taken aback and looked up at him. Lawrence continued to smile as he spoke. "In all honesty, I've been thinking of letting you come back to San Joto as soon as possible. I needed time to

expand my influence here, and now it's almost ready. My work's going to be temporarily based here until I win the market over."

Lawrence's eyes were filled with ambition, but his words were full of considerations for Nicole.

"I was thinking that when I win the market over, the children would be old enough to move back here. Then I would bring you back here to find your lost family. I don't mind if you're the daughter of the Riddle family, but if you're willing, I can also live with you in Hustuaburg. However, from the looks of it now, it seems like you don't need it..." Lawrence ended his sentence with disappointment which made Nicole feel awfully depressed.

'It seems like he had this planned all along. Now it's me who seems like the bad guy who took advantage of his good will and feelings...'

Chapter 1984

There was a hint of skepticism when Lawrence deliberately refused Nicole returning to the country. The excuse of him not having enough power and influence in San Joto was suspicious enough.

'Lawrence was a very cautious person to begin with. He never does things he's unsure of.' Nicole took a deep breath, as if to organize her thoughts. She stretched out her hand to Lawrence.

"Thank you so much for always being considerate of me. But don't you worry. Now that I'm home, you're still my friend and it won't ever change. I must congratulate you for getting into Hustuaburg though if there's anything you need help with. Don't be afraid to ask me for help." novelebook.comNicole smiled brightly. Her face was filled with sincerity.

Lawrence's mood somewhat eased a little after listening to Nicole's words.

'It seems like she believes me, which is enough for me.' Lawrence reached out his hand to shake Nicole's, smiling. "Alright, I should congratulate you too, CEO of the Riddle Corporation."

Nicole was taken aback. She blinked before replying, "How did you find out about this?"

Lawrence smiled calmly. "It's no secret actually. Your grandfather gave you all his shares. Everyone knows that the moment you're back, you are to fulfill his wishes."

Nicole sighed. 'Everyone seems to have accepted this as reality. I guess it's only me who feels like the responsibility is a huge burden.'

"I've never managed a company before, so I'm not sure if I'm the right fit. This is such a huge responsibility for me."

Nicole just wants to take care of her children without having to deal with such complicated affairs.

"Don't worry about it. If you have any questions, you can ask me anytime." Lawrence's gentle look and reassurance made Nicole feel more at ease.

"Okay."

The two of them chatted for a little while more before Nicole saw Lawrence out. Sean and Steve had been watching both Lawrence and Nicole from the balcony since earlier.

Steve smiled and asked, "Sean, what kind of person do you think he is?"

"I don't want to comment on that. I have to check him out." Sean's expression was serious. He felt like he should run a background check on Lawrence.

"How much do you think you can trust his words?" Steve was still recalling the perfectly curated words Lawrence had said earlier. Steve was concerned if he had any ulterior motives.

"It's too late for nothing. I only believe half of his words," Sean said mercilessly.

Steve looked at Nicole's back and said, "But looking at Nicole. It seems like she really believed him."

Sean smiled. "Don't worry about it. She's a smart person. You can't hide the truth. It's bound to be revealed sooner or later."

Steve nodded, agreeing with Sean. Knowing Nicole's intelligence, even if she temporarily believed him as she was the benefactor, it would not be long until she notices a problem.

After Nicole had sent Lawrence off, Lana rushed to hug Nicole's leg. "Mommy, is Daddy upset? He looked so sad when he left..."

Nicole glanced at her daughter pitifully before carrying her in her arms. "It's okay. There's nothing to worry about. Your dad is thick-skinned and will come back in no time."

"Really?" Lana was a little skeptical.

At the side, Noah joined in coaxing her. "Of course it's true. He definitely won't give up on Mommy like this."

After Nolan finished speaking, he could not help but to feel a little regretful. "Ugh... I don't hope he'll come back... Godpa is better than him."

Nicole watched as her two children expressed their different opinions. She could not help but to feel a little dizzy.

"You two. If you sputter anymore nonsense, I'll ignore you both."

Chapter 1985

Lana hugged Nicole's neck affectionately and said sweetly, "Mommy, I really like Daddy. Can you not ignore him?"

Nicole was startled. Unable to control her expression, she did not expect Lana to display such affection toward Jared in a short amount of time. 'I guess it's the biological bonding at work.'

Nolan was angry at Lana's words and could not help frowning. He did not want to argue with his sister nor make her cry at this time. Nolan knew that he would support his godfather until the very end, especially since he made a secret promise with his godfather. He believed that his godfather was the only person fit for his mother.

Nicole came back to reality shortly after. She did not know how to respond to Lana, so instead she changed the topic.novelebook.com "Okay. Since lunch is over, it's nap time for the two of you."

"Okay." Nolan obediently climbed onto his bed.

Nicole was taken aback by his obedience. 'Why is he being so obedient? It's weird...'

Nicole watched as Nolan shut his eyes. Thus she did not think much of it and tucked Lana into bed. After the two of them had fallen asleep, Nicole let out a sigh of relief before walking toward the window.

Nicole originally went to take in the scenery from outside, but to her surprise, her eyes were met with Jared's eyes from the opposite manor. His eyes darkened unhappily.

Unconsciously Nicole recalled the moment from earlier. The lonely figure of Jared had left an inexplicably dull sting in Nicole's heart, as if there was a void that was unfilled.

In Jared's manor, he had come back and entered his study. Jared's eyes were dark, a restless feeling in his heart. The arrival of Lawrence and Lawrence saving Nicole from a life-threatening situation, himself not being able to be by her side, and her enduring all the pain and suffering by herself... Jared's

eyes suddenly became extremely cold. A hint of darkness shone in his eyes as he picked up his phone and dialed Max's number.

"Go and find out what happened five years ago..."

'I want to find out for sure what exactly had happened to Nicole when she resurfaced five years ago. Who attacked her, and how did he know of Nicole's whereabouts when I could not find a speck of news about her? On top of that, tracking her down and the point of even wanting to have Nicole killed.'

Jared put the phone down. His pupils had shrunk as he sunk into his thoughts. 'How could he spend five years with Nicole? She's my woman. No one can take her away from me.'

The next day, the sun shone brightly. Nicole got up from her bed, not in good spirits. Her facial complexion was gloomy. She could not help but frown.

Maybe I didn't sleep well last night,' Nicole thought as she examined herself in the mirror.

"Mommy, are you awake?"

Nicole heard the voices of Nolan and Lana. She responded, "Yeah, I'm awake."

After cleaning herself up, Nicole came out of the bathroom and saw both Nolan and Lana waiting for her. She could not help but smile at them. "Come on, guys. Let's head downstairs."

It was quite unexpected for both Nolan and Lana to have adapted so quickly to the Riddle home. When they first came, they could not bring themselves to sleep in their own rooms.

Nicole held their hands as they walked downstairs.

Gloria saw them and waved them over. "Come and have breakfast."

"Good morning, Grandpa, grandma, and uncles!" Nolan and Lana greeted with respect.

The hearts of the entire family melted. The smiles on everyone's faces were very doting.