Ch. 2006..2010: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 2006-2010

Chapter 2006

"Certain things?" Sean asked, his eyes filled with doubt. 'Did I just ask her about something I should not know about?

Staring directly at Sean's eyes, Nicole came back to her senses at once.

She could not help but blush as she tried to defend herself. "No, that was not what I meant. It's just that it feels weird to have someone I barely know as my legal husband by my side."

"Yeah, I wasn't thinking about anything else. Don't get all nervous," Sean assured, able to tell that Nicole was panicking.

He was also sure that he had asked her the wrong question.

Nicole twitched her lips. 'This seems like something I can't really describe. Forget it, the more I explain, the messier it gets. I should just stay silent. It's up to Sean to think whatever he wants to think.'

While trying her best to stay composed, Nicole replied, "I'll leave the assignment of staff members to you. I'll head out now."

"Okay." Sean regained his poise as if he was talking business, not wanting Nicole to feel embarrassed.

Then, Nicole turned around and left for her office.

When she recalled that messy answer she gave, Nicole's cheeks began flushing. Sean must have misunderstood her words, but then again, these are not the sort of things she could easily explain. Thus, she could only leave it as it was.

'D*mn it, Jared Johnston. This is all your fault! I think I should just get you to move back home. As for mom, I'll have to find a way to persuade her. After all, I can't allow mom to worry about me, at least not more than she already is,' she thought.

Just as Nicole was about to be buried in her thoughts, her phone rang.

Seeing that it was a call from Lawrence, Nicole picked it up. "Hello."

"How was my suggestion? Is Chairwoman Riddle interested in partnering with me?" Lawrence's happy voice asked through her phone.

"I see that you are starting to joke around with me now. Are you sure you'd want to continue calling me by that title?" Nicole replied while laughing.

"Of course not. I just want to remind you that you will be shouldering even more responsibilities in the future," Lawrence said, his voice carrying a hint of sadness.

If Nicole had not returned, she would not have to worry about all these. She could take care of Nolan and Lana while living a simple and happy life. That was Lawrence's wish for her from the get-go anyway.

"I understand." Nicole replied.

Since the responsibility was hers, she would not abdicate.

Then, Lawrence hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Can I come upstairs?"

"You're downstairs?" Nicole asked, shocked and wondering why Lawrence would appear at her office.

"Yes. If you think that the partnership proposal is satisfactory, we could discuss the details. I gave it some thought and decided it's best for me to come over," he replied.

In truth, Lawrence did not wish to pass up any opportunity he could get to meet Nicole.

"I'll send someone to bring you up."

"Alright."

After Nicole had hung up, she ordered the secretary to bring Lawrence upstairs.

As soon as Lawrence entered Nicole's office, he looked at the room and praised, "This really is from the Riddle family."

"Have a seat." Nicole signaled the secretary. "Two cups of coffee, please."

"Noted." The secretary replied and walked out.

Nicole and Lawrence took their seats on the couch, whereupon Nicole went straight to the point. "I've read the proposal and there are no objections from my side. You can prepare the contract."

"As long as you're satisfied with it," Lawrence replied, not surprised in the slightest.

After all, he knew Nicole very well. Work matters would have to be dealt with via the official way; if he were to mix work and personal matters up, Nicole would reject it instead.

"I'd have to thank you for this," she stated.

Although the partnership was done in a professional manner, Nicole knew that Lawrence was doing her a favor by partnering with the Riddle Corporation during such a time.

Chapter 2007

"It's a win-win situation." Lawrence smiled.

"Here's your coffee." The secretary entered the room, placed the coffee on the table, and left.

Lawrence held his mug up and took a sip.

Then, he casually remarked, "The Riddle family has been preparing a banquet to celebrate your return. It seems like a grand one."

"Yeah. In the end, this is not just about my return. It is mainly for the company," she replied.

If it was just for Nicole's return, a celebration with her parents and brothers would be more than enough.

"In that case, would I get the honor of receiving an invitation?" Lawrence asked.

He was rarely this serious, and the banquet was the reason as to why he had personally showed up today.

"You want to come?" Nicole asked as she gave it some thought.

All the distinguished politicians and businessmen would be invited, especially the business tycoons who had a collaborative relationship with the Riddle Corporation. It would most definitely be a good networking opportunity.

"Alright, I'll arrange one to be sent out to you." Nicole promised.

"Thank you." Lawrence happily said.

"But I might not be able to entertain you on the day itself." Nicole said, as there would be a lot of guests that day.

One could only imagine how busy Nicole would be.

"No worries, I can take care of myself," Lawrence replied.

He was fine as long as he could be there to watch her. He also understood that Nicole would not have any more energy to entertain him. It was more than enough if she could handle the whole crowd on her own.

After that, Lawrence looked at the time and said, "It's almost noon. Let's have lunch together as a pre- celebration for the success of our partnership.

Nicole looked up at the wall clock. 'I did not realize it's already this late.'

"Sure, we'll just find somewhere nearby." Nicole agreed and sauntered out of the office with Lawrence.

"Nicole?"

It was then that they bumped into Steve.

Seeing that Lawrence was around, Steve could not help but ask, "The both of you are heading out?"

"It's almost lunch time, we're heading out to grab something to eat," Nicole replied.

"I was just about to ask you to go out for lunch too. Why don't we go together? Is that fine?" Steve asked with an intention to test them.

"Of course it's fine," Nicole replied, finding the question funny. 'Why would it not be fine?'

Hearing this, Lawrence could only echo, "Of course, we're just heading out for a meal since it's lunch time."

"Let's go," Steve uttered, still pretending as if they had bumped into each other for lunch.

Before they entered the elevator, Steve followed Nicole closely, tracking her every move. However, he still maintained a considerable distance, so that his act would not seem too obvious.

However, Lawrence raised his brows in suspicion either way. At that moment, his eyes were brimming with suspicion.

'Did I do anything wrong? Why does Steve seem to be so protective? All I've ever talked about is work. I've never had the chance to ask Nicole about anything personal.'

After a simple lunch, Lawrence bade them goodbye and left the place.

Since the office was nearby, the duo of Nicole and Steve took a stroll back to the office.

"Steve, do you have an issue with Lawrence?" Nicole casually asked.

Although Steve was more than well-behaved, Nicole knew that he was not the kind to mingle around with other people in general. It was unusual for him to take the initiative and join others for lunch.

Steve sighed and shook his head. "As expected, I'm not good at hiding."

Lawrence had not said anything, but his presence reeked with ulterior motives. Even Nicole felt as though she would not want to meet up with Lawrence anymore after that.

Chapter 2008

"What's wrong with Lawrence?" Nicole asked, believing that Steve was not one to be wary of someone for no reason.

"Nothing's wrong. No matter what, he is still considered a stranger to all of us," he replied.

Even though he was the one who had saved Nicole, they could not take him as a close friend. They were of course grateful to him.

Hearing this, Nicole hesitantly nodded. "Understood."

Steve's attitude toward Lawrence was reasonable. Other than Nicole, Nolan, and Lana, it was possible that everyone else had the same thoughts as Steve too.

"Nicole, there are certain things in life which can only be felt from the heart. That which can be seen might not be the truth in its entirety. This is especially true for those who are good at putting on a mask. Their real intentions are the hardest to ascertain," Steve explained.

Nicole frowned a little. She felt that Steve was trying to remind her about something else. But when she turned over, Steve had already walked ahead with a calm look on his face. It was as if he had spoken those words casually.

Although Nicole could not fully comprehend it, she knew that Steve's words were uttered with genuine intentions.

Therefore, she replied, "Don't worry Steve. I will be wary."

Since it was a reminder, Steve would naturally be referring to the things or people around her. After all, San Joto was still considered as a dangerous place for Nicole. Other than her family members, she could not afford to trust anyone else easily.

"Your homecoming banquet is happening soon. Don't be too nervous on that day. We will be there and we'll help you out." Steve changed the topic, not wanting Nicole to dwell on his words.

A surge of warmth inundated Nicole's heart, and her eyes gleamed with joy.

Nodding, she said, "Got it."

As long as her family was always there to accompany her, Nicole would not be nervous or scared anymore.

The sun was setting, and soon, dusk descended upon them. After she had ended a day's work, Nicole ambled out of the office building.

"Mommy!" The two little cutie pies ran over with their tiny legs carrying them.

Nicole was surprised as she was not aware that Nolan and Lana would be there. "Nolan! Lana! What are you guys doing here?"

"Daddy brought us here." As Lana was pointing away with her chunky fingers, Jared got out of the car and approached them.

"Why did you bring them out?" Nicole asked in confusion.

"I promised them that I'll bring them out to play. So, how could I go back on my word?" Jared replied confidently.

Nicole could not resist from rolling her eyes after she heard that. 'It's true that he promised them, but the promise never included the part where it must be done right away, did it?'

"Mommy, Daddy said he's going to bring us to a night cruise. We can watch the night view at San Joto!" Lana eagerly.

Noticing how excited Lana and everyone else present were, Nicole could only pinch Lana's chubby cheeks and mutter, "You naughty one."

"Hehe, this is what a family trip is. Everyone at school has been in at least one, except for Nolan and I."

Now, Lana could finally tell the other kids that her parents had brought her out on a family trip.

"What do you mean you never had one? Has Godpa never brought you out?" Nolan asked, unable to forget about Lawrence.

"Godfather is not my real dad. So of course, that doesn't count," Lana said mischievously.

In her heart, Jared is her only daddy, so much so that even her godfather did not qualify.

"Let's go. We'll have a meal before going on the cruise." Jared reminded while he was thoroughly elated by what Lana had said.

After that, he carried Lana up and asked her, "Lana, what do you want to eat?"

"I want to have a hamburger."

After those words had left Lana's mouth, she sneakily looked at Nicole as she wanted to see what her mother's reaction would be.

Seeing how Lana was acting, Nicole knew what that little was thinking about at once.

This made her feel a little helpless. 'This little one is growing up to be a monkey soon. She clearly knows that I don't allow her to eat those things, so she asks from her dad.'

Chapter 2009

Of course, Jared had to fulfill Lana's request, so he immediately agreed to it. "Sure."

Jared then strode toward the car while pulling Nicole by the hand.

And as he had not forgotten about Nolan, he said, "You better catch up if you'd like to have some too."

Initially, Nolan wanted to rebel and say that he did not want any of it. However, there would be no way for him to observe them if he did not join them. He wanted to keep an eye on the annoying man and prevent him from stealing his godfather's position.

The family of four arrived at a hamburger restaurant not long after, and once they were seated, Jared went to the counter and queued up.

Among the crowd that was queuing, Jared, being extremely eye-catching, was the one who stood out. In fact, everyone could not help but look at him more than twice.

"Mommy, Daddy actually went and queued up on his own." Lana looked at Jared with gleaming eyes. 'It really feels good to have a daddy.'

Indeed, that slender figure was so attractive that people in crowd could not take their eyes off him.

Nicole did not expect Jared to humble himself and queue up on his own. This was probably the very first time he had done something like this throughout his life.

"Hmph! All these years, it was Godpa who'd helped Mommy take care of us." Nolan complained with a tone of dismay, feeling that Lawrence was better.

"That was because Daddy couldn't find us," Lana argued, refusing to back down.

She believed that if they had stayed with Jared over the past five years, they would have lived a better life.

The two little ones began to argue, and after a while, Nicole got annoyed and warned, "Keep quiet. Otherwise, we're going home."

They were not too loud, but not too soft either. This caused everyone around them to dart their eyes at the family, giving them weird glances.

Just at that very moment, Jared returned with trays of food which he had ordered in his hands.

"That's a lot!"

Nicole clicked her tongue as she stared at the mound of food atop the tray.

"We'll eat this together."

The kids loved to eat them, and besides there were two adults. As such, Jared had to buy more.

This prompted Nicole to look at them in confusion. "You're eating this too?"

Jared's eyes lit up, and carefully, he asked, "Should I not eat them?"

It was true that Jared did not eat food such as these. But as he was hanging out with Nicole and the kids, he did not really mind.

However, there was a strange glint in Nicole's eyes, making him wonder if she had recalled something.

Nicole choked for a moment. She frowned and thought hard about it. She did not know if Jared ate this kind of food or not, but she could almost remember a detail which made her feel that Jared did not. But when she tried even harder to think, her mind went blank.

As he noted Nicole's expression, Jared knew that he had thought too much. Nicole had not regained another memory. However, Jared did not feel disappointed at all. In fact, he was surprised by the occurrence, as that meant the memories buried under Nicole's subconscious mind were still active. Perhaps one day, she might even remember everything.

"Mommy, Daddy? You guys should eat too." Lana offered, holding a hamburger in hand before passing it to Jared and Nicole.

"Alright, you should have some too." Nicole lifted her hands and grabbed it.

Then, she patted Lana's head gently.

The two little ones became silent as they ate their hamburgers, and so were their parents, who did not continue with their conversation.

Nicole did not notice that the corner of her lips was smudged with salad dressing. When Jared saw it, he could not help but smile. Then, he lifted his hand and wiped the sauce off from her lips in a loving gesture.

That sudden action made Nicole freeze. It was as if that soft and gentle touch was lingering on her lips, even after he had stopped. Her heart could not stop racing.

Chapter 2010

"Wow, you're so lucky. Your kids are already at this age and yet, the both of you are still so loving."

"This family looks so beautiful! All four of them are good-looking!"

Whispers were surrounding them. From time to time, there would be looks of envy shot at their general direction too.

Nicole's cheeks began to flush, and she could only stare at Jared in annoyance, signaling him to watch his actions.

"We are a family after all," Jared said, not taking her seriously. Instead, he felt that what those people had said were right and that they had a keen eye.

"That's right, Mommy. The happiness we share as a family of four should be the kind that is envied by others," Lana commented with a huge smile on her face.

"Lana?" Nicole gestured to Lana to stop spouting nonsense as her embarrassment grew.

"It's true Mommy. When I go back to school, I must tell my friends that I have a daddy too. My daddy is a tall and handsome man, and he treats us well. Everyone will admire me." Lana spoke her mind out loud with an innocent demeanor.

Nicole opened her mouth but remained tight-lipped anyway. Her biggest regret was that she was not able to provide a complete family unit for her kids.

"Lana, do you want to go back to the island?" Jared frowned after learning that they wanted to go back to school. 'Are they really planning to go back?'

"Yes. Nolan and I will still have to go to school," Lana replied naturally.

Hearing this, Jared tried to test her further. "What if you could go to school in San Joto?"

"Is it really possible?" Lana's eyes lit up.

If she could stay, that would be the best thing ever. That way, she would not be separated from her daddy.

"Of course, I have passed the information to your mommy. After Mommy has made her decision, both of you can go to school. What do you think?" Jared asked, his gaze tender and his heart at ease.

"Then, will you be able to send me to school, Daddy?" Lana blinked her big round eyes and asked eagerly.

"Of course I can." Jared promised immediately.

Lana became overjoyed at that very instant. She finally had a daddy who would pick her up and send her to school. On top of that, she would not be looked down on by any of the other kids anymore.

Nolan bit his lips, as he actually looked forward to it.

When they were at the island, all of the other kids would have their moms and dads to pick them up and send them to and from school. Lana and Nolan were the only ones without. That was why Nolan always asked his godfather to pick them up. He even told the other kids that Lawrence was their dad so that the kids would stop laughing at them.

When Jared noticed Nolan's eyes lighting up even though he was remaining quiet, Jared's eyes darkened. He actually pitied them.

Jared understood Nolan's behavior and attitude toward him, and he knew it was definitely because of the hardships they had to endure at such a young age. That was why they would lean toward Lawrence

more often than not. After all, Lawrence was the only person who could make them feel warm. That was also why Nolan remained resistant toward Jared.

However, Nolan still had a yearning for a father's love, and it was obvious that Jared owed it to him.

The little ones should have grown up happily, and without any worries. If Jared had been able to locate them earlier, perhaps the outcome would have been different at this moment.

"Daddy, what does the school look like at San Joto? Are they like the ones on the island?" Lana's questioned, bringing Jared back to reality.

"You'll find out when you go. The both of you will like it." Jared lifted Lana and brought her into his arms.

His love for this affectionate daughter grew even more with each second spent with her

"Mommy, when are you choosing a school for us?" Nolan asked in a low voice.

In the future, they would have to stay in San Joto. Because of this, everything would have to be moved there. Naturally, they would have to attend school here too, but Nolan still wished to share about his life with his godfather.