Ch. 2011..2015: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 2011-2015

Chapter 2011

"Three days," Nicole replied as she handed over the information.

The other party accepted it. The files held both Nolan and Lana's information that Nicole had sorted out regarding their identities on Crescent Island. Nicole, however, had kept the real identity of Nolan and Lana a secret. Once they were exposed, things would get dangerous real fast.

Ever since Nicole's return to San Joto, she had attracted enough attention from enemies. Nicole's decision to protect her children's identities was the best she could do as a mother to provide them an ordinary life.

"It's almost time. Let's go." Jared had already stood up, carrying Lana in his arms.

"Yeah, let's go," Nicole agreed, pulling Nolan along to board the cruise ship.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" Lana shouted, waving her little hands around.

"There's no way the sea is this big," said Nolan with a disgusted look, unimpressed with the view.

"But the night view here isn't as good as it is at Crescent Island," Lana said in awe, knowing that the island would soon become pitch black as the sun sets.

"Stop acting like you've never seen it," Nolan spat in dissatisfaction to Lana, displeased with how close she was with Jared.

Lana stuck her tongue out and asked, "Didn't you ask your beloved Godpa to take you out to play yesterday?"

'It's so weird for him to act this way when he went out to enjoy himself yesterday.'

Nolan, who was suddenly exposed by Lana, could not help but to feel a little dejected. It was not that Nolan did not like the city life, but it was who had brought them to live there that he disliked.

"You two, stop arguing," Nicole said helplessly.

"It's his fault for showing attitude!" scoffed Lana, turning her head around.

"It's because you're stupid! You change your mind so easily," Nolan said.

Lana rolled her eyes at Nolan and said, "You're dumb."

Lana kicked her legs to signal Jared to let her down to which Jared did not object to. Lana came toward Nolan and said, "I know you like your Godpa but it's no use. Only whoever Mommy likes will matter."

'If Mommy likes Godpa, she would have gotten together with him a long time ago. So how could she just be friends with him after so long? Nolan's smart but how can he be this stupid when it comes to this?' Lana thought to herself.

Nolan was speechless. He hesitated before saying, "That's because Mommy only pays attention to us. If Mommy notices Godpa, she'd like him!"

'Yes, that has to be it, so that Mommy can realize what Godpa has done for Mommy. Mommy will definitely like Godpa.'

"You two. Come take a look at the scenery." Nicole had all her energy depleted, listening to the two of them argue.

Jared, on the other hand, was over the moon as he heard Lana's praise and thought, 'Yeah, so what, if he stayed with her for the past three years? In the end it was an unfruitful pursuit anyway.'

Jared walked in front of Nicole. With a wicked smile on his lips, he said, "If you don't have feelings for anyone, you can consider me."

Nicole's cheeks went bright red. Pretending to be mad, she looked into Jared's eyes and said, "I don't have to like anyone."

 

Chapter 2012

Though Jared was rejected by Nicole, he still felt really good about himself as he considered that Nicole's sullen look was strangely cute.

"Haha." Jared let out a sarcastic laugh before letting out a low laugh.

Feeling a little hot, Nicole's cheeks became even redder, and her heartbeat quickened.

As the cool night breeze blew through her hair, Nicole did not dare to make eye contact with Jared. Nicole was scared to meet his eyes, afraid that she would get lost in them.

"Tell me about your stay at Crescent Island," Jared requested as he gently combed Nicole's hair.

Jared felt regretful he was unable to be by Nicole's side, but he wanted to know how they lived.

"It's nothing special. I occasionally do my missions, while the rest of my time is spent taking care of Nolan and Lana," Nicole said lightly.

Though Nicole said it like it was nothing, Jared knew that it must have been very tough for her to live alone with two children.

"In the future, it won't be as hard anymore." Jared gently hugged Nicole's shoulders, vowing to himself that he would share the burden with Nicole and not let her go through it alone.

The weight of Jared's arms made it hard to breathe, but the warmth filled Nicole's heart. It was as if she magically gained certainty from the hug.

Nicole turned to look at Jared, staring into his deep eyes that were once mysterious but now were filled with reassurance, making her feel safe. Nicole curled her lips. She did not respond to Jared's words. Instead, she felt more at peace by being next to him.

As the night rolled in, Jared and Nicole brought the twins back to the Riddle residence. They were already fast asleep. After settling the twins down, Jared and Nicole slipped into bed.

"Those two rascals are very excited. They don't want to go home until they tire themselves out." Nicole felt helpless, unable to control both Nolan and Lana's eagerness to play.

"Visiting the capital is quite something. It's quite refreshing to say, but since they like it so much, why don't we bring them out more often?" Jared offered, wanting to try and make up for the time lost.

"They'll be heading to kindergarten soon. Let them get their rest first," said Nicole as she remembered that her children would be starting kindergarten over the next three days.

'I wonder if they'll be able to adapt,' Nicole wondered.

"Don't worry about it. I'll arrange for someone to take care of them." Jared comforted Nicole. He knew that Nicole had signed up Nolan and Lana with ordinary identities to protect them. However, Jared was still worried. 'I need to send someone out to keep an eye out for them, just in case anything happens.'

"Okay." Nicole nodded, thinking Jared's arrangement to be very thoughtful.

"It's getting late. Let's head to bed," said Jared, as he pushed Nicole into the bathroom and handed her pajamas before closing the bathroom door.

Nicole stood there in shock, holding her pajamas in her hand. She could not help but feel a little dumbstruck before shaking her head and sighing, turning on the faucet.

Jared turned to look out the window as he heard the sound of the water running in the bathroom. He stared out looking at the distant night sky.

For the past five years, Jared had been staring at the night sky for countless nights as if staring hard enough would bring Nicole back to his side.

'She finally came back to me and this time, I won't ever lose her again.'

Time came and went. After being occupied for so long, the day of celebrating Nicole's return had come. On this day, political, businesspeople, celebrities, and merchants of the capital gathered to welcome Nicole's return which had been talked about worldwide.

As soon as the lights were switched on, the crowd stood in front of the hotel and there was an endless stream of people entering the venue.

 

Chapter 2013

Those who had heard of Nicole's return, and those who were affiliated with the Riddle family and those who were not affiliated were finding various ways to create a relationship with the Riddles. Everyone was eager to find out how a person who mysteriously disappeared five years ago had suddenly returned.

For the past five years, the Riddle family and Jared had been claiming that Nicole was away to take care of her health abroad. Since Nicole had never made a public appearance, the public had doubts about Nicole's whereabouts. The news of Nicole's return had gripped public interest. After all, Nicole's return to the capital might change everything.

While there were some who were thrilled about the news of Nicole's return, others were worried.

"Tell me, is this Ms. Riddle really going to be leading the Riddle Corporation?"

"Of course. Everything was set in stone five years ago by Mr. Riddle Sr. It was unexpected that she got into an accident and disappeared for five years."

"Really? Now that she's back of course, things will go according to plan."

"I don't think so. It's been five years. So many things have changed."

"Do you think the Riddle family would treat Ms. Riddle differently?"

"Um..."

People had gathered around, chatting with great interest, all looking forward to catching a glimpse of Nicole.

Amidst the commotion, the door of the banquet hall finally opened. Jared and Nicole walked hand in hand, everyone had their eyes on them as they were the main event of the night.

Nicole's low-key appearance had surprised everyone. Her black fall evening dress elegantly reached her ankle, paired with a black high-heeled stiletto. The spotlight followed her with every step she took. Her sleek dress, with one shoulder, her hair tied back which brought up her temperament.

Jared, on the other hand, wore a black custom-made suit which highlighted his aloof and arrogant aura. Nicole walked beside him, yet she was not blocked from the limelight. The two of them complemented one another, as they walked together slowly. The scene was breathtaking. They were like the 'it' couple. Some from the crowd were envious while some were happy as they watched the pair approach the front of the stage.

About Nicole's return, now all the doubts that filled their heart before slowly dissipated. Those who were impatient and those who saw, their expressions darkened.

"Hello, everyone. First, I welcome you all tonight to join us today for Nicole's return. On behalf of Nicole, I'd like to thank everyone here today for expressing your concern for the past five years. Nicole has now fully recovered and returned. We'd like to express our genuine blessings to Nicole!" As the host's voice fell, there was a roaring applause from the crowd.

"Next..."

However, nobody in the crowd knew why Nicole was not given the chance to speak and had the host do it for her which he had done professionally.

Jared glanced at Nicole and said in a low voice, "Don't be nervous. I've read all the information that I've given you. You should be able to recognize them. If there's an emergency, I'll help you out."

"Okay." Nicole took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Nicole had no former memory of any of these people. She was thankful for the information Jared had given her which was thoroughly detailed. Jared, who stood by her side the entire time, gave her enough confidence and assurance.

Chapter 2014

"Ms. Riddle, you're finally back. Do you know how much all of us here have been waiting for you to come back?"

"Yeah! At first, we thought you and Mr. Johnston had almost died during the accident. We were all very worried about you."

Nicole watched as people started to swarm around them, moving closer, pushing overwhelming questions of how Nicole was doing and expressing their concerns.

"Mr. Riddle Sr. has arrived!" one shouted from the crowd.

Everyone in the room instantly fell silent. There were rumors going around claiming that Mr. Riddle Sr. was bedridden and had passed on. The news of Mr. Riddle Sr.'s presence had taken everyone aback. Though no one in the room spoke up, deep down they knew the truth.

Everyone watched as Mr. Riddle Sr. slowly approached the doors of the banquet hall.

'Didn't the rumors say the old man is preparing for his funeral? How can it be? He's here looking fine as ever!'

Mr. Riddle Sr. had stopped all his medications, had Nicole do needle techniques on him and he took the detoxification medicine Nicole prescribed him with. Mr. Riddle Sr. now was almost fully recovered, all thanks to Nicole and her return.

Everyone gave way for Mr. Riddle Sr. to pass by. Soon enough, he reached where Nicole and Jared were standing.

"Grandpa." Nicole nodded, greeting Mr. Riddle Sr. before flashing him a smile. After prescribing Mr. Riddle Sr. with the medication, Nicole had been busy taking over the role and responsibilities of the Riddle Corporation, to the point of not being able to make time to visit him.

Mr. Riddle Sr. gave Nicole a loving look before turning around to look at the crowd. The atmosphere of the crowd was calm, and everyone fell silent.

"Dad!" Several sons and daughters-in-law of Mr. Riddle Sr. called out as they approached.

"You're all here. I might as well take this opportunity to make an announcement," Mr. Riddle Sr. said indifferently.

"Dad. Nicole had just returned not long ago. I think it's better if..." Karen could not help but feel a little relieved at the idea of Mr. Riddle Sr. giving an announcement.

Mr. Riddle Sr. gave Karen a cold glance which shut her up immediately. Mr. Riddle Sr. did not trust any of the people there. 'They're all here hoping that I'll die sooner, or they won't stand a chance to get what they want.'

Karen was offended by Mr. Riddle Sr.'s cold glance, which naturally led the others being afraid to speak up. They settled themselves down.

It was only then did Mr. Riddle Sr. turn around to the crowd and say, "It's been a while since Nicole returned. The affairs of the Riddle Corporation have been handed over to Nicole, so today I'm going to announce two things."

Mr. Riddle Sr. paused for a moment, looking at the crowd's reaction before continuing to speak. "First is that I will give all my shares to Nicole. During her absence, I managed them on my own but now that she's back, I will be returning this to her.

"Also, because of her position as the Chairperson of the Riddle Corporation, the future of the company is in her hands. All of the affairs will be entirely dealt with by her."

Everyone in the crowd had known about this five years ago during his first initial announcement. Yet, hearing it again, they were still shocked to hear the news.

"She just came back and now she's going to take over the Riddle Corporation. It's five years of absence. Can she really do this?"

"Did you not hear? She came back a long time ago. She probably knows the ropes to manage the Riddle Corporation well."

 

Chapter 2015

"Besides, she's a prodigy. I think even after a five-year gap, she would've come back stronger."

For Nicole to take on the role as the Chairperson for the Riddle Corporation, there would be more people that are in support of it, due to Nicole's sudden reappearance. Those against it fell silent.

The situation was that there were a number of people who were rushing to acquire business deals with Nicole and would want to terminate them if Nicole was not present, but they would reconsider if Nicole came back.

"Congratulations on being the Chairperson, Ms. Riddle." Whether it was sincere or not, everyone said their congratulations.

Nicole's eyes scanned the sea of people as they went by her one by one. She responded to each and every one of them politely, silently identifying them based on the information Jared had provided her with which helped her to deal with the current situation swiftly.

'As long as there are no emergencies, the banquet should be a breeze.'

"Grandpa is clearly biased. Why didn't we get anything?" Raine's eyes were dark and had a deadly look. 'Of course Nicole had to come back at this time. He even recovered when she returned. If it weren't for her, those shares would've been mine. Why did she come back? Why didn't she die? It's been five years. Why is she back?'

"What do you even understand from this? As long as Nicole is here, we can't even get anything." Snow snorted coldly. 'After all these years of acting dumb, it's useless.'

Raine's face turned blue as she heard this. She looked at Nicole with more resentment. Raine was fuming the longer she stared at Nicole.

"I won't let her have her way this easily," said Raine as she gritted her teeth.

Snow raised her eyebrows slightly. Then her eyes shone as if she got an idea.

"You two, stop standing here. Go and socialize," Karen told both Raine and Snow.

It was a great opportunity not to be wasted. Snow nodded obediently before turning around and walking toward the crowd as she did not want to lose the chance to build connections.

Raine, on the other hand, yanked her husband in one hand before walking toward the crowd. Meanwhile, Daniel and Dexter were busy making small talk with guests while Dillon and Damien were left with their spouses.

"Damien, why does Mr. Riddle Sr. look so lively? It can't be the reflection from the lighting, can it?" Karen said in a low voice.

'The old guy wasn't looking good before. How can he be looking this lively now? Could it be that Nicole was telling the truth? Maybe he was fine after all...' Karen turned to look at Dillon.

Dillon, who noticed his wife was looking at him hesitantly, gave her a hard look and said, "He recovered well."

'This woman can't keep her mouth shut. What's she doing now? Does she think others would suspect them?'

Karen felt Dillon's gaze and changed her expression. She replied in embarrassment, "It was what the doctor said, for us to start preparing for our final goodbyes."

"True. His physical condition before was dreadful. How come when Nicole came back, he's fine as day. Did Nicole do something?" Miley muttered in a low voice, hinting suspicion.

"As long as he's recovered, it's in our favor that our father is healthy and fine." Damien's voice was condensed, as if he was wishing his father well, but the words were lofty sounding.

Both Dillon and Karen understood the hidden meaning, they could not help but nod along.

"You're right."