Ch. 2156..2160: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 2156-2160

Chapter 2156

Nicole furrowed her brows.

Then, when she realized what he was trying to say, she immediately rolled her eyes and said, “Stop fooling around and let go of me.”

She even swung her arm in an attempt to free herself from Jared’s grip.

Nevertheless, Jared refused to let go of her, and a mischievous smile crossed his face as he said, “Or perhaps I can give you a farewell kiss myself.”

His lips were about to touch Nicole’s when she immediately exclaimed, “Stop… Fine, I’ll do it.”

A hint of amusement flashed in Jared’s eyes as he raised an eyebrow, waiting for Nicole to take the initiative to kiss him.

Nicole bit her lip. With Jared’s dashing face in close proximity, she could feel her heart pounding uncontrollably.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and planted a quick kiss on Jared’s cheek. She then turned around, hurriedly got out of the car, strode toward the company building, hearing the beats of her heart in her ear. It was beating rapidly, and her cheeks were flushed and burning.

‘This jerk is just too much! Why is he comparing himself with the kids?!’ she fumed.

Watching as Nicole scuttled away, Jared’s smile grew wider.

He could still feel the softness of her lips on his cheek, and unable to help himself, he raised his thumb to feel that spot she had just kissed.

Max glanced at Jared through the rearview mirror and hesitated for a moment, not asking Jared if he should start driving.

Seemingly able to sense what Max was doing, Jared leaned back in his seat and said, “Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.” Max started the car and drove away.

The entrance of the Riddle Corporation became quiet, and no one had noticed the carthat was parked nearby.

As it turned out, Lawrence had witnessed everything that had just happened, filling his eyes with dark malice.

‘At the end of the day, even if she didn’t remember Jared, she still fell in love with him all over again, didn’t she?’ he thought.

“Mr. Lawrence, are you… still going in?” Ian asked hesitantly.

At this juncture, he did not even know if he should comfort Lawrence about the incident that just happened moments ago.

“Yeah,” Lawrence grunted softly as he opened the car door to get out.

He had returned yesterday but had not come to visit Nicole as he was busy. With that said, he had decided to show up today instead, just to be met with this scene, which broke his heart a little.

However, he could not simply give up like this. After all, he had protected her for five years, and he could not just let go of his feelings.

After regaining his composure, Lawrence entered the Riddle Corporation building and went to Nicole’s office.

“Mr. Lawrence,” Lulu politely greeted him when she saw him.

“Hey,” Lawrence responded politely.

Lulu then picked some of her documents up and nodded in acknowledgment before leaving.

Nicole smiled and stood up. “You’re back.”

“I came back yesterday, but I was busy, so I didn’t come to say hello,” Lawrence casually replied.

Thinking about yesterday’s incident, Nicole flashed him a wry smile and said, “Even if you came, I might not have had the time to meet you.”

After pausing for a moment, Lawrence asked, “Has everything been resolved?”

Nicole was not surprised by his question. Since he had returned, he must have known about the incident yesterday.

Nicole nodded and said indifferently, “Yes, it’s been taken care of.”

“That’s good.” Lawrence said, displaying hints of regret as he carried on. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you at this time.”

“No, I know you’re busy, I can handle it myself anyway.” Nicole smiled, though her tone sounded somewhat distant.

For some reason, she felt that they had grown apart.

It felt as if the distance between them had suddenly grown, making him feel as if he was a stranger to her without any particular reason.

 

Chapter 2157

Nicole was well aware that she and Lawrence had and would always just be friends. Lawrence, on the other hand, was becoming more reserved and had started to hide things from her, so she did not feel the need to ask about his affairs. Although she was curious as to why he had lied about his whereabouts, she did not want to clarify anything with him. She did not feel the need to anyway.

Lawrence squinted as she sensed that something was off with Nicole. He had only been away for a few days, yet it felt as if Nicole had changed, becoming somewhat of a stranger that he could not read.

Thinking about what he had just witnessed earlier, Lawrence felt a knot forming in his heart. ‘Is it because of Jared?’

“Leo?” Nicole called out to Lawrence, snapping him out of his stupor.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nothing. You must be busy since you’ve just come back, so I just wanted to ask if you need anything else.” Nicole asked with a frown. ‘Why was he staring into space just now?’

It was rather obvious that Nicole was indirectly asking him to leave, which caused Lawrence’s expression to stiffen.

“Nah, I just came to see you.” Lawrence could only continue saying, “All good now, so I’ll be making a move.”

Nicole frowned as she looked at Lawrence. ‘Why did he seem so absent-minded just now?’

“Alright, you can always give me a call if you need anything,” Nicole said, standing up to see Lawrence off.

At the door, however, Lawrence said, “I’ll head off on my own. You’re busy with work anyway.”

“Okay,” Nicole nodded in acknowledgment and watched as Lawrence left before returning to her seat.

Nicole’s gaze deepened as she bit her lip again. For some reason, she could not shake the feeling that Lawrence was acting strangely back there. However, she just could not put her finger on what it was and why.

‘Did something happen when he was abroad? Did he get into some trouble or something?’

Even after giving it plenty of thought, Nicole still had no answers, so she had no choice but to give up and focus on her work. That was when she picked the documents up and got busy with them.

Meanwhile, Lawrence had already left the Riddle Corporation.

“Mr. Lawrence,” Ian opened the car door for him.

Lawrence sat down and leaned back against the seat, his voice low as he said, “Let’s head straight to the company.”

“Yes, sir,” Ian responded before driving away.

During the ride, Lawrence remained silent, the tension in the air around him palpable. Ian too could sense that he was clearly upset, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.

Soon after, they arrived at Genesis Group.

“Mr. Lawrence, a young lady said she had an appointment with you,” the receptionist respectfully informed him.

Lawrence swept his gaze over and saw Iris sitting in the lounge area.

She stood up when she spotted him, but Lawrence did not pay her any attention.

Instead, he simply instructed the receptionist, Let her up.”

Then, he walked away.

Iris furrowed her brows, feeling a tinge of annoyance.’ What’s his deal?’

The receptionist approached Iris and guided her toward the elevator.

“Miss Brown? Mr. Lawrence asked you to go upstairs.”

Taking a deep breath. Iris stifled the urge to lash out as she followed the receptionist to his office upstairs. Tm already here, so I might as well see how big of a shot this smug guy is.’

She found the CEO’s office when she was upstairs. She knocked on the door and when she heard the voice of someone telling her to enter, she opened the door and stepped inside.

“Mr. Lawrence,” Iris greeted politely as if he had not been acting coldly toward her at all.

Lawrence squinted as a trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. ‘She sure is a wise and tolerant woman.’

Chapter 2158

“Take a seat,” Lawrence’s expression softened slightly as he gestured for Iris to take a seat.

Iris glanced at him and gracefully took a seat next to the couch.

Then she went straight to the point, stating, “Mr. Lawrence, I assume you remember what happened last night. So, let’s talk about what you need me to do and what you can offer me in return.”

“Do you want Jared or his empire?” Lawrence asked candidly, not hiding his intentions.

Iris raised an eyebrow. “What’s the difference?”

“It’s obvious. If Jared retains his current position, you’ll never have him. So…”

Leaving the sentence hanging, he thought to himself, ‘You should understand what I mean, right?’

Iris bit her lip, displaying signs of being conflicted within. She obviously wanted Jared, but…

Then, she looked at Lawrence and asked again, “What do you want me to do?”

Clearly, Lawrence wanted Jared to lose everything. If she had to choose between the two, she would choose Jared, but Lawrence was not a fool either. He would not help her for nothing if she was not of any use to him. Thus, she needed to assess whether she could pull it and whether she could wipe her hands clean thereafter.

She did not want to end up with nothing in the end: with no money and a great deal of resentment from Jared.

“Hah, no wonder you were able to stay by Jared’s side for five years.” Lawrence suddenly laughed, realizing that there was intelligence behind that pretty face of hers.

Iris shook her head. “You don’t need to flatter me. We both have our own interests. I just need to know if my efforts will be proportional to the rewards.”

“For having been by his side for so long, you are the person who knows Jared and the Johnston family best. You know what I want from you. It just comes down to whether you’re willing to do it or not,” Lawrence replied.

He believed she was a clever woman who understood what he wanted very well.

“What can I get in return, then?” Iris asked, not beating around the bush since they had seen through each other.

“Isn’t Jared enough?” Lawrence countered.

Iris smiled. “If we succeed, absolutely. But in case we don’t, I can’t end up with nothing.”

“What do you mean?” Lawrence squinted, realizing that Iris was hungry for more.

“If we succeed, I will leave San Joto with Jared and never come back. If we fail, you’ll have to give me a sum of money that will ensure that I will be stress free for the rest of my

life,” Iris stated directly.

“If we fail, do you think I will still be able to look out for you?” Lawrence’s gaze flashed with a hint of menace.

Iris, however, was not afraid. “I believe you can, and you will.”

Although she did not know the person sitting before her, she had a strong intuition that he was a complicated man, one whom he did not wish to know more about. She would just work with him for her

goal this time. Regardless of the outcome of the plan, she would never get herself involved with Lawrence ever again.

Lawrence fell silent. He looked at Iris’s fearless and calm demeanor and felt somewhat concerned deep down. Iris was smarter than he had expected, and he liked this sort of intelligence.

“Okay,” Lawrence agreed.

Iris nodded with satisfaction. “Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation.”

“Ian, see our guest off,” Lawrence called out.

Soon, Ian came in and escorted Iris out.

Lawrence leaned back against his chair, his eyes deep and dark…

The sun was scorching in the afternoon. After having lunch together, Nicole and Lulu returned to the headquarters of the Riddle Corporation.

“Hey, have you heard? DillCorp and NandoCorp are fighting

over a project. It’s pretty fierce too,” Lulu said in a low voice.

Nicole, however, found her gloating amusing.

“Try and guess who will win,” Nicole said. ‘Lulu sure knows how to gossip.’

Chapter 2159

“I can’t, but I hope NandoCorp wins.” Lulu shrugged, looking as if she was just enjoying the show.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want Damien to win?”

“Because I want Raine to lose,” Lulu said confidently.

Although Damien and his family were ridiculous people, Lulu just felt that it would be more entertaining to witness Raine’s misfortune. And to top it off, it was a reason that Nicole could get behind. Either way, it was a very solid reason. If Damien won, it could further broaden the rift between him and Dillon, which would in turn be beneficial for Nicole.

Moreover, the person she was most concerned with was Everett. If the battle progressed, there would be more opportunities for her to get to know him, which was indeed crucial for her.

“What do you think Raine will look like if she loses?” Lulu fantasized happily, as seeing Raine lose would definitely make her feel great.

Nicole smiled, realizing that they had formed an unbreakable bond. “About them, you will automatically know the outcome when it’s determined. Instead of that, why don’t you take some time to think about what you need to prepare for tonight’s family banquet?” Nicole calmly looked at Lulu.

“What? It’s happening today?!” Lulu’s smile instantly froze, as she was not ready for it yet.

Nicole nodded. “Yes, I think Spencer will come to pick you up after work.”

Lulu’s face fell at once. “Oh no, what should I do?”

“What are you afraid of?” Nicole asked in curiosity.

“I’m not afraid, but it’s only understandable for me to feel nervous, right? Weren’t you nervous when you met Mr.

Johnston’s relatives for the first time?” Lulu asked in return, wanting to seek some advice.

Nicole awkwardly averted her gaze as she could not remember any of it.

“I probably wasn’t too nervous,” Nicole responded with much uncertainty.

Although she could not remember anything, she believed that she was not nervous.

“Of course, there’s no need for you to be nervous,” Lulu stated with a look of disappointment. ‘But I am different.’

Nicole smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, it’s just a family dinner.”

Still feeling nervous, Lulu vigorously rubbed her cheeks while she motivated herself. “C’mon, I should really start preparing.”

Nicole could not help but chuckle when she saw Lulu scurrying away. ‘If this can make Lulu less nervous, I’ll just let her be.’

In a flash, office hours ended, and Nicole and Lulu left the company building together.

Lulu had changed out of her professional attire and was wearing an elegant dress, giving off an image of the girl next door.

Seeing this, Nicole smiled and praised her, “It suits you so well.”

Lulu blushed and tugged at her dress, lowering her head shyly in response.

“Nicole, Lulu?” Spencer’s voice blared out as he approached the two.

Raising an eyebrow, Nicole teased, “Hey Spencer, are you here to pick Lulu up?”

“Yeah, I’m taking her there,” Spencer responded candidly.

“Alright, I’ll leave her to you then.”

“Sure, see you at home.”

Then, Nicole walked to Jared’s car after Spencer had taken Lulu away.

Sean and Steve would be bringing their wives to the family banquet today, and that was why she had invited Lulu and June. After all, that was what a real family banquet should look like.

Getting in the car, Nicole shot a glance at Jared and asked,” Have you been waiting long?”

 

Chapter 2160

“Nope.” Jared gently held Nicole’s soft hand.

Noticing that Jared seemed a little tired, Nicole tilted her head slightly and asked, “You seem a little exhausted. Is work piling up?”

“It’s manageable.”

Jared tightened his grip on her hand, after which he instructed Max, “Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

The engine roared to life, and together, they headed toward the Riddle residence.

Soon, they arrived at the Riddle family estate, where the courtyard was filled with parked cars.

“Looks like everyone’s here.” Nicole glanced around and commented.

“Yeah, let’s go inside.” Jared held onto Nicole’s hand as they entered the mansion together.

Laughter and joy filled the living room, creating a lively atmosphere.

“Mommy!” Nolan and Lana noticed Nicole’s return and happily ran toward her.

Nicole stroked their heads and smiled. ’ Did you listen to Aunt Tia today?”

“Yes,” Lana responded sweetly as she nodded.

“Mommy, the family banquet today is so lively.” Nolan grabbed Nicole’s hand and looked around the room.

“Yes, and that’s because all of your uncles and aunts have returned. Of course it’s lively,” Nicole explained with a smile.

Lana looked up with curiosity in her eyes and asked, “Are Aunt June and Aunt Lulu also our aunts?”

Her voice was neither loud nor soft. Naturally, everyone in the room heard her and that was when the living room instantly fell into awkward silence.

June and Lulu blushed, feeling embarrassed as the atmosphere had become somewhat tense.

For her kids to ask such a question was something that Nicole did not see coming, so she could only smile and reply, “Well, you might need to ask your uncles, Aunt June, or Aunt Lulu about that.”

There was no way she could answer the question for them, but since they were already attending the family banquet, it was rather clear.

“Okay.” Lana agreed.

Then, she looked at the duo of Lulu and June, and said,” Aunt June…”

But before she could finish her sentence, Nolan interrupted,” You better not ask. They might still be our aunts now, but once you ask, they might not be our aunts anymore.”

“Eh, why?” Lana was a bit confused. ‘Are they or are they not? I

“To put it simply, just don’t ask anything regarding our uncles ‘ personal lives.” Nolan lectured Lana with a mature look on his face.

The innocent conversation between the two children caused everyone to burst into laughter, and the tension in the atmosphere instantly eased.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s go and take a seat,” Gloria called out to everyone.

“Sure.” They all agreed, whereupon the entire family moved to the dining room.

After everyone had taken their seats, the dining room became lively.

“June, Lulu, please don’t be strangers. Treat this place as your own home.” Gloria said, welcoming June and Lulu warmly.

“Thank you, Mrs. Riddle,” the two of them responded politely.

“There’s no need for formalities.” Gloria smirked and turned to Spencer and Samuel. “Take good care of them.”

In turn, Spencer and Samuel nodded and said, “Got it, Mom.”

“Sally and Jane? Eat up too.” Gloria looked at her two daughters-in-law.

“Mom, you should go ahead and help yourself. We can take care of ourselves.” Jane and Sally responded.

“Sally, Jane, this is the first time I’ve had a meal together with you since I’ve returned.” Nicole looked at the two of them with a smile and a nod as a greeting.

“Yes, we ll be coming back more often from now on,” Sally said, smiling at Nicole.

She did not say continue the conversation, as Steve had already informed her about Nicole’s amnesia.

She figured that there was no need to dwell in the past. For everyone in the Riddle family, Nicole’s return was already more than enough.