Ch. 2746..2750: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 2746-2750
Chapter 2746
“Oh, you’re at home,” Gloria was surprised when she saw Jared and Nicole walking down the flight of stairs with the kids.
She waved to the kids and said, “Come to Grandma!”
“Grandma!” Nolan and Lana responded, and sprinted toward Gloria.
Nicole and Jared soon caught up and sat down on the couch next to Gloria.
“Dad? Mom? Did you guys visit Grandpa?”
“Yes, we just came back from his place. Your grandfather wanted to have dinner with us, but we’ve declined his invitation. We wanted to come back and have dinner with you,” Daniel explained.
“Is Grandpa alright?” Nicole asked with concern.
‘He’s fine. But it’s taking quite some time for him to let go of things,” Daniel sighed.
This was inevitable. Fortunately for them, Benjamin’s current condition was relatively stable, which was a relief to them.
“It will get better with time,” Nicole reassured, knowing her parents were worried for Benjamin.
Fortunately, the old man had done his best to remain composed and rational.
Although he was understandably sad and disappointed, all these feelings would eventually pass.
“Oh, everyone’s around,” Stanley called out, startled to see everyone gathered in the living room.
“We just came back too,” Gloria said. “Come on over. We’re starting dinner soon.”
“Okay,” Stanley complied, though he felt a tad anxious as he had an inkling that this might be a setup for a family meeting.
He sat down, ill at ease, at the dinner table without daring to make a noise. He was afraid of drawing attention to himself and being interrogated about the news. To his surprise, however, no one asked him about it. This perplexed him, and the silence only added to his unease.
Even during dinner, no one asked Stanley about the news, leaving him completely puzzled by the lack of curiosity from his family. He was unnerved by their treatment of him even after he had returned to his room for the night, Sitting on the bed, Stanley began to ponder about the strangeness of the situation.
All of a sudden, he heard three knocks on the door, which startled him, as he knew there was no escaping the conversation at this point.
“Come in,” Stanley sighed, as he began to accept the inevitable.
The door swung open, revealing Nicole, who caught him by surprise. “Why are you here?”
“Who else would you want here?” Nicole retorted, rolling her eyes.
“I thought it was Mom,” Stanley admitted.
Seeing that Stanley was visibly relaxed now, Nicole mockingly asked, “Feeling guilty much?”
“It’s not that. I just don’t know how to explain the situation to Mom,” Stanley replied in defeat.
Then, Nicole sat down and solemnly asked, “Are there any problems between you and Cherry?”
“Huh?” Stanley asked in confusion. “Why would you say that? Oh my, what do you know!?”
After hearing what Nicole said, Stanley figured that she was already aware of his situation and was just here to confirm it.
“I know a little, but I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing,” Nicole replied, and looked him in the eye, Stanley paused, knowing that Nicole might indeed know something.
Not wanting to beat around the bush, Nicole revealed, “I saw Cherry with a dude earlier this afternoon. They seemed to be as thick as thieves.”
Nicole paused after telling him what she had seen; she knew Stanley would catch the drift.
“Ugh,” Stanley sighed. “So you found out. Okay, how do I put this? Cherry actually has a boyfriend, but her family disapproves of their relationship. They don’t think he is up to par with her. Because of this, they kept setting her up with other men. She has been rejecting every single one of them, until she met me,”
Stanley explained, revealing the truth.
Chapter 2747
“What’s she up to?” Nicole frowned. ‘Is Cherry using Stanley as a shield?’ “It’s just a deal between us. She’s getting her visa. But there are some problems causing the delay,” Stanley admitted, relieved after sharing his dirt with Nicole.
Nodding, Nicole instantly understood Cherry’s plan, as well as Stanley’s. “You’re using her to stop the inflow of dates Mom’s setting up for you?”
“You can say that, but you’re not entirely correct,” Stanley replied.
“What do you mean by not entirely?” Nicole asked, becoming even more confused.
It was obvious that Cherry was using Stanley as a smokescreen to lull her family into a false sense of security until her visa was approved. After that, she would leave the country with her real boyfriend.
However, Nicole could still not figure out Stanley’s motive in this deal. Once Cherry had left, his family would still pressure him into getting married. This much would be true.
“She’s helping me,” Stanley murmured. ’It’s between Tia and I.”
“You and Tia?” Nicole asked, her eyes widening in surprise.’ What’s the situation between Stanley and Tia?’ “All along, Tia had someone she liked. I could only look out for her without crossing any lines. But then, Cherry told me that Tia does care about me, so here I am, fighting for myself,” Stanley explained.
If Tia did care about him, Stanley would do all he could for a chance to be with her.
“So your way of fighting for a chance at love is by getting yourself a false girlfriend? And not to mention, you even acted all lovey-dovey in front of Tia,”
Nicole reprimanded.
“Cherry said it would affect Tia. The idea is that, if Tia really does care about me, she won’t remain indifferent,” Stanley explained.
However, he did not want to act in front of Tia, so he did his best to avoid getting too close to Cherry.
Nicole now understood the situation. Cherry’s drastic change in personality made sense to her now. It was all done to make Tia suffer and feel heartbroken for Stanley.
Rolling her eyes at Stanley, Nicole scolded, “Aren’t you afraid of messing things up for the both of you?!”
If Tia did not react as they expected and sincerely congratulated them for their relationship, Stanley would be left with nothing.
“Even if Tia doesn’t act the way we’ve hoped, Cherry will leave eventually,”
Stanley whispered. In his view, that ending would be a failure.
He would still end up alone after Cherry was out of the picture. However, it was not a loss for Stanley. After all, he could take solace in knowing he had tried and fought for a chance at love. Being met with an undesirable outcome was better than not trying at all. At the very least, it would not be something he would regret.
“I have nothing to say,” Nicole replied in frustration. “How are you sure that Tia has someone she likes?”
“I have known it for a long time now. They didn’t talk much, but Tia gives him special treatment,” Stanley said with a halfsmile.
“Whatever, I’m done talking to you. You deserve nothing but the worst in love,”
Nicole said, before storming out of the room.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Stanley was left bewildered.
He could not understand what he had done wrong to warrant such a reaction from Nicole.
‘Have I made a mistake by striking a deal with Cherry? Did it hurt Tia in any way?’ Stanley’s face blanched as he came to the realization that he might have made a grave mistake.
Nicole was speechless as she came out of Stanley’s room. She was both helpless and disappointed as she returned to her room.
She figured that Jared was accompanying the kids upon noticing his absence in the room, so she sat at the bedside.
Unintentionally, her mind kept bringing her back to Stanley’s situation. It was apparent at this point that the relationship between Stanley and Cherry was merely a collaboration, a mutual assistance of sorts.
Cherry was indeed clever to have sought help from Stanley. If she ran off with her boyfriend in the near future, the Jean family would not be able to fault Stanley for it. They would not even dare to create a scene at the Riddle family manor, and even if they did, Stanley could always defend himself by saying that he was a victim in this incident too.
“That’s one hell of a plan. So that’s how she knew that has feelings for Stanley,”
Nicole mumbled.
Chapter 2748
Nicole then wondered, ‘I guess only Stanley with his thick skull would think Tia has feelings for someone. How could he not notice that Tia has no men around her?’ “What are you thinking about?” Jared’s voice blared out from behind her.
Looking up, Nicole asked, “Are the kids asleep?”
“Yeah,” Jared replied, and sat down next to Nicole.
He held her hand, and went on to ask, “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. What’s going on?”
“Ugh.” Nicole sighed, and she proceeded to tell Jared about Stanley and Cherry’s situation.
After hearing her out, he calmly replied, “They didn’t look like a couple at all.”
“How did you notice?” Nicole frowned, puzzled that the situation had gone unnoticed by her.
“They look like friends, or even siblings. Compare them to Samuel and Spencer.
You’ll see what I’m talking about,” Jared explained, shrugging his shoulders.
And indeed, he knew full well how couples interacted in contrast with how siblings and friends did.
After thinking about it for a moment, she agreed. “Hey, if you put it that way, they do seem rather different.”
“Forget about them. It’s none of your business,” Jared pulled Nicole up. “Let’s wash up and get ready for bed.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Nicole replied, and headed to the bathroom.
As for Stanley’s predicament, Nicole believed that he would think it over himself, especially after their last conversation. Whatever decision Stanley made in the end would be entirely up to him.
The next day, Nicole started her morning, fresh and energetic.
When Nicole arrived at the Riddle Corporation, she was stopped by Lulu, who came over as if she was hiding something precious from everyone around her.
“There’s good news.”
“Well, what good news do you have for me?” Nicole smiled.
“It’s about BayCorp. Stanley has handed the bidding documents in. All we need to do now is wait for the results,” Lulu informed.
She then waved another set of papers in her hand, and added, “Oh and this.”
“What’s that?” Nicole asked.
“Let’s talk inside,” Lulu said.
She then linked her arm around Nicole’s and led her into the office.
“Okay. But why the mystery? Is it about the Ellison Group?”
Nicole chuckled.
As expected, Nicole’s guess was correct, and Lulu pouted in defeat. “Don’t be such a smartass, could you?”
“Hah, your glee was a dead giveaway,” Nicole explained.
She could think of no reason other than Harvey’s downfall as Lulu’s source of joy at the moment.
“You’re right. I bagged the collaboration project,” Lulu bragged.
She then handed the document to Nicole. “Do you know how big of a deal this is? They originally wanted to partner with Ellison Group. Well, too bad, because I snatched the deal!”
“You got it fair and square. It’s not snatching,” Nicole corrected.
The two exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
“I’m in the process of claiming two other projects. After I get both of them, it will surely give Harvey a shock. He will regret his arrogance. Man, he sure does like to throw his weight around,” Lulu said indignantly.
Chapter 2749
If Harvey was not so obsessed with ruining Nicole’s life and flexing, they would not have gotten a chance to make a move.
“But it’s best for you to be more careful. Harvey is still capable of pulling tricks.”
Nicole advised.
“Don’t worry. I got it.” Lulu replied solemnly.
“Yeah.” Nicole nodded.
She would always have faith in Lulu, but she figured that she should still offer her some advice.
After a slight pause, Lulu lowered her voice, “Oh right, there’s another thing.
Harvey seems to be in contact with Thomas recently. I’m not sure what he is up to now again.”
“Thomas?” Nicole frowned.
Thomas had been undergoing treatment abroad, and he seemed to be doing well, so it was strange that Harvey would contact him out of the blue.
“That’s right. Do you think he’s planning something? I mean, he had never seemed to care about Thomas in the past.” Lulu said.
“It’s possible.” Nicole agreed.
Indeed, Harvey’s sudden attention for Thomas had made it obvious that he had a motive.
The only question was, what was Harvey planning to do? Was he planning to use Thomas to blackmail Nicole? If that was the case, it would not work on her.
After all, this was the main reason as to why Thomas was sent away.
“Should we inform Thomas?” Lulu suggested, feeling a need to be cautious.
“Let’s put it on hold for now. I believe Thomas will be able to handle it.” Nicole shook her head.
She did not want to get involved with every single thing concerning Thomas. At the end of the day, he was a grown man. He should be able to look out for himself and formulate his own judgments about the issues around him.
“Alright then.”
Upon hearing that, Lulu decided to let it rest. If that was the case, they should let Thomas handle everything on his own.
The only thing they had to do now was to exert great pressure onto Harvey in hopes that he would learn who he should not be messing with. That way, he would learn to stay in his lane. As long as Harvey kept his grubby hands off of them, Nicole would be free from having to worry about him.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work now.” Lulu nodded and exited the room.
Nicole flipped through the document she had on her and smiled. She had a gut feeling that something great was about to happen.
Meanwhile, in the executive office of Ellison Group, Harvey was staring at his phone with a blank look on his face.
Thomas had actually hung up on him. In fact, Thomas did not seem to want anything to do with him.
‘Was my suggestion a terrible one to begin with? If he’s willing to work with me, I might even consider taking care of his retirement,’ Harvey thought.
‘On top of that, Nicole will be his granddaughter-in-law if we were to succeed.
What is Grandpa not happy with? He has favored Nicole all this while, hasn’t he?’ “Sir, what do we do now that your grandfather has refused to work with us?”
Lewis asked Harvey softly.
Harvey glanced at Lewis and replied, “If he doesn’t agree to it, I’ll think of another way.”
It was hard to believe that Harvey would give up on his plan just because Thomas had decided not to get involved.
“Sir, I heard that Damien is the only one left in his side of the family. Why don’t we work with him?” Lewis suggested.
“For God’s sake! The Riddles are useless!” he bellowed.
It would be an absolute waste of time to work with them.
“All I want is to defeat Nicole. I have plenty of ideas to achieve it.” Harvey raised his eyebrows happily.
It would be stupid for anyone to think that Harvey had run out of ideas just because his grandfather had opted not to participate.
“So, what should we do now?” Lewis asked with caution.
“I’ll give Nicole whatever she cares for the most. Do you think she will sit still when I do?” Harvey asked, and gave Lewis a meaningful glance.
One of the things Nicole cared for the most was Riddle Corporation. Therefore, Harvey had decided that Ellison Group should forge even more partnerships with her on several more fronts. The more
partnerships they had, the harder it would be for them to split their benefits. This would also mean that they would be inseparable.
Once the Riddle Corporation and Ellison Group were intertwined, it would be impossible for Nicole and Harvey to be separated.
Chapter 2750
Harvey was brimming with happiness as he whispered to Lewis, “You may start preparing…”
“Understood,” Lewis whirled around and walked out of the office.
Harvey then grinned as if he was anticipating something grand and sinister.
On the other end, Thomas was staring at his phone with a heavy heart.
He did turn down Harvey’s suggestion, but for some reason, he was still riddled with feelings of unease. Based on his understanding of his grandson, Harvey was not the kind who would give up until he had gotten what he wanted.
Therefore, Thomas was genuinely worried about him.
Previously, he had gone toe-to-toe with Jared over Nicole, which ended up with Harvey losing.
In a way, Nicole’s disappearance was a blessing in disguise in that it had gotten Harvey to quit messing with the Riddles. Had that not been the case, there would be no telling if Ellison Group would still exist today. At this point, Thomas could not help but wonder what had given Harvey the balls and the confidence to take on Nicole and Jared.
If Harvey persisted, his fate would be sealed. Therefore, Thomas was veryconcerned.
“For God’s sake, Harvey.” Thomas sighed.
“Sir, Ms. Riddle will take care of it. You should just get some rest and have your peace of mind,” his caretaker comforted.
Thomas shot her a glance and nodded. “I know. I just feel annoyed by it.”
The caretaker in question was also someone Nicole had assigned to tend to him. Therefore, Thomas did not have to keep quiet about that which concerned the both of them. In fact, the caretaker had a great deal of knowledge about what was going on.
Furthermore, it was also thanks to the caretaker’s company that life abroad was not as boring for Thomas. At the very least, Thomas had someone to talk to whenever he had something in his mind.
“Let’s head back now,” Thomas decided.
“Are you sure you’ve thought it through?” the caretaker asked, still wanting to persuade Thomas to stay.
Nicole had the same idea as well. She did not want Thomas to get himself caught in the crossfire.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates…
“Yes. Perhaps, I am at fault for how things have turned out.”
Had Thomas not allowed Harvey to be incorrigible, things would not have ended up the way it was.
Sometimes, the one who had made the mess was the only one who could clean it up or undo it. Perhaps it was necessary for Thomas to step in and intervene just so that
all of this nonsense could finally end.
The caretaker looked at Thomas, thinking of persuading him out of getting into the fray. However, Thomas seemed determined, so she gave up before she could say a word.
“I’d like to take a nap.” Thomas said, his breathing labored.
One could tell that he was in a bad mood.
“Alright,” she laid Thomas down.
Then, she made sure he was fast asleep before stepping out.
A weight seemed to have lifted from his chest after he had made the decision, so he fell asleep rather quickly.
Back at San Joto, it was already lunch hour.
As Nicole was getting ready to head out to grab a bite, her phone rang.
It was an unknown number, so Nicole was cautious when she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Ms. Riddle? I’m Cindy Rowe. Do you remember me?” a crisp and clear female voice greeted.
“Cindy Rowe?” Nicole paused for a moment to recall who it was. “Right. I remember now. You’re Martin’s research partner.”
Cindy laughed and replied, “Thank you for remembering me. Can I ask you out for lunch?”
“Anything I can help you with?” Nicole asked, confused as to why Cindy would invite her for lunch out of the blue.
“I need your advice on something.” Cindy answered candidly.
Nicole hesitated for a moment. After all, they were not close, and had only spoken to each other for less than a minute the last time they met.