Ch. 2756..2760: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 2756-2760
Chapter 2756
Cherry, who had linked arms with Gloria, happily chirped, “I’ll go over and visit her after we’ve eaten dinner.”
Cherry had taken a fond liking for Gloria, in spite of knowing that she would not be with Stanley. She envied him for having such an amazing mother, and if anything, Cherry actually felt at home under Gloria’s wing.
Ever since they met over a blind date that Gloria had set them up on, Stanley had made it clear to her; they would not progress beyond a relationship which Cherry could be on board with.
On the other hand, Cherry loathed her family for setting her up on blind dates without her consent. She did not want anyone to interfere with who she wanted to be with. She had, for the longest time, been standing her ground and protesting that she was old enough to make her own decisions.
At the dinner table, everyone chatted with one another happily. However, once the meal was almost over, Cherry slipped away to look for Tia. Nicole, who noticed this, shot Stanley a look of concern at once.
Stanley shook his head at Nicole as a response. He knew that Cherry and Tia were not fighting over him and that Cherry was a compassionate person who would not look down on or asperse others. Above all, he knew Cherry’s intentions very well and thus, decided to let them talk it out on their own.
With her family urging her to get married as soon as possible, Cherry had been left with no choice but to leave. She was left with no choice but to flee and leave behind all she had known.
Nicole eyed the smug look on Stanley’s face, and suddenly, something occurred to her, causing her to drop the idea of telling him off. ‘Perhaps he has already gotten things figured out and doesn’t want to use his and Cherry’s relationship as a coverup for his true feelings anymore. But then again, Cherry could be the one trying to tie them both down. It would be an uphill battle to make a man stay when his
heart is already somewhere else.’ “Mom, Dad. We’ll head upstairs now. Get Stanley to send Cherry back later,”
Nicole told her parents.
Catching the hint from Nicole, Gloria proceeded to warn Stanley. “Yeah, make sure you send her home safe and sound.
“Yes, Mom!” Stanley replied.
Everyone then returned to their rooms. With Nicole being one of the last to leave, she gave Stanley a firm look before heading up with Jared and the twins in tow.
‘If I don’t instruct him to send Cherry home, he would just leave her there to go home on his own. I doubt he’s still thinking of Tia,’ Nicole thought.
Meanwhile, at the house in the backyard. Tia was taken aback by the Cherry’s sudden appearance.
“Why do you look so surprised? We’re still friends, aren’t we? ” Cherry asked Tia, who looked well and truly unimpressed.
“Yeah, we are,” Tia awkwardly replied.
Tia did not have any intention of shutting Cherry out. She already had a hard time trying to accept Cherry and Stanley’s relationship as it was., but unfortunately, she had not found the courage to do so. She thought it would be a good idea to have some time to herself and process her feelings slowly.
However, Cherry had cut straight to the chase. “Tia, do you like Stanley?”
Tia’s face flushed, becoming as red as a tomato, and she vigorously shook her head. “Please don’t misunderstand me.
I don’t like him.”
“The more that you deny it, the more I’m convinced you do,” Cherry teased as a smile played out on her face. If you have genuine feelings for him, it means that his efforts aren’t in vain.”
“No, I think you have misunderstood me. Mr. Riddle and I are never getting together, and it’s not what you think it is. He has finally found someone he truly likes, so please cherish what you both have,” Tia panicked.
‘How am I supposed to explain this to Cherry? I don’t want her to misunderstand me. I don’t want to be the cause of their breakup,’ Tia thought.
Chapter 2757
‘For the first time in a long time, he openly announced his relationship with her to his family. For him to do something like that takes a lot of courage. He must’ve thought very highly of her. I don’t want to be the third wheeler here,’ Tia continued.
With an expression of sympathy on her face, Cherry looked at Tia and said, “Tia, have you never once considered that the person you love shares the same feelings for you too?”
It was at that moment that Cherry understood why Tia was so afraid of crossing the line. ‘She cares much more about Stanley than I’ve previously thought.’ Cherry then reflected on how Tia had reacted when she attempted to pair the two of them together. Whenever Cherry tried to create opportunities to bring them both closer together, Tia would crumble into a panicky mess.
‘My efforts have pushed her to the point where she would guard her emotions even more fiercely. I’m afraid that dragging this on in the long run will obliterate whatever feelings they have for one another in the long run,’ Cherry inferred.
It was at that moment that Cherry began blaming her parents again for how things had turned out. ‘I would not have gotten in the way if I knew it was going to mess the both of them up. I wouldn’t have done this if my parents weren’t as pushy as they were.”
Then, an idea suddenly occurred to her, and she reached out to grab Tia’s hand.
“Listen to me, okay? Stanley really likes you and whatever it is that is happening between Stanley and I, it’s all just for show.”
Tia was rendered speechless at an instant. “It’s all…for show?”
What Cherry said had left her in complete disbelief. ‘What is she blabbering about?’ “To be honest, I was just helping Stanley out with a mutual favor for each other…” Cherry began, after which she told
the entire story in full detail to Tia.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Tia asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“Because I’m going to be leaving soon.” Cherry smiled. “I’m going to live abroad with my true love where we will both be free from all that nonsense.”
“So you have a real boyfriend?” Tia asked while struggling to wrap her head around the information Cherry had filled her in on.
She found it difficult to process what Cherry had just told her, and at this point, she could not help but wonder if this was all just a dream.
“Yeah! Why would I lie to you? Stanley has done me a huge favor, and I’ll be damned if I don’t return it. That is why I came here to talk to you about this,”
Cherry explained.
“Oh,” Tia murmured as the realization dawned upon her.
‘If Cherry’s leaving, Stanley and Cherry are not really together. If that’s the case, Stanley and I…,’ Tia trailed off.
“Tia, I’ll have you know that Stanley genuinely cares for you. I’m a hundred percent sure that you have a special place in his heart, but he’s under the impression that you have feelings for someone else. Is that true?” Cherry asked, serious and unsmiling.
‘If Tia has feelings for someone else, why would she be more affectionate to him? And if she does not, then why did Stanley interpret it that way?’ she pondered.
“Huh?” Tia looked at Cherry with her head tilted and her forehead creased.
‘Wait, no… Stanley thought I had feelings for someone else?!’ Having caught a glimpse of Tia’s expression, Cherry immediately understood the situation between them. “To be honest, he’s just a lone wolf who’s gotten too used to doing everything by himself. I won’t be surprised if he grows old alone.”
‘I don’t even know what I should do with him. He’s not even sure about who he likes,’ Cherry thought.
“Actually…it’s not like that,” Tia said in a faint whisper.
In response, Cherry looked at Tia and busted out laughing.” You two really are a match made in heaven.”
‘They truly are two peas in a pod,’ she thought.
Tia’s face became beet red as she went into denial mode again. “No, it’s not like that.”
“Alright, I’ll stop here. You guys should sort this out between yourselves. I’m going to leave in the next few days, so I hope I won’t do anything that’ll make me regret it,” Cherry said as she stood up.
She gave Tia one last look and said, “Tia, I hope that you won’t do anything you’ll regret either.”
Then, she patted Tia on the shoulder before turning around and walking away.
Chapter 2758
Tia sat there in a daze as Cherry left the room.
‘This is a dream, isn’t it? Everything just came rushing out all of a sudden. I can’t believe he doesn’t have a crush or a girlfriend all these whiles. But what did she mean when she said Stanley thinks that I have feelings for someone else? Who else does he think I like?1 Tia pondered.
Tia felt lightheaded as she dragged her feet back to her room. ‘I think I need some time to process all of this information. I can’t think properly anymore.
Seems to me that a lot of things have happened under my nose…’ Meanwhile, Cherry had just made her way to the living room.
And when Stanley saw her coming in, he quickly stood up,” I’ll send you home.”
“Sure!” Cherry chirped and followed him out.
“Stanley, the only person Tia has feelings for is you. You better go ahead and win her heart,” Cherry teased and smiled.
Stanley could not believe what he had just heard, so he gave her a blank stare.
In turn, she simply looked at him and shrugged, “Hey, you should just man up and win her heart!”
Stanley maintained his silence as he got into the car. Cherry went on to ride shotgun and turned to look at him “Hey, come to think of it. I’m actually curious about how you came up with this idea that Tia likes someone else. Like, what is it that made you think of it that way?”
‘This dude has the wealth, the looks, and the brains, but it’s a wonder that even though he’s got everything covered, he’s still so self-conscious,’ she observed.
Meanwhile, Stanley, whose mind was racing, maintained his silence. ‘How could Tia not have someone in her heart? I thought she liked Martin…but how is it possible that she does not have the hots for him?’ Noticing that Stanley was being way too silent, she understood that he was most probably a little too shocked to say anything at this point.
“I’ve done all that I could. We’re even now. I won’t be back for a while, and quite frankly, I feel kind of reluctant leaving you all behind.” She sighed.
Cherry really enjoyed being around the Riddles, and she cherished them deeply.
Eventually, Stanley broke his silence. “You’ll come back eventually.”
“Treat me to a meal before I leave as a parting gift,” she joked.
Stanley nodded seriously. “Sure, no problem. Consider it done!”
“I hope there will be progress between you and Tia the next time I come back,”
Cherry smirked and joked to lighten up the mood.
Stanley nodded faintly, hoping that it would come true. He then ignited the car engine and drove them away from the Riddle residence.
Meanwhile, Nicole had just returned to her room after tucking the twins into bed.
When she heard the engine revving at the garage, she immediately knew that Stanley was sending Cherry home.
“I really did not expect that Stanley would make a deal with Cherry to do something like this,” she muttered as she shook her head.
‘I wonder how Mom and Dad will react when they discover the truth about Stanley and Cherry,’ she thought.
Chapter 2759
Nicole then theorized, ‘If Stanley and Tia had gotten together earlier on, perhaps Mom might have a milder reaction as compared to what she’s dealing with now.’ Jared, who remained uninterested, gently caressed Nicole on the shoulder. “It’s getting late. Let’s head to bed.”
Nicole still had a lot on her mind, as she had been worried sick about Stanley. ‘I guess I’ll leave the rest to him.’ After a slight pause, she looked up at Jared and smiled.” You can take a shower first. I have a call to make.”
Jared immediately understood Nicole’s intent and made his way to the bathroom. “Okay, but don’t take too long.”
Nicole took her phone out and dialed a number that was all too familiar to her now.
Then, Zane’s voice blared out from the speaker. “Nicole?”
There was a tone of surprise as he greeted her.
Suddenly, Nicole felt an overwhelming surge of emotions.” Zane?”
Zane issued a massive sigh of relief at once. “Since you’re calling me right now, this must mean that you remember everything.”
Nicole bit her lip, trying to maintain her composure. “Yeah, I remember everything now.”
In a low and solemn voice, Zane replied, “Welcome back Nicole.”
Zane and everyone else had been worried sick about Nicole. They had been trying to discover her whereabouts for the longest time now, and her phone call to Zane finally lifted the weight off everyone’s shoulders.
Nicole frowned. “Welcome back? Is this supposed to be a signal that I am back in the organization?”
Nicole had fully recovered from her amnesia, and now, it was clear that she was once a member of the Zane Spears Organization.
Hearing that, Zane teased, “I was about to remove you from our organization so that you could lead a peaceful life.”
However, this only confused Nicole. “Didn’t I submit a resignation letter before this?”
Zane busted out laughing at that instant. “You didn’t, but I knew you were preparing to submit one after you got married to Jared Johnston. However, we didn’t think you would get into a plane crash and vanish off the grid for such a longtime.”
Despite Nicole having never mentioned it before, Zane knew that Nicole would have persisted in ensuring her resignation was finalized just so that she could put her family first. Even after the accident, her retirement was imminent.
Nicole going off the grid for nearly five years since the plane crash was something that no one was able to foresee, and while a great deal had happened ever since then, none of them had given up on searching for her.
By the time the Zane Spears Organization got word of her whereabouts, Nicole had returned to San Joto, much to their disbelief. But upon learning that Nicole had suffered from a case of severe memory loss, they had decided to distance themselves from Nicole as a gesture of respect. They did not wish to bother her anymore, allowing her to live the rest of her life in peace instead.
Zane was very thankful that Nicole had returned to her family regardless of the fact that she had lost all of her memories. Either way, he knew she would have resigned.
Naturally, his reply took her aback. ‘I think I did have this idea five years ago, but everything that had happened ever since the incident had spiraled out of control.
No one could have seen that coming.’ “I’m sorry I had everyone worried about me for the past five years,” she apologized. ‘I can’t imagine how hard they’ve worked to find me over the past five years. The amount of efforts they have dedicated to the search effort is just immense.”
“It’s fine. You’re back now, and in one piece too. I think that’s good enough for us.” Zane smiled.
Nicole was suddenly reminded of her friends from the organization, so she asked, “How’s everyone doing?”
In return, Zane assured, “Everyone’s doing fine. Don’t worry about it.”
And after a moment of hesitation, Nicole sighed. “I know I agreed to resign after everything that has happened, so I’ll do so after this.”
Zane paused for a moment before asking, “After this?”
A firm and solemn look crossed Nicole’s face there and then. “I mean, it’s crystal clear at this point that this incident happened because of me. I can’t just sit here and do nothing about it.”
‘Whether I am involved with the Zane Spears Organization or not, one thing is for sure. I can never be left to live in peace!’ She sighed.
Understanding what Nicole meant, Zane asked, “Are you referring to the Eastern Falcon?
Chapter 2760
Nicole was dead serious. “Yeah, I can’t back out now.”
Zane pondered for a moment, whereupon he agreed, “Since we can’t avoid this, we might as well work together once more. However, you don’t need to come over to HQ to do any field work. You can stay where you are now and provide us with intel. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you need help with.”
‘As long as she doesn’t put herself in danger, there shouldn’t be a problem,’ he thought.
Nicole nodded. “Sure, no problem. I’ll handle the side of things here at San Joto and leave the rest to you.”
To that, Zane sternly replied, “Okay.”
‘If the Eastern Falcon is thinking of making a return, we won’t hold ourselves back this time around,’ Zane thought, determined to bring his adversaries down.
Nicole sighed as she hung up and she reminisced about the days when she was still an active member of the organization. Near-death encounters were commonplace back in those days.
Then, Jared came up to Nicole and whispered in her ear,” Have you called?”
Nicole tilted her head and looked at Jared with a smile on her face, “Yeah, I just called.”
Jared gently ran his fingers through Nicole’s hair. “He must’ve pulled all of his hair out worrying about you.”
Nicole nodded in response, “Yeah, I know.”
She could not imagine how terrible Zane must have felt upon learning that she had crashed.
After that, Nicole bit her lip and mumbled, “He said that I can officially resign from my post after we have dealt with the Eastern Falcon.”
Jared saw a flash of reluctance in Nicole’s face, and so, he offered, “You know, if you don’t want to resign, you don’t have to. You don’t need to abandon what you love just because of us. You can keep doing what you enjoy.”
However, Nicole shook her head. “I know I’m reluctant to resign, but sometimes, tough decisions must be made.”
Nicole resonated to herself mentally, ‘I’ve been missing for the past five years, and now, I have a family of my own. I can’t be running around with the organization battling criminals and mercenaries all the time. I guess my exit is the best solution for both parties.’ Jared immediately caught onto what Nicole was trying to tell him, and gave her a back rub. “I want you to know that I’ll be here supporting you every step of the way.”
“Thank you,” she said, her heart skipping a beat.
Jared then looked at Nicole with a soft smile on his face.” Go take a shower and join me in bed.”
Agreeing with Jared’s suggestion, she got up and made her way to the bathroom.
Shortly after, Nicole climbed into bed, wrapped herself in Jared’s arm, and fell asleep with a smile of contentment on her face.
The next day, the sun shone warm and bright as Nicole entered the headquarters of Riddle Corporation.
The instant she placed her belongings down, Lulu came walking into Nicole’s office with a serious look on her face.” Take a look at this.”
Nicole frowned as she grabbed the documents. Lulu’s face, on the other hand, was scrunched up into a sour grimace.
She was completely bewildered by Harvey’s shameless behavior, “Like, what on earth is he doing? Is he dumb or something?”
Nicole furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. “I think it’s because Thomas has rejected his proposal, and it’s driving him nuts.”
“And so?” Lulu snorted.
‘If Thomas has refused to help him, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he’ll go that far to screw with Nicole,’ Lulu thought.
With a sneer on her face, Nicole said, “He really believes that strengthening our ties together will benefit both companies. However, he has not taken into account that it’ll be much harder for us to separate what’s ours and what isn’t.
Lulu blinked and gave Nicole a blank stare before the truth dawned upon her.
“So what you mean is that he’s doing this on purpose to bind both companies together so that you’ll never be separable!”
This made Lulu fuming mad. ‘I do have to give it to him. Such a brilliant idea riddled with so much wishful thinking. He really should know that we aren’t mindless puppets which he could manipulate however he likes.’ “Yeah, I guess you can put it that way.” Nicole sighed. ‘This dude is becoming more juvenile with each passing day.’ Lulu looked at Nicole with a look of impatience written all over her face and asked, “What’s the plan? Are we going to take the upper hand in this situation or?