Ch. 3096..3100: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 3096-3100

Chapter 3096

The younger adults gradually joined the kids' area, drawn by the infectious laughter and joyous sounds.

Preston and Ellar quickly became one with the children, engaging in a lively game of hide-and-seek.

With a cloth covering his eyes, Ellar tried to catch the others within a set boundary.

Sean and Jane leaned against each other, watching everyone play with joy. Sally snuggled in Steve's

embrace, her hand on her abdomen. "Steve, our child will be like them too, right?"

"Yes, they’ll be just as happy and joyful," Steve replied, kissing Sally lightly on the temple.

Sally blushed, smiling shyly, her cheeks flushing.

Spencer, Lulu, Samuel, and June stood with Nicole and Jared, watching Nolan and Lana with

amusement.

"Looks like they're having a blast today,’ Spencer said.

"Yeah, they seem really happy," Samuel added.

Lulu nodded, smiling. "This is probably the happiest they've been since they got back.’

Nicole smiled warmly. "It's been a great day, hasn't it?"

Jared squeezed Nicole's hand gently. ' And there will be many more to come."

Nicole looked up at Jared, her happiness evident.

After a big dinner, the kids' families arrived to take them home.

Maximillian and Benjamin left, and Dillon and Karen said, "We're heading out too. Don't forget to visit

Dad at the Riddle family manor when you can."

"We won't," Dexter and Daniel promised.

Karen turned to Gloria and Emma. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"We should definitely meet up for tea sometime," Emma suggested.

"Sounds wonderful. I'll be looking forward to it,” Karen said, feeling warmly welcomed.

After Dillon and Karen left, Dexter's family also said their goodbyes. With most of the guests gone, the

remaining few began to prepare to depart.

"Goodbye," Nolan and Lana said politely.

"See you later!" Sean, Jane, Steve, and Sally replied cheerfully.

Once they had all gotten into their cars and driven off, Spencer, Samuel, Lulu, and June also departed.

"I'll take Mrs. Wallace Sr. back to rest now," Tia said after bidding goodbye to Daniel, Gloria, and the

others, ready to wheel Mrs. Wallace Sr. away.

"I’ll walk you out," Stanley offered, stepping forward to escort them.

The lively living room quickly grew quiet.

Nicole, holding Nolan and Lana's hands, said, "Let's go open some presents now."

"Yay!" Lana exclaimed eagerly.

The pile of presents for Lana and Nolan was so large it almost formed a small mountain.

As they reached the pile of gifts, Nicole began opening them with Nolan and Lana.

Halfway through, Nolan noticed an unfamiliar box and asked, "Mommy, who's this gift from?" He didn't

recall receiving it.

After a glance, Nicole picked up the box and another box from the pile and handed one to each child.

"These are from Lawrence."

"Godpa!" Both Nolan and Lana were surprised, instinctively looking around.

Chapter 3097

"He didn't come, but he prepared gifts for you," Nicole explained.

"Oh.” Nolan's gaze returned from the window to the box in his hands, his expression hesitant.

Nicole touched his head gently. 'You can choose to open it or not.”

It was clear that Nolan was still somewhat resistant, likely still upset about Lawrence's actions from

before.

"Let's open it and see," Jared's voice chimed in.

Nolan looked up at Jared, murmuring, "Dad, I..."

"It's okay. It's a birthday gift he sent you, and I think it's something you'll like, " Jared said softly.

After all, Lawrence knew Nolan and Lana well, so the gifts he chose were surely ones they'd enjoy.

Jared could sense Nolan's uncertainty and inner struggle; it's tough for anyone to accept being used by

someone they trusted, especially for a child.

But Nolan's emotions for Lawrence were genuine, as was the care Lawrence had shown him, which

probably made Nolan's inner turmoil even more complicated.

Nolan hesitated to open the gift box, sensing that it held something he had wished for a long time.

Nicole, noticing Nolan's hesitation, gently urged him, "Go on, open it."

After a moment's pause, Nolan nodded. "Alright."

Nolan opened the box at last, his expression a blend of emotions as he gazed at the gift inside.

Watching Nolan, Lana decided to open her gift too.

Over the years, Lawrence had always sent them birthday presents they adored, and Lana was sure

this time would be no different. However, the excitement she once felt was now tempered by a complex

mix of emotions.

"Mommy, thank Godpa for me tomorrow," Lana said softly after closing her gift box, looking up at

Nicole.

"I've already thanked him for you," Nicole replied with a relieved smile, noticing the maturity in her

children.

After unwrapping the rest of their gifts, Nolan and Lana found themselves with quite a collection.

"Are you happy with your presents?" Gloria and Daniel, standing nearby, asked with a smile as they

watched Nolan and Lana.

"Yes," Nolan and Lana replied. They could feel the love and consideration behind each gift, tailored to

their likes and interests.

"That's great to hear," Gloria said warmly. "I'll have someone take the gifts to your rooms. It's getting

late; you two should go to bed."

"Okay," Nolan and Lana agreed, trailing after Nicole and Jared as they headed upstairs.

After instructing the butler to move the gifts to Nolan and Lana's rooms, Gloria and Daniel also called it

a night.

In his room, surrounded by the gifts now occupying his space, Nolan hesitated briefly before deciding

to turn on his computer.

Nicole, understanding Nolan's intentions, didn't interfere. Instead, she quietly helped him organize the

gifts, placing them in their proper places around the room.

Once the computer was up and running, Nolan composed a message to Lawrence, politely expressing

his gratitude.

To his surprise, Lawrence responded promptly: [Is the birthday party over?]

Feeling uncertainty, Nolan replied: [Yes, it's done.]

Lawrence followed up: [Getting ready for bed, then?]

Nolan typed back: [Yeah.]

Sensing Nolan's distant tone, Lawrence sent another message: [The gifts are a way for me to show my

love for you both. I hope you and Lana are staying healthy and happy.] 1

Nolan responded: [Thank you, we're doing okay.]

Chapter 3098

[Alright then. Get some rest.] [Goodbye.]

After signing off, Nolan stepped away from the computer desk. Catching Nicole's gaze, he said

somewhat awkwardly, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Sure thing," Nicole replied with a smile, finding her son's sudden bashfulness endearing.

Once Nolan had finished his shower and climbed into bed, Nicole made sure he was tucked in before

switching off the light and leaving the room.

Lying in bed, Nolan gazed into the darkness of his room. His eyes, glimmering faintly in the dimness,

held a whirlwind of emotions that gradually settled into peace. There were many things he didn't fully

understand yet, but he found solace in knowing that his mother was always there for him, and in that,

her decisions were his as well.

****

Meanwhile, Lawrence sat staring blankly at his computer screen.

"Sir, Nolan has logged off," Ian murmured softly, breaking the silence that had enveloped Lawrence.

Snapped back to reality, Lawrence glanced at Ian. "You can go now."

"Yes, sir," Ian replied, then quietly exited the room.

Lawrence leaned back in his chair, his expression turning more contemplative.

He felt somewhat taken aback by Nolan's message of gratitude, but the polite yet distant tone stung. It

seemed that things truly couldn't go back to

how they were before.

Deciding to bide his time, Lawrence resolved to wait for the opportunity to bring the kids back to

Crescent Island, hoping for a chance to mend their relationship.

His gaze hardened as he thought of Everett. 'He's achieved nothing since his return. Perhaps it's time

to offer him some assistance.'

****

Back at the Riddle residence, after Nolan and Lana had gone to bed, Nicole and Jared retired to their

own room.

"The kids seemed really happy today. The birthday party was definitely worth it," Nicole remarked with

a satisfied smile. It had been a success; everyone was joyful, especially the children.

"Mm-hmm," Jared responded quietly.

Nicole raised an eyebrow at Jared. "So, what are your thoughts on Rami?" She remembered Jared had

been keeping an eye on him.

Rami, as Lana described him, was quite robust and indeed seemed very caring toward Lana.

To Nicole, it seemed like nothing more than innocent childhood friendship. Seeing Jared acting as

though someone might steal his precious daughter made Nicole want to laugh.

Noticing Nicole's amused expression, Jared lightly tapped her forehead, saying, "She's your daughter

too." He wondered, 'Doesn't she feel any concern, even a little?'

Nicole pouted and rubbed her forehead. ’I do care for our daughter. But they are really too young for

you to start worrying about this now.

"How are we supposed to live our future days?

"Do you plan to keep Lana locked up at home or have her by our side all the time?"

Jared sighed, clearly understanding that such an approach wasn't practical.

Nicole, wrapping her arm around Jared's, reassured him, "Relax, we also have Nolan, and he will look

out for Lana."

"Nolan can't be there all the time," Jared frowned. While Nolan's presence was reassuring, it wasn't

practical to rely solely on him to watch over Lana constantly.

"If you keep this up, I think you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of worry,” Nicole remarked jokingly.

In Nicole's eyes, Lana was still young, but Lana would grow up, start dating, and eventually marry.

There was no way they could keep Lana from marriage forever. Jared's current behavior hinted at the

challenges Lana’s future boyfriend might face.

Chapter 3099

Glancing at Nicole, Jared awkwardly excused himself. "I'm going to take a shower," he said.

Nicole chuckled softly, amused by his clear devotion as a doting father. She could only imagine the

long road ahead for any boy who fancied Lana, wondering just how exceptional they would have to be

to earn Jared's approval.

The next day dawned bright and sunny.

Nicole arrived at the office as usual. Despite a day's worth of work pressing down, thanks to Nicole and

Lulu's efforts, the workload left for Nicole wasn't overwhelming.

"Ms. Riddle, it's unusually quiet on Everett's end. Could there be something amiss?” Patricia whispered

cautiously.

Nicole's eyes narrowed slightly. Her voice turned cold as she said, "Keep an eye on him."

It seemed out of character for Everett to stay quiet; Nicole felt there had to be something brewing. After

the recent events, Everett would likely be more cautious, making him harder to deal with.

"Got it," Patricia replied.

"Nicole, do you think Everett will target our company directly next?" Lulu asked, frowning. They had

already dealt with issues at several Riddle Corporation subsidiaries, so it seemed unlikely he would go

after them again.

Nicole shook her head. "It's hard to say at this point."

"He's such a troublemaker," Lulu muttered, clearly frustrated.

Patricia tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, he's not someone we should be afraid of."

She thought to herself, 'Besides, as Ms. Riddle said, the more restless Everett gets, the better our

chances of catching him in the act, hopefully leading to his capture soon.'

"It's just frustrating that he's always causing problems. I'm tired of dealing with him, but we have to stay

vigilant," Lulu complained, gritting her teeth.

Nicole couldn't help but chuckle at Lulu's words. "Then let's not think about it and focus on our own

tasks."

"Ms. Riddle, I'll be heading out then," Patricia nodded.

"Alright," Nicole responded.

Lulu excused herself as well and followed Patricia out.

"Why didn't you go yesterday?" Lulu asked Patricia, referring to Nolan and Lana's birthday party.

Understanding Lulu meant the birthday party, Patricia explained, "It was a family gathering, and it

wouldn’t have been appropriate for me to attend. But I did send gifts."

"Oh, come on, you're practically family to US," Lulu said, patting Patricia on the shoulder with a smile.

Patricia just smiled back instead of commenting further.

"It was quite lively yesterday. The unmarried ones got the marriage talk again, especially Ellar. It seems

his mother is really desperate," Lulu said, glancing at Patricia.

Patricia's expression stiffened for a moment before she tried to appear calm. "That's good to hear."

"We also think it's about time for Ellar to settle down." Lulu lamented dramatically, "It's such a pity."

"A pity about what?" Patricia looked at Lulu, puzzled and a bit concerned.

Lulu secretly snickered inside but put on a worried face. "It's a pity Ellar himself isn't willing."

"Not willing to do what?" Patricia was confused, prompting further explanation. She wondered, 'Is it

about his parents trying to find a girlfriend for him, and he isn’t interested?’

Lulu shook her head as if resigned. "Ellar is not interested in finding a girlfriend right now."

After saying that, Lulu blinked her eyes at Patricia, who was momentarily stunned before realizing she

had been teased by Lulu.

Chapter 3100

Biting her lip, Patricia left with a slightly awkward demeanor, muttering, '■ I’m off to work."

Watching Patricia’s hurried departure, Lulu couldn't help but laugh. She could see that Patricia clearly

cared a lot, yet Patricia pretended to be indifferent.

Back in her office, Patricia leaned against the door, biting her lip in embarrassment. It seemed her

feelings had been inadvertently revealed; she did care about Ellar and wanted to know about him,

concerned for his well-being.

****

Meanwhile, at BayCorp, "Achoo!" Ellar sneezed loudly and rubbed his nose. "Did I catch a cold?"

He glanced at the air conditioning; the temperature was fine.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door, and Ellar responded, "Come in."

His assistant entered with a serious expression. "Mr. Riddle, that car is back at the front of our office

building again."

"Again?!" Ellar clenched his teeth, his expression darkening.

The car had been showing up for three days straight now. There was always someone inside, but they

just parked there without doing anything specific.

At first, Ellar thought it might be surveillance, but the more he watched, the less it made sense. He

wondered if someone was waiting for an opportunity to strike at BayCorp again.

"Mr. Riddle, what should we do? Should we ask Ms. Riddle for help?" the assistant inquired.

Ellar shook his head. "Not yet. We can't bother Nicole with every little thing. " Especially since the

situation was still unclear, and everything was based on his speculation. Plus, he should try to handle it

himself before relying on others, if possible.

"What should we do, then?" the assistant asked again.

After a moment's thought, Ellar decided, "Have someone watch them discreetly. Let's give them a

chance and see what they're really up to."

"Understood," the assistant agreed before leaving the room.

Leaning back in his chair, Ellar clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with determination. He was resolved

to find out who was behind this and what their intentions were.

After a busy day, Ellar left BayCorp.

The car that had been parked in front of the company remained unmoved. Ellar's assistant whispered,

"Don't worry, everything's arranged."

"Let's go home," Ellar said, choosing not to dwell on it any further as he departed.

Upon arriving home, Ellar called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm back," as he entered.

He noticed a girl he hadn't seen before in the living room, alongside his parents.

Smiling awkwardly and lowering his voice, he remarked, "Oh, we have a guest here."

"Yes, come here," Emma beckoned him over.

Approaching the couch, Ellar glanced at the girl and said, "You guys

continue your chat, I'll head to my room."

Emma, displeased, grabbed him, insisting, "Sit down."

"Is there something?" Ellar asked, puzzled. Even though there was a guest, he didn't know her, so he

didn't see the need to stay.

With an inward roll of her eyes, Emma forcefully seated Ellar and said," This is Doretta, your distant

cousin."

"My cousin? From your side of the family?" Ellar looked puzzled. "Why didn't Grandma ever mention

her?"

"Oh, she is indeed from my side of the family, but you two aren't related by blood," Emma clarified.

"So, why is she here?" Ellar asked, despite not wanting to delve too deeply.

"Doretta will be staying with US for a while until she finds a job and a place of her own," Emma

explained.