Ch. 3266..3270: My Wife Is A Hacker Chapter 3266-3270

Chapter 3266

Ian hinted that if the problem took place in San Joto, the only person capable of such a move would likely be Jared.

"It's gotta be him," Lawrence scoffed, his tone icy.

Despite the uncertainty of the situation, the list of people in San Joto with both the ability and the motive to strike against him was short, and Jared's name was at the top.

"Could it be that Jared has discovered something?" Ian pondered, worrying they might have exposed their plan.

Lawrence, deep in thought, suggested, "Or maybe we've been under surveillance without knowing it."

He considered that Jared's precise capture of his men indicated prior knowledge, regretting his own oversight while he was busy with his plans.

"What do we do now?" Ian asked, realizing that if Jared had caught on to their plans, their next moves might be compromised. Plus, with their team missing, their strategy was in shambles. Bringing in new people was risky, especially with Jared possibly watching, and time was not on their side.

Lawrence gritted his teeth, a cold determination in his eyes.

Just then, there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Come in," Lawrence snapped, his tone sharp and impatient.

The secretary entered, looking pale, and said, "Mr. Royce, we have a problem." "What's going on? Give me the details," Ian demanded, frustration evident in his voice.

"The stock price has suddenly dropped, and we don't know why," the secretary said, trailing off.

Ian turned to Lawrence. "I'll look into this, Mr. Royce."

The sudden drop in stock price seemed too suspicious and perfectly timed to be a coincidence.

"Hmm," Lawrence replied calmly, though inside, he was seething. He was certain these events were orchestrated, likely by Jared.

After Ian rushed out, Lawrence sat back, his eyes fixed on the clock. It felt like ages before Ian returned, looking tense. "Mr. Royce, it's bad. We might...

"Spit it out," Lawrence interrupted, sensing Ian's hesitation, his impatience clear.

"Someone's sabotaged US. It's serious. We could be bankrupt in three days, " Ian said, his face drained of color.

The speed of their downfall hinted at a formidable adversary, intent on their destruction.

"Jared Johnston," Lawrence said, his voice deliberate.

He didn't need an investigation to know; he was sure it was Jared.

Jared was pushing him out, forcing him to abandon San Joto and destroying his influence in the city.

"What's our next move? We're running low on options, and the company's in a tailspin," Ian said, his worry palpable. Without a quick fix, their business could collapse, leaving them no choice but to leave San Joto with their tails between their legs.

'We could retreat to Mecrounia, but that would mean giving up on everything Mr. Royce has built here. Would he be okay with that?'

Lawrence glanced at Ian. "Any progress with the investigations?" he asked.

Ian was surprised by the question. 'Why is he focused on that now? We all know Jared's behind it. Whether the investigation finds anything or not doesn't change that.' "This couldn't have been just Jared's doing. Find out who else is involved," Lawrence ordered, his voice calm but with a dangerous edge.

Chapter 3267

Lawrence had made sure to keep tabs on those close to Jared and Nicole, so it seemed unlikely that such significant actions could have happened without his knowledge. He suspected there had been a lapse in the information relayed by his people or an oversight on their part.

Picking up on this, Ian said, i'll get right on it."

After a moment, he cautiously asked, "And what about the company?" "I'll have someone handle it," Lawrence said, his focus on finding any overlooked details.

"Got it," Ian said, then quickly left the room.

As evening approached and people started to head home, Nicole and Jared picked up Nolan and Lana, heading home.

"Mommy, when are Uncle Stanley and Tia coming back?" Lana asked, looking up at Nicole.

Nicole gently tapped Lana's forehead, smiling. "They've only been gone for a week, honey. Already missing them?" "Yes," Lana nodded earnestly.

Nolan glanced at Lana and teased, "You just want the presents they'll bring.

Lana pouted. "No, I really miss Uncle Stanley and Tia." "Sure, sure, whatever you say," Nolan replied, using a playful tone that suggested he was just humoring her.

"Hmph, Nolan's so mean," Lana huffed, pretending to be upset.

Nicole couldn't help but laugh as she watched her two children bickering. Jared picked up Lana, saying, "If you miss Uncle Stanley and Tia, let's give them a call."

Handing the phone to Lana, she eagerly dialed Stanley and Tia, chatting away with a bright smile.

Nolan watched Lana talking affectionately to them, shaking his head like an adult before turning to Nicole. "Mom, have you been really busy with work lately?" "It's manageable. Is something on your mind?" Nicole asked, curious.

"Not really, just noticed there seem to be more documents from Riddle Corporation lately," Nolan mentioned casually.

Nicole was puzzled. "How did you notice an increase in documents?"

Considering Nolan was usually at kindergarten and hadn't visited the company, and Nicole seldom brought work home, it was intriguing how he perceived any increase without her noticing.

"I was a bit bored, so I made a program and embedded it into Riddle Corporation's system to track incoming and outgoing documents. That's how I noticed the increase," Nolan explained. While he didn't delve into the contents, he could see the change in volume.

"I see. But I haven't noticed; maybe your Uncle Sean and the others are just busier," Nicole replied.

"Okay." Nolan didn't press further; his observation was primarily a test of the program he created.

Nicole looked at Nolan with a smile, impressed. "You can create programs on your own now without being detected. That's quite impressive." "Hehe, it's just a basic program. I plan to create something even more impressive later," Nolan boasted, looking up proudly.

He was just getting started; his future programs would be even more sophisticated and varied.

"Absolutely, Nolan will surely achieve that," Nicole affirmed, affectionately tweaking his nose.

Later, they all got back to the Riddle residence.

Chapter 3268

When they arrived, Gloria called everyone for dinner. The house was filled with a cozy, family vibe.

Daniel got right to the point and asked Nicole and Jared, "Did you two cause that change in the stock market?"

Jared answered calmly, "I was behind it," keeping his eyes steady.

Daniel paused, then asked more, "But what exactly went on?"

Jared said, "It was just settling some old business," not giving a full answer but suggesting it was about more than it seemed.

Daniel looked puzzled, trying to connect this to the times Lawrence had helped Nicole but now wondering why things seemed different.

"Dad, it's just work-related issues. Don't worry, competition in business is normal," Nicole interjected, offering a simplified explanation to avoid burdening Daniel with the details.

"Let the kids handle their business. With Nicole, Sean, and Steve there, they've got it under control," Gloria gently advised Daniel, suggesting they avoid discussing work at home to let the children relax.

"Yeah, I was at Dad's today, and we talked about it, so I thought I'd ask," Daniel explained, then reassured Nicole, "We won't talk about work here at home." "Mom, Dad, don't worry. We can handle it," Nicole comforted her parents, soothing their concerns.

"Let's enjoy our dinner," Gloria said with a warm smile, steering the conversation away from business matters.

After dinner, Nicole and Jared spent time with Nolan and Lana, playing with them before tucking them into bed. Once the children were asleep, they retreated to their own room.

"How long do you think Lawrence can hold out regarding the stock price?" Nicole looked up to inquire of Jared.

They were pressuring Lawrence to leave San Joto, but clearly, Lawrence was not someone who would give up easily. He would not be willing to leave.

So, they knew that the most crucial thing now was not to give Lawrence more time but to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Jared looked down at her. His tone carried a hint of determination as he replied, "Three days." "Hmm, Sean and I have already discussed it. We made preliminary preparations today, and tomorrow we can also assist the Johnston Group." She felt that with the involvement of Riddle Corporation, things might go more smoothly.

A gentle look flickered in Jared's eyes as he raised his hand to smooth her hair, saying, "We agreed, no talking about work at home. Let's stop here."

He also hoped that after she returned, she could truly relax.

"Right, no more talking about it." Nicole smiled, and considering the time, it was indeed late and time to rest.

"Let's rest." Jared said, holding her soft hand.

Nicole nodded. "I am a bit tired."

Jared looked down at Nicole and then picked her up. Nicole instinctively wrapped her arms around Jared's neck, saying, "Put me down, I'm not so tired that I can't walk." "Don't move." Jared's eyes were full of tenderness as he spoke softly.

Returning to the bedside, Jared lowered his head to plant a kiss on Nicole's forehead. Before gently setting her down, he gave her another deep, passionate kiss.

****

The next day, Nicole arrived at the company as usual.

"Nicole, here are the documents." Lulu brought in the files.

Nicole glanced up at Lulu and said, "Wait a moment, go and ask Sean, has the company's workload increased a lot recently? Why aren’t we aware of it?" "What work?" Lulu was a bit puzzled.

After explaining what Nolan had told her the previous night, Nicole said," We didn't know, I think maybe Sean and Jane didn't tell US because they were worried we’d be too stressed."

Chapter 3269

"Oh, I'll check it out." Lulu agreed and turned to leave.

After a while, Lulu returned with a complex expression, saying, "Sean said everything is normal. Could there be a problem somewhere?"

Nicole's eyes narrowed slightly. 'There's nothing unusual?' "Ms. Riddle." Patricia entered and, seeing the concerned expressions on Nicole and Lulu, couldn't help but speak cautiously, "What happened?" "Oh, it's just that everything seems normal with the company recently, but Nolan mentioned..." Lulu frowned, "We were wondering if there might be a problem somewhere?"

Patricia's gaze darkened at Lulu's words. She turned to Nicole, "Ms. Riddle, could it be Lawrence?"

Although she had no evidence and it was merely a guess, now, anything related to Nicole made her think of Lawrence first.

"What do you mean?" Lulu was a bit confused. How could Riddle Corporation's matters be related to Lawrence?

"Check it out." Nicole instructed Patricia with a slight frown.

"Yes." Patricia acknowledged and left.

Lulu looked bewilderingly at Nicole. "What's actually going on?" "It might be that someone has tampered with our company's office system.

" Nicole explained.

"How is that possible? Could someone have breached the firewall you set up?" Lulu expressed her disbelief.

"The firewalls are there for some crucial confidential files, but some departments have their own local networks for convenience. It's possible someone exploited this to gain access," Nicole spoke gravely.

It was also because of this that Lawrence might find an opportunity, and they might not notice it in time.

"Oh, so Nolan's program was in the local networks too. I thought Nolan was so good he got past your firewall, or maybe you helped him."

Lulu then had a moment of realization, her expression growing more serious.

She added, "If it really is Lawrence, what is he trying to do? After all, those aren't exactly secret projects, are they?"

Even if he learned some details about the various departments' work or even their secrets, it shouldn't be enough to deal a fatal blow to Riddle Corporation.

But then, what would be the point of Lawrence doing this? Why would he bother?

Nicole's eyes darkened slightly as she said, "Let's wait for Patricia to get back." She thought that all these were just speculations at this point, so they needed to wait for Patricia to return with the investigation results.

"Hmm." Lulu sighed, her voice tinged with gloom.

It felt like a long wait before Patricia finally returned.

"Ms. Riddle, I found something." Patricia placed a document in front of Nicole, saying, "These are the real IP addresses of those dummy data, and they all indeed trace back to Lawrence." "What's he doing

creating all that fake data?" Lulu muttered in frustration.

"It's not entirely fake. While it is dummy data, they could still extract some information about our company from it. I think he might be preparing to make a move against Riddle Corporation," Patricia explained.

Nicole's voice carried a hint of chill as she said, "It seems likely." "Moreover, we discovered that if it weren't for the sudden stock price issue at Lawrence's end, our company would have been in trouble in no more than a couple of days," Patricia added with a grave expression.

Lulu couldn't help but gasp in shock, relieved that if it hadn't been for the actions taken by the Johnston Group first, Riddle Corporation would be in jeopardy now.

Nicole bit her lip slightly, her eyes deepening as she said, "Let's not spread word of this just yet." "Do you have a plan?" Lulu looked at Nicole, her voice cautious and probing.

"At this moment, Lawrence is facing a crisis, and he will definitely look for ways to resolve it. If he had set this up beforehand, he would now be even more reliant on it. We can turn his plan against him," Nicole said meaningfully.

 

Chapter 3270

Lulu, grasping Nicole's intent, whispered, "In that case, should we start making some preparations in advance?"

Nicole shook her head. "Not yet, let's just watch and wait for now."

After saying this, Nicole turned to Patricia and instructed, "Just keep a close eye on this matter discreetly." "Yes," Patricia responded earnestly. "I'll report back to you the moment there's any development."

This way, they could stay informed of any situation and be ready to respond at a moment's notice.

"Good," Nicole nodded.

"Then well step out for now," Lulu sighed.

After Lulu and Patricia left, Nicole leaned back in her chair, her expression darkened.

She had never anticipated that Lawrence would make a move from this angle. If it hadn't been for Nolan, Riddle Corporation might have truly faced a crisis this time.

****

Meanwhile, Ian knocked on the door of Lawrence’s office.

"Mr. Royce, I've found something." Ian's expression was somewhat grim as he reported, "Doretta is Zane's operative." "What did you say?!" A cold glint flashed through Lawrence's eyes as he thought, 'So Everett fell into Doretta's trap. No wonder everything was going smoothly for Everett, but then he

suddenly faced utter failure.' "Yes, it's the latest information we have, and Doretta is still in San Joto. She seems to be involved in this matter, likely collaborating with Charlie," Ian spoke in a low voice.

He hadn't anticipated that Doretta would be one of Zane's people, now collaborating with someone from Jared's team. No wonder their men were silently apprehended upon arriving in San Joto.

Lawrence clenched his teeth inwardly, realizing that this was the reason behind Everett's disastrous defeat.

With narrowed eyes, Lawrence asked coldly, "Has she met with Nicole?" "I don't think so," Ian responded, somewhat puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

From what he knew, Doretta had stayed in the shadows, executing her missions secretly without contacting anyone, probably to avoid exposure.

"She might know about what happened," Lawrence's voice carried a chilling tone.

"No way!" Ian was a bit shocked. "How would she know about that?"

Lawrence continued, "She stayed close to Everett; she might have overheard something."

He speculated that since Everett had been in the know, there was a chance Doretta knew his secret as well, given her proximity and likely investigations into certain matters.

"But it's unlikely. Everett wouldn't just share that, and Doretta would've told Nicole if she knew. Since Nicole hasn't reacted, she probably doesn't know, " Ian concluded.

After a pause, Lawrence said, "I can't risk it." Even with the logical analysis, he didn't want to risk Nicole finding out.

"What do you plan to do then?" Ian asked.

Lawrence looked serious and said, "What's the status of our previous plans?"

Ian hesitated, then admitted, "Things were fine until our stock started failing. If we don't act fast, our company could collapse in days."

They realized they had to concentrate on solving their company's urgent problems.