My Wife is a Hacker by Summer

Nicole, with a knowing smile, remarked, "In business, there are always winners and losers." Lawrence, with a casual shrug,
responded, "If that's the case, then yes, I've lost this round." "But you didn't have me brought here just to say you're giving up,
right?" Nicole questioned, noticing Lawrence's tendency to beat around the bush.
"Absolutely not," he replied, shaking his head.
"Since I've lost, I need to make some moves to even things out." Nicole nodded, understanding.
"Alright, then.
What is it you're after?" It was clear Lawrence had a specific reason for bringing her here.
"You know what I want," he said, looking directly at Nicole.
"If it's the Fire Crest and Water Crest you're after, that’s going to be tough.
I'm not exactly planning on dying anytime soon." Nicole knew that without her death, the Crests wouldn't transfer ownership.
Lawrence simply looked at her, his silence making his intentions unclear.
Nicole maintained her composure, facing Lawrence with a calm anticipation, ready for whatever he might propose next.
The tension between them was like a silent storm, both maintaining a facade of tranquility while assessing each other's moves.
Lawrence, breaking the silence with a smile, offered, "Don't rush; you can have time to think it over." Nicole, surprised,
considered what Lawrence's intentions could be.
The moment she failed to return, Jared would certainly notice her absence.
Lawrence's willingness to give her time raised questions about whether he felt confident in his security here or if he had other
strategies in mind.
Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Ian's entrance provided a clue.
"Mr.
Royce, we're set to go," Ian whispered, subtly informing them of their readiness to depart.

With this information, Nicole's thoughts raced.
It seemed they were planning to leave San Joto, possibly taking her with them.
This raised the stakes; being taken away could mean Lawrence intended to use her as leverage against Jared.
The idea of attempting an escape crossed her mind, yet the complexities and risks involved made the decision far from
straightforward.
After glancing outside instinctively, she knew her chances of escaping were slim.
"I£I dared to have you brought here, I wouldn't give you a chance to leave," Lawrence said with a deep gaze toward Nicole.
"I'll take you away from San Joto now.
I'll find a way to bring Nolan and Lana later.
The four of us can return to our previous lives, as if we had never come to San Joto." 1 "You're mad!" Nicole's eyes widened in
shock.
It was beyond her imagination that Lawrence would resort to such a plan.
"Tf Nolan hadn't returned to San Joto, this is the life we were supposed to have," Lawrence said, standing up.
"Let's go." He couldn't control the accident that had occurred initially, and the situation had spiraled out of control ever since.
Now, he no longer cared about the consequences.
Even if he had to use force, he was determined to take Nicole and her two children away.
As for Jared, Lawrence decided he would settle things with him once everything was in place.
Ian approached, his voice low but firm as he said, "Ms.
Riddle, let's go." Nicole clenched her teeth silently and stood up to follow them.
But she thought, even if Lawrence was taking her away now, it would likely be to Mecrounia, where Charlie was.
Once there, she planned to find a way to contact Charlie.

Nicole gave Lawrence a meaningful look.
She was now the only one who knew Lawrence's true whereabouts, which she considered might actually be to her advantage.