Chapter 2941

Patricia let out a sigh, her thoughts drifting back to Ellar’s intense gaze. It was so powerful that it left her speechless, her mind a blank canvas. Ellar’s eyes showed only concern and empathy, no hint of disgust or dislike.

Meanwhile, Nicole had just returned to the Riddle residence after dropping off Lulu. She was greeted in the living room by her daughter Lana, who was watching TV. “Mommy,” Lana called out excitedly and ran over to her.

Nicole playfully messed up Lana’s hair and asked, “Where’s Daddy and Nolan?”

“In their room,” answered Lana.

Gloria, sitting nearby, smiled and added softly, “Lana wanted to wait up for you, so we watched some TV together.”

Nicole, hugging Lana, suggested, “It’s late, sweetie. Time for bed.” She then helped Gloria to her feet, who agreed, “Let’s go.”

Upstairs, Gloria headed to her own room while Nicole carried Lana to Nolan’s room. Inside, they found Jared and Nolan deeply focused on the computer. ’ Mommy,” Nolan looked up as Nicole walked in.

“You’re finally back.”

Nicole approached Jared and Nolan, patting Nolan’s head. “ Stuck on a tough problem?”

“It’s okay, but we need you now,” Nolan implied they were at a standstill without her.

Nicole set Lana down, exchanged a glance with Jared, and took charge. “I’ve got this.”

Jared, picking up Lana, said, “Okay, you guys handle it,” and took her to another room.

Back at the computer, Nicole and Nolan got to work. Nicole pulled out a memory card, connected it to the computer, and began embedding a program into the game software.

“All set,” announced Nicole, ready to dive into the game with full focus.

This was more than just a gaming session. It was a strategic move. Nicole knew that once Lawrence got his hands on this program, he would start working on the Water Crest for real.

The program prepared by Preston and the others? It was time to test its effectiveness.

Please let this work,’ Nicole thought, crossing her fingers for success.

Nicole pressed the ‘enter’ key and exhaled in relief. Now it was just a waiting game until the results came in. She could then see if her hunches were right.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, who had been practically glued to his screen, finally got the message. A hint of suspicion flickered in his eyes as he sneakily swapped out the game program, sending a new one. He was convinced he’d covered his tracks perfectly, totally unaware that anyone was onto his little scheme. Little did he know, the moment he got that message, a sneaky little program had already wormed its way into his system.

“Mr. Royce, do you think this’ll do the trick?” Ian asked.

“It better,” Lawrence responded, still banking on Nicole’s smarts.

“Alright, let’s give it a whirl. Unlocking the Water Crest is step one to making your dream come true,”

Ian put in.

Honestly, they could’ve nailed this ages ago if Nicole hadn’t gotten her memory back and reclaimed the Fire Crest. If only that hadn’t happened, Lawrence would’ve had both the Fire and Water Crests by now.

“Yep,” Lawrence murmured, giving a quick look at his team of hackers. “It’s all on you guys now.”

After setting them to work, Lawrence leaned back, crossing his legs and chilling out as he waited to see what would happen.

Ian came over, offering a cup of coffee. “Mr. Royce, here’s your coffee