Zeke was at a loss for words, and there, he gave up on the idea of telling Mr. Hardy the truth.Even though he knew that his chances of winning were not high, Mr. Hardy was right. He was representing Northon Institute.'It seems that I've got to be serious this time,' he concluded."I got it, Mr. Hardy," Zeke said.Mr. Hardy heaved a sigh of relief when he had finally received some reassurance from Zeke's eyes. "Do your best if that's the case. Don't let me down."However, Zeke sighed after hearing Mr. Hardy's words.He had started out hacking for fun, and he was not expecting pressure like this at all.Undoubtedly, Nicole had gained a lot of attention after her performance at the semi-finals, so much so that even Rowdon became a little curious. 'The way she codes looks really familiar...'However, he did not dare to think any further than that. He had already met a master in Zeke, and he could not afford to go up against another genius in this contest.Rowdon then took a deep
Zeke did not look as laid-back as last year anymore. Instead, he became very serious.On the contrary... Nicole was smiling faintly without moving her hands, looking very unperturbed.Mr. Zach's heart dropped upon seeing that."Nicole... hurry up!" he reminded Nicole softly.However, Nicole was not feeling nervous at all. Instead, she began observing her opponents' progress.Ryder and Gary, who were working in peace, had switched to the mode of attacking their opponents aggressively. Because they knew who Nicole was, they decided to give the battle their all. Even though they could never be a match for her, it was an honor for them to be able to compete alongside their idol!Nicole swept her gaze across them and teased, "You guys are too slow."A cold chuckle issued from her, and that was when she started typing away on her keyboard. Lines of codes began appearing on her screen, and the flow of the game changed at an instant.The nine finalists were supposed to be battling one
Such an invasion had left her opponent no way to fight back. Even the host had never seen such an intense competition before. "In our past competitions, most people just crashed their opponents' computers. This is the first time someone has blacked out their opponent's computer directly."The atmosphere was exhilarating! Just as the host and the crowd were cheering, Gary could not hold on any longer and shouted, "I can't take it anymore!"Immediately, his computer blacked out. However, unlike others, his face showed no sense of defeat. Instead, he felt a sense of satisfaction. "Sheesh! This match was spectacular!" Gary exclaimed. He finally fulfilled his long-awaited dream to compete until he was worn out while taking on his idol. Wiping the sweat on his forehead, Gary turned to look at Ryder.Ryder was typing very intensely and quickly on the keyboard. His forehead was littered with sweat too. However, he was doomed to failure with no power to turn the tables. After two minutes, Ry
They had no idea that Rowdon and the host had heard their entire conversation. Both of them were dumbstruck."Master Lynch. Did I hear that right?" The host looked at Rowdon, stunned. 'Did Zeke say he was trying to beat the first-ranked player on the international hacker leaderboard?'"Could that girl be...?""Lucifer?!" Rowdon and the host exclaimed in unison. The crowd was in an uproar."Lucifer?""Did the host just say that the girl was Lucifer?""No way?! The Lucifer that's on the international hacker leaderboard?""It must be her! Zeke just said that himself! He said he was going to try and beat the first-ranked player!""Oh my gosh! It's really Lucifer!" The crowd was in a frenzy, with some people even standing up."Oh, my God! The first and second-ranked top hackers are battling here?!""This is a scene not even money could buy!""Unbelievable! The first and second-ranked top hackers are high schoolers?"The shouts of surprise and cheers came one after another!"Com
Zeke tried to fight back. But then, with a swish, his computer screen went black. Zeke was stunned into silence. He had lost so thoroughly with no room to maneuver. He tried so hard, yet he still lost to her. After all this while, after he had put so much effort into improving himself, he still had a long way to go to catch up to Nicole.At that moment, the crowd went silent for a brief moment before erupting in cheers."She won!""Lucifer won!""As expected for the top hacker on the leaderboard! That was amazing!""Incredible!" Everyone could not help but cheer for Nicole.Meanwhile, Royal Creek Institute students were all jumping excitedly. "Nicole won!""We've taken back the championship!"Even Mr. Zach was emotional, with tears in his eyes. He led the students and rushed over to Nicole. "Congratulations, Nicole!"Nicole never expected Mr. Zach to be so excited as it was just a competition to her. She felt a little helpless at the sight of her classmates looking up to her.
No one had expected Nicole to be a top hacker. If Sebastian had known, he would have called her to help with things in the Wyance family.Nicole smiled. "Thank you."Sebastian then presented the awards to Zeke and Ryder. A loud bang sounded as the confetti cannons went off, raining glittering papers down on them. The teachers went on stage to take pictures with the winners. Mr. Zach instantly came over to Nicole. He took a picture with Nicole and Ryder proudly.Mr. Hardy approached Zeke with a gloomy expression while enviously glancing at Mr. Zach. His once enthusiastic-expression to Zeke was nowhere to be seen. However, Zeke did not care. The people in school had no idea about his real identity, so it was normal for the teachers to treat him this way. It was better for him now that Mr. Hardy would not bother him anymore.After taking the pictures, the people from Royal Creek Institute wanted to leave. Mr. Hardy suddenly thought of the things Mr. Zach had done to him and got angry.
With that thought in mind, Mr. Hardy straightened up and said firmly, "There's a defamation law as well!"Nicole saw that he was incorrigible and said coldly, "Don't worry. There are many surveillance cameras on the scene. We could definitely check if I defamed you or not."Mr. Hardy now panicked. He only thought of dealing with Mr. Zach just now and forgot that there were surveillance cameras. "There were so many people on stage just now. Are you sure the surveillance camera from afar could have gotten any footage?" Mr. Hardy tried to argue, hoping to weasel his way out.Nicole chuckled at his actions. "Even though the surveillance cameras are far away, did you forget there are cameras everywhere?" Nicole said while glancing at the audience. Only then did Mr. Hardy realize that the cameras might have captured his every move.At this moment, Sebastian, who was ready to present his closing speech on stage, walked up to them. He narrowed his brows. "What happened?" Just now he saw a
'If I knew that little girl knew the governor, I would've never opposed her!' Mr. Hardy thought."Let the police handle the case. We cannot tolerate such people," Sebastian ordered coldly.The director immediately instructed, "Security! Get him out of here! Report to the police when you're on the way.""Yes, sir!" The security guards went straight up to Mr. Hardy and took him away.Mr. Hardy gave a horrible shriek. "No! I was wrong! Don't treat me like this!"Northon Institute cared about reputation the most! If he was sent to the police during the competition, he would definitely lose his job! However, no one was paying attention to him. Even Zeke and the students at Northon Institute thought he had brought shame to the school.After this incident passed, the host hurriedly resumed and let Sebastian begin his closing speech. The crowd continued to cooperate behind him. Under the director's commands, the shooting of the competition finally ended.After everyone left, Zeke told N
"Let's go, it's time to head down. The ceremony will start soon."The group laughed and talked as they left the bridal suite. Jared and his friends, Spencer and Preston, were also guided out by everyone.Now, only the family of four remained in the bridal suite, getting ready for their big entrance."Mommy, it's almost time. Let's get ready," Nolan said, pulling on Nicole's hand.Nicole gently patted Nolan and Lana's cheeks, whispering, "Okay."As she made to stand, Jared extended his hand toward her. Lifting her gaze, she caught Jared in a moment of elegance, his charm unmistakable. A smile bloomed on her face as she placed her hand in his.With a gentle tug, Jared drew her up, his touch tender against her palm.In a swift move, he pulled Nicole into his arms, his other hand circling her waist to pull her close.As Jared looked at Nicole, admiration shimmered in his eyes. "You look truly beautiful today," he remarked."Daddy, Mommy is beautiful every day," Lana chimed in, til
Nicole laughed off the debate between Lulu and June, saying, "Both are lovely. I'm happy with either."Both sets of jewelry were beautiful, and she felt that either would do."Exactly. Nicole will shine in anything," Cindy said, picking a set. "Let's go with this one."Lulu gave June a victorious look. "Told you this was the one."Cindy then suggested, "Why not wear this for the ceremony and switch for the reception? That way, we use both.""Great idea," June agreed, smiling at Cindy's suggestion.Nicole smiled. "Sounds perfect."With everyone agreeing, the stylist went ahead with preparing Nicole.Lulu watched Nicole, amazed by how calm she seemed. "Aren't you a bit nervous?" she asked. Lulu remembered her own wedding jitters.Nicole bit her lip, a hint of nerves showing. "I'm more excited than anything," she admitted.She had been looking forward to this day, ready to face the future with Jared with hope and joy."Just finished," the stylist announced, stepping back to adm
"Do you think I don't want to meet someone? I just haven't found the right person," Gary said somewhat resignedly. He had long regarded Nicole as just a friend."Why don't we just try the dates our families set up?" Ryder suggested, calm and collected. He figured since finding someone on his own wasn't working, maybe arranged dates could help. In their circles, it seemed like good matches were meant to be."Arranged dates don't sound great. You hardly know the person. Are we really okay with deciding to spend our lives together like that?" Preston wasn't too keen on the idea."Emery's doing pretty well with it, you know," Ryder said confidently. "I trust our families. They wouldn't set us up with someone terrible. They've probably made sure we'd be a good match."Gary thought it over. "You might be right. Our families aren't just trying to make deals; they want us to be happy."As Gary and Ryder seemed more into the idea, Preston was still unsure. "You guys are serious?""Why not
Jared held Nicole close and looked at her. "After we get married, we'll move to the estate," he said.Their future home would be just theirs.He thought it was good for Nicole to spend more time with her family since she hadn't been with them for five years. But they knew they would move to the estate later."Okay," Nicole said, nodding. She was happy Jared made the estate close to her family, so she was okay with moving.Jared gently touched her hair and kissed her...****Time flew, and soon it was Nicole and Jared's wedding day.From the morning, San Joto was alive with excitement. Everyone was talking about Jared and Nicole's wedding.Politicians, business leaders, close friends, and business partners all came to wish the couple well.The Riddles were busy welcoming the guests, making everything look amazing."Patricia, hurry up, Charlie's here," Ellar called out as he spotted Charlie. He quickly got Patricia to come and greet him. Max, hearing the fuss, came over too.C
"You really need to rest. You shouldn't work for the next few days. Stay home and rest. A bride has to look her best," Gloria said, looking at Nicole and making the decision for her."Bride!" Nicole was surprised because she hadn't talked about any wedding yet."Yes, now that everything is settled, it's time for your wedding with Jared," Gloria said, deciding firmly. She used to think it was best for the kids to decide for themselves, but after several delays, she felt waiting longer made no sense. The wedding should happen soon."I was thinking that too," Jared said. They had planned the wedding after solving the Everett problem, but then they found out Lawrence had hurt Nicole in the past, causing more delays. Now, with everything sorted out, they saw no reason to wait. The wedding was the next big step.Nicole looked at Jared and, with a smile, agreed, "Okay." Their wedding had been waiting for five years; it was time, with no need to wait any longer."That's so cool, I'm the f
Patricia felt a mix of reluctance and happiness as she prepared to part ways with Charlie.Jared glanced at Charlie and said, "It's about time for us to board." He tenderly held Nicole's hand and led her toward the boarding gate."I need to go through the boarding procedures too," Patricia said, biting her lip. "You must find happiness as well.""I will," Charlie assured her with a gentle smile, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You've grown up, too. You don't need to cling to me anymore. I believe Ellar will take great care of you."Patricia nodded, then, leaning closer to Charlie, she whispered, 'When Mr. Johnston and Ms. Riddle get married, make sure you bring my future sister-in-law back with you.' Caught off guard, Charlie playfully scolded her, "You little rascal."Doretta, standing not too far away, overheard Patricia's whispered words. Her cheeks turned even redder."Let's go," Patricia announced, then turned to Doretta, adding, "We'll meet again.""Goodbye,
Lying in bed with Nicole cradled in his arms, Jared whispered gently, "Sleep for a bit.""Mhm." Finally feeling at peace, Nicole smiled slightly, and she quickly fell asleep.As Jared listened to her soft breathing, his eyes softened with affection, and he too closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.The next morning, as the group got ready to head back to San Joto, Zane and Doretta came to say goodbye."I still have things to finish here, but I promise to be at your wedding," Zane said with a big smile."And I'll be there to wish you well, Nicole," Doretta added.Saying goodbye is always hard, but everyone knew they had their own journeys to continue."Great, we'll see you in San Joto," Nicole said with a bright smile."It's time to go," Zane said, knowing they couldn't wait any longer without risking missing their plane."I've got the paperwork," Patricia said, ready to help with the travel documents for Jared and Nicole. Then, looking at Charlie, she asked, "Need help with
Nicole was quiet, thinking about everything. 'If I hadn't remembered everything, maybe Lawrence and I could have stayed friends. But after finding out about the airport, it's impossible...'Not only had she regained her memory, but she had also learned about the airport incident. Lawrence had gone to great lengths to prevent her from returning to San Joto."Thanks for saving me before, but you also hurt me. We're even now," Nicole said calmly, looking at Lawrence like he was someone she didn't know anymore.Jared squeezed Nicole's hand gently. "Let's go."They decided to leave the rest to Zane and head back."Wait." Lawrence's voice stopped Nicole. He sounded almost like he was begging. "Please, don't tell Nolan about this."Nicole paused, then said, "I won't tell him. Not for you, but because I don't want Nolan to see how bad people can be."With that, Nicole walked away with Jared.Lawrence sat down, watching her leave, with mixed feelings."Let's go too," Patricia said to C
"Your robots don't work anymore," a voice said, sounding very pleased. Then, a person came out from behind the crowd, looking pretty proud of himself."Carl!" Nicole was shocked to see him. 'It's Carl!'"It's been a while." Carl smiled and waved at Nicole.Carl had come as soon as Zane told him about the problem. He couldn't just do nothing when Nicole needed help.He didn't expect them to act so soon, which is why he was a little late. But he was still in time to help. Carl was surprised by Lawrence's robots at first, but luckily, the weapons he brought, which he had been working on for years, stopped the robots. This was a big help to everyone."We really need to thank Carl; we would have been in big trouble without him," Zane said, feeling relieved.Zane had asked Carl for help, hoping it would make them more likely to win, but Carl ended up being very important."Thank you," Nicole said with a warm smile. It was nice to see an old friend again."No need to thank me. I'm jus