My Wife is a Hacker novel (Nicole)

Chapter 3146

"What did you say? I didn’t catch that." Doretta noticed Ellar's clear displeasure, her own face losing some color at his reaction.

Before things could escalate, Patricia stepped in, "Jumping to talk of marriage is jumping the gun, don't you think?" "But Aunt Emma adores you. She's quite keen on the idea of you joining the family," Doretta couldn't help but smile again, trying to lighten the mood.

Noticing Ellar's continued annoyance, Patricia subtly pinched him as a cue to ease up.

"Ouch!" The pinch caught Ell ar off guard, making him grunt involuntarily.

"Ellar?" Doretta's confusion grew, looking between them for an explanation.

Catching Patricia's subtle cue, Ellar took a deep breath, attempting to soften his stance. "Like we’ve mentioned earlier, marriage isn't on our agenda for the next few years. Mom's on board with that decision, so it's not something we're rushing into." "Oh, I understand," Doretta replied, her smile returning. "Well, in that case, Ellar, you'll have to really look out for Patricia. It'd be a real loss if you let someone as wonderful as her slip away."

Ellar mustered a tight smile in response, choosing to keep his peace.

sour mood, he figured it was wiser to hold back any comments that might inadvertently reveal his current state

the restaurant

rather than a secluded private room turned out to be a fortunate choice, considering the addition of

had placed their orders, a palpable silence descended over the table. The lack of conversation lent an almost

the meal to end

much of her diplomatic energy during the car ride, found it increasingly difficult to engage with someone as chatty as Doretta. For someone as naturally

Ellar and Patricia, chose to mirror their quietness, perhaps sensing the

to head back, Doretta spoke up, 'I won't be coming back with you two. I just remembered I've got some errands I need to take care of." "Alright then," Ellar responded. He didn't inquire about the specifics of her errands, nor did he try to convince her otherwise. His agreement came quickly, without any

watched as Ellar's car drove off, her face turning

along the road. After a cautious glance around, she

matter?" Doretta's tone carried a touch of

you be in need of an internal ally?" the occupant

a flicker of irritation, Doretta retorted, "I've barely gotten my foot in the door. How could I possibly arrange for someone else to

seemed to her more