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.

hold back any comments that might

the restaurant Ellar had

considering the

The lack of conversation lent an almost

a foul mood, silently wished for the

the car ride, found it increasingly difficult to engage with someone as chatty as Doretta. For someone as naturally reserved as

from Ellar and Patricia, chose to mirror their quietness,

care of." "Alright then," Ellar responded. He didn't inquire about the specifics of

her face turning notably more somber once it was out

a car parked along the road. After a cautious glance around, she swiftly approached it

Doretta's tone carried a touch of

in need of

Doretta retorted, "I've barely gotten my foot in the door. How could

notion of receiving help seemed to her more of a complication than