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.

he figured it was wiser to hold back any comments that might

trio reached the restaurant Ellar

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

placed their orders, a palpable silence descended over the table. The lack of conversation lent an almost ghostly air to the meal, with each person

mood, silently wished for the meal to end quickly so they could all

up 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 reserved as Patricia, Doretta's incessant talking was becoming

up on the silence from Ellar and Patricia, chose to mirror their quietness, perhaps

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

face turning notably more

parked along the road. After a

tone

you be in need

gotten my foot in the door. How could I possibly arrange for someone else to

her more of a complication than a