Chapter 2943


    Ian was deep in thought. ''We used Nicole''s trick, but she won''t figure that out, will she?'' he wondered.


    Suddenly, one of the hackers blurted out, "We''ve been duped. " His fingers flew across the keyboard,


    searching for clues.


    "Duped?" Ian was still piecing things together, his eyes darting to Lawrence''sputer screen.


    It slowly started to click for him. Although he didn''t get all the details, he realized they had fallen into


    Nicole''s trap after connecting Lawrence''s mention of Nicole and the hacker''sment.


    Ian''s heart skipped a beat. ''So, we thought we were using Nn to outsmart Nicole and unlock the


    Water Crest, but she was one step ahead the whole time.''


    Ian''s voice came out rough, "Then the Water Crest..."Is it gone?" he asked out loud.


    "Everyone, leave now," Lawrence ordered, his voice icy.


    "Yes, sir," the hackers responded, quickly packing theirptops and exiting the room.


    Ian lingered, unsure. He knew staying wouldn''t help, and he didn''t dare face Lawrence yet.


    He decided to leave and wait for Lawrence to cool off before nning their next step.


    Once the room was empty, Lawrence stared at the screen, his eyes cold and intense.


    He picked up the phone and called Scorpio. "We''ve lost the Water Crest," he said calmly, a hint of


    threat in his voice.


    Scorpio paused, then replied with a slightugh, "Nicole is quite something, isn''t she?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Shut up," Lawrence snapped, infuriated by Scorpio''s taunting tone.


    "What do you want, calling me now?" Scorpio asked, sounding annoyed.


    Lawrence was silent, a mix of frustration and disbelief swirling within him.


    On the other end, Scorpio, sensing the quiet, nudged, "Made up your mind, huh?"


    The silence stretched, but it was clear they both knew what was at stake.


    "You''re a piece of work," Scorpio muttered before hanging up.


    Lawrence set down the phone slowly, lost in thought. He thought about the five long years of waiting,


    the careful ns, and the victories that had slipped away time and again. Both the Fire Crest and the


    Water Crest had somehow ended up back with Nicole.


    Meanwhile, Scorpio smirked, "He''s really something. Can''t believe he''s going through with it."


    "Who are you talking about?" Pisces asked, puzzled.


    "Just a heartless fool," Scorpio answered, keeping it vague.


    Pisces knew better than to push. "It''ste. Maybe you should rest."


    "I''ve got more to do," Scorpio replied, reaching for the phone again.


    "Alright, I''ll head off then," Pisces said, getting up to leave.


    Once alone, Scorpio made another call. "Change of ns... The Water Crest is with


    Nicole... Looks like Lawrence might go after her... Got it." After sharing the info and receiving new


    orders, he hung up.


    "Hmph, time for aeback," Scorpio muttered. "Nicole, you''ve been a real pain. Let''s see what''s


    next."


    At the Riddle house, the children were asleep, and the house was dark except for Nicole''s room.


    There, Nicole and Jared sat in front of theputer, their expressions a mix of concern and


    determination.