Chapter 81
"But it's still early for them to be out of school," Caroline said, glancing at her watch.
Nick grinned, "Perfect! You can come shopping with me and help pick out some gifts for the kids. I have no clue what they like, so I need your expertise. Or, you know, you can just choose the gifts yourself, and I'll foot the bill. Buy whatever you want, even if it means clearing out the whole mall. As long as you're happy."
The more Caroline listened, the more she felt Nick was unreliable. Ryan was way more sensible than Nick.
At 5 PM, Ryan and Sophie walked out of the school gate, pleasantly surprised to see Caroline waiting for them.
Standing next to Caroline was Nick, beaming.
Nick was thrilled to see Ryan and Sophie, who looked so much like him. "Kids, come here!"
He was about to step forward when Caroline stopped him. "Don't scare Ryan and Sophie!" she warned.
Sophie couldn't wait and ran over, "Mommy, Nathan!"
She mistook Nick for Nathan.
"Sweetie, I'm not Nathan; I'm your dad!" Nick said, trying to hug Sophie, but Ryan quickly stepped in front of her.
Ryan intuited that the man in front of them wasn't Nathan.
Nathan was always aloof. His powerful presence made people instinctively respect him, and Ryan admired that.
To Ryan, Nathan's aloofness wasn't scary; it made him feel close. Even though Ryan and Nathan were different ages, they were alike. Both were strong and self-contained, with rich inner worlds that didn't need others' understanding. They were quiet and emotionally deep, and only similar people could understand them.
Though Nick in white looked a lot like Nathan, he and Ryan were not the same kind of people.
So, Ryan instinctively protected Sophie, not letting Nick get close easily.
Nick was stunned and looked to Caroline for help, not understanding why Ryan was so wary of him.
"Ryan, he's your dad. Nathan said your dad is him," Caroline explained, feeling a bit strange herself.
Logically, their family reunion was a good thing, but Caroline felt something was off.
"Dad?" Sophie peeked out her head, her gem-like eyes curiously examining Nick.
"Sweetie, I'm your dad. How about we go eat something delicious?" Nick was delighted to see how cute Sophie was.
"Okay!" Sophie almost didn't hesitate. With delicious food, whether he was her dad didn't seem that important.
Ryan glanced at Sophie helplessly and shook his head.
Realizing her mistake, Sophie quickly added, "I'm not that greedy. I'll go only if Mommy and Ryan go too."
"Let's go, your mom and Ryan will come. We'll eat the best and have the most fun! Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you!" Nick's rich demeanor made Caroline feel it was tacky.
But Sophie was thrilled. Her dad was just like her, a foodie, and there would be lots of delicious food to enjoy in the future!
Ryan, however, was uninterested, coldly watching Nick who claimed to be his dad put on a flamboyant display.
He genuinely disliked Nick. Nathan's restraint, steadiness, and charisma were nowhere to be found in Nick.
Ryan felt disappointed. Previously, he worried that his dad wasn't as handsome as Nathan. Now this worry was gone, but a bigger problem had arisen that his dad was too frivolous.
Facing Ryan, Nick felt the pressure mounting.
It was like he was transported back to his childhood, facing young Nathan.
Young Nathan had always been silent and incredibly calm, with a strong inner strength. Whenever Nick was bouncing off the walls with excitement, Nathan would just give him a cold stare.
Even though they were born just minutes apart, the brothers couldn't be more different.
Right now, Ryan was giving Nick that same feeling. Nick had a gut feeling that Ryan wasn't going to be easy to win over.
Nick's usual charm didn't work on Caroline, and his attempts to cheer up kids were falling flat with Ryan.
But Nick wasn't ready to give up. He put on a smile and asked, "Ryan, what do you want to eat or play? Just say the word, and it's yours."
Ryan replied seriously, "No need for that."
Nick was taken aback; Ryan's blunt refusal caught him off guard.
To give Ryan and Sophie an unforgettable dining experience, Nick had booked the most famous family restaurant in Aurora City.
Because of the private booking, the usually lively and bustling activity area was eerily quiet, with no kids playing and laughing.
Caroline sighed, "The fun of a children's restaurant is that kids can play together. The whole vibe is missing because of the private booking."
Nick explained with a wry smile, "I just wanted us to have some peace and quiet for our reunion, so I booked the whole place without thinking."
Then, a parade of delicious dishes started arriving at the table, seemingly endless.
"Did you order everything on the menu?" Caroline asked, curious.
"Yeah, I pre-ordered. I wasn't sure what the kids liked, so I had the chef prepare a bit of everything. That way, Ryan and Sophie can pick whatever they want," Nick answered casually.
Ryan, who had been silent, suddenly remarked, "Wasteful."
"Did you hear that? Even the kids know wastefulness is wrong! You might be rich, but such extravagance sets a bad example for Ryan and Sophie!" Caroline scolded, frowning.
Nick replied, feeling defeated, "Alright, my bad. But influencing Ryan isn't easy. He's been criticizing me the whole way here. It seems like nothing I do is right in his eyes!"
Caroline's lips curled into a slight smile. Ryan's consistent coldness and indifference towards Nick amused her. The more Nick tried to please Ryan, the more Ryan dismissed him, which only fueled Nick's determination to win Ryan's approval.
During the meal, Ryan only took a few bites before crossing his arms and quietly watching Sophie eat heartily.
Sophie, on the other hand, was in high spirits, enjoying her meal immensely.
"Sophie, eat less, or you'll get a stomachache!" Caroline quickly reminded.
Sophie immediately put down her utensils and responded seriously, "I didn't eat much. I'm very ladylike."
Nick couldn't help but laugh, his affection for Sophie evident.
Just as the atmosphere was warming up, Caroline's phone screen lit up with a message from Roxanne: [I know where the USB drive your mom was looking for is.]
Caroline was shocked. How did Roxanne know about the USB drive Daisy was searching for before she died?
Roxanne sent another message: [If you want the USB drive, meet me at Blue Club.]
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