Chapter 91
"Home is Elegant Mountain Estate, where your great-grandparents lived. Your dad and I crash there sometimes too," Nathan said, trying to sound sincere.
"Elegant Mountain Estate?" Ryan repeated, the name sounding pretty fancy to him.
"Yeah, that's what we call the house. It's our home," Nathan clarified, and Ryan nodded, still a bit confused.
The moment between them was pretty heartwarming.
"Do you want to stay there?" Nathan asked, getting to the point.
"Is it your home or my dad's home?" Ryan shot back.
Nathan knew Ryan's question wasn't just small talk.
"Why do you ask?" Nathan pressed.
Ryan didn't answer right away.
He was thinking, 'If it's Nathan's place, cool, I'll go. But if it's Nick's, I need to think about it.'
Ryan knew better than to say that out loud, so he kept quiet.
"It's both your dad's and my home. It's huge, and even though we live together, we have our own space. Lots of it," Nathan explained patiently.
Ryan stayed silent.
He'd never seen such a big place, so it was hard for him to wrap his head around it.
To Ryan and Sophie, living together meant sharing a living room and having separate bedrooms, like at Sarah's house.
But Nathan was talking about living in separate buildings, sharing gardens, pools, and other fancy stuff.
The conversation wasn't going the way Nathan hoped, and things got awkwardly quiet.
Sophie, trying to lighten the mood, came over with some snacks and asked, "What are you guys talking about?"
"I was asking Ryan if he wants to stay at our home," Nathan told her.
Sophie looked at Ryan, who was still quiet.
"Ryan doesn't seem to want to," Sophie said, speaking up for him.
"Why not?" Nathan asked, confused.
"Because Ryan's worried he can't live with our mom," Sophie explained.
The twins had this unspoken bond; Sophie always got Ryan.
Nathan was surprised. The kids were way sharper than he thought, getting right to the heart of the matter.
Nathan had already planned to bring Ryan and Sophie back to the Kennedy Family, hire top-notch nannies and teachers, and let their talents shine.
As for Caroline, Nathan thought she was too manipulative to have a place in the Kennedy Family.
Nathan felt Caroline's character didn't fit with the Kennedy Family's values.
If Ryan and Sophie stayed with Caroline, Nathan worried they'd pick up bad habits.
Sensing Nathan's silence, Ryan looked at him, eyes full of hope.
Nathan found himself in a bit of a jam. He'd brought up the topic but now couldn't give a straight answer. So, he decided to dodge it for now.
He also realized that taking Ryan and Sophie away from Caroline wouldn't be a walk in the park. It would hit Caroline where it hurt and probably make the kids push back too. Especially with how sharp Ryan and Sophie were, Nathan knew he had to tread carefully to avoid any big blow-ups.
"I am just throwing it out there. Your great-grandparents have never met you and miss you a lot, so they hope you can move back to Elegant Mountain Estate. I just want a piece of your mind," Nathan smoothly changed the subject.
"Wherever our mom is, that's where we'll be," Ryan said firmly.
Sophie was right; Ryan's main concern was whether he could stay with Caroline.
Nathan was secretly relieved he hadn't blurted out his plan to take them away from Caroline; that would've definitely caused a rift with the kids.
For the rest of the time, Nathan steered clear of that topic.
He chatted with Ryan and Sophie about everyday stuff, and from Sophie's chatter, Nathan picked up a lot about Caroline.
Nathan pieced together that Caroline had gone abroad after getting pregnant and hadn't come back for years.
She hadn't told the Kennedy Family about her pregnancy, had Ryan and Sophie on her own, and then brought them back to Aurora City.
Nathan figured Caroline had been planning this for a long time, biding her time until now to show up in front of the Kennedy Family. He didn't buy that she had no agenda.
Time with Ryan and Sophie always flew by, and before he knew it, two hours had passed.
The video conference had ended, and Jack quietly placed the meeting summary on Nathan's desk.
Nathan glanced at it briefly and then set it aside.
"Are we interrupting your work?" Ryan sprang it on Nathan.
The maturity of Ryan and Sophie was beyond Nathan's expectations.
Normally, he'd reassure them that they weren't a bother, but Ryan was different. Nathan didn't want to lie to him, even about small stuff.
"It did interrupt a bit, but not in a bad way. Spending time with you is a great way for me to unwind," Nathan replied honestly.
That was the truth, no sugar-coating.
"Then we'll go back, and you can keep working," Ryan said sensibly.
Nathan quickly added, "No rush to leave; your dad will come to pick you up soon."
Just as he finished speaking, Jack announced that Nick had arrived.
Nathan thought it was just Nick, but as the door opened, a fresh scent of orange blossom filled the room.
Nathan frowned slightly. Was Caroline here too?
"Mom!" Sophie squealed, running over.
"As your dad, I'm right here, but you didn't greet me first. Running straight to your mom, is that fair?" Nick half-joked, intercepting Sophie.
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