Chapter 96
Nathan was stumped for a moment. How was he supposed to explain the messy adult world to Ryan and Sophie?
No matter what, Caroline was their mom, and he couldn't badmouth her in front of them.
"She's just really tired, let's not bother her," Nathan finally said, trying to come up with an excuse.
Sophie nodded, kind of getting it.
Nathan thought to himself, 'How can I get Ryan and Sophie to go to Elegant Mountain Estate? They need to get used to it if they're gonna live there long-term.'
"When are we going home?" Sophie asked.
"Sophie, what do you call my grandpa?" Nathan suddenly changed the topic.
Sophie blinked, looking puzzled.
"Great-grandpa," Ryan chimed in smartly.
"You're so sharp, Ryan. Yep, it's great-grandpa," Nathan agreed.
"Great-grandpa," Sophie repeated.
"That's right, and you should call his wife great-grandma. They really want to see you. How about I take you to meet them?" Nathan suggested, feeling a bit anxious.
This was his plan. If Ryan and Sophie said no, he'd be stuck.
"Is my mom going?" Sophie asked quickly.
"She's not," Nathan couldn't lie to them.
"Then we're not going either," Sophie said, looking at Ryan, who nodded in agreement.
Nathan was in a bind. He could force them, but he didn't want to. How could he convince them?
"Your great-grandparents really want to see you. It would make them so happy," Nathan said softly.
Ryan and Sophie exchanged looks.
"Especially great-grandpa, who even got rooms ready for you with all kinds of toys," Nathan added.
It was rare for Nathan to talk this much at once.
Sophie and Ryan were quiet for a moment.
"We'll go," Ryan decided.
"I agree," Sophie nodded.
Nathan felt a wave of relief, finally convincing the kids.
At Elegant Mountain Estate, Aiden and his wife, Emily Johnson, got busy as soon as they heard Ryan and Sophie were coming. They told the servants to get everything ready that the kids might like and filled the living room with food and toys.
Nathan, holding a kid in each hand, led Ryan and Sophie into the main hall.
Aiden was thrilled to see them.
"The boy looks just like Nathan did when he was little, even their expressions are the same!" Aiden kept saying.
Emily reminded him, "They're Nick's kids!"
"Doesn't matter, Nathan and Nick look just alike," Aiden laughed heartily.
"Say hi to your great-grandparents," Nathan whispered softly.
Ryan bowed, and Sophie followed. "Good evening, great-grandpa and great-grandma."
Their sweet voices warmed Aiden's and Emily's hearts. "You're so adorable, kids."
"Grandpa, this is Ryan Rockefeller, and this is Sophie Rockefeller," Nathan introduced.
"Nice names, but why don't they have the Kennedy last name?" Aiden asked sharply.
"We have the same last name as our mom," Sophie explained.
"I see, you can change that later. Sweetie, what do you like? Whatever you want, I'll get it for you," Aiden asked kindly.
"I like yummy food!" Sophie blurted out.
Aiden laughed heartily, "Great taste! I've got tons of yummy food ready. If it's not here, we'll get it right away, and if we can't find it locally, we'll import it!"
"Absolutely, anything you want!" Emily chimed in.
Nathan thought to himself, 'I thought I would spoil Ryan and Sophie, but my grandparents are on another level!'
Seeing Ryan quiet, Aiden worried he might be unhappy and quickly asked what he liked.
Ryan politely said he didn't need anything, softly thanking Aiden.
"Ryan doesn't want anything? He reminds me of you when you were a kid," Aiden said to Nathan.
"He's into books and computer tech. People say he's a prodigy with computers," Nathan replied.
Aiden immediately turned to Charles, "Find a spot and build the biggest private library in the country as a gift for Ryan."
"Yes, Mr. Aiden Kennedy," Charles responded.
"And also set up a tech museum or research center to nurture his interests and talents. That's my gift too," Aiden added.
Nathan was floored by Aiden's generosity; it was way beyond what he expected!
"Grandpa, our home library is already huge. We don't need another one right now. And Ryan's only four; he's too young for a tech museum," Nathan tried to reason with Aiden.
"Doesn't matter. By the time it's built, Ryan will be older. The library has to be the biggest and the best!" Aiden insisted excitedly.
"What about me?" Sophie pouted.
Aiden laughed heartily, his eyes full of affection. "Sweetie, you'll get whatever you wish for too!"
"I want a food palace, filled with all kinds of delicious food, so I can eat endlessly," Sophie said, stuffing another piece of cream cake into her mouth, looking both funny and adorable.
Nathan frowned slightly, finding Sophie's wish both naive and amusing.
Just then, Nathan's phone rang, showing Nick's call.
"What's up?" Nathan answered calmly.
"Wait, someone wants to talk to you," Nick's voice sounded a bit tense.
Nathan wondered, 'Who could it be?'
Then, a cold female voice came through the line, "Nathan, give me back my children!"
The voice, like the scent of orange blossoms, was unmistakable to Nathan.
Nathan was silent for a moment, then decisively hung up. He thought, 'How can Nick let Demi use his phone to question me? Can't he just say it himself?'
Before Nick could call again, Nathan set his phone to reject Nick's calls.
Soon, Charles hurriedly reported that Nick had called the estate's landline.
Not wanting to upset the elders, Nathan reluctantly answered.
"Why did you bring Ryan and Sophie back to the Kennedy Family without telling me?" Nick sounded anxious.
Nathan's response was short and clear. "I just brought them back home."
Ryan and Sophie returning to Elegant Mountain Estate required no one's permission.
"I get your point, but you should have at least informed us," Nick tried to explain.
Then, the phone seemed to be snatched by someone else, the voice now tinged with a bit of hysteria. "Nathan, what do you want? Give me back my children!"
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