Chapter 97
Nathan was floored. How could Caroline, the one who'd given him so much grief, talk to him like that?
His eyes darkened, and frustration bubbled up inside him.
"Answer me! How could you take my kids without telling me? If you have a problem, deal with me. Don't drag the kids into this!" Caroline's voice was sharp and urgent on the other end of the line.
"Demi, chill out. Nathan just took Ryan and Sophie to visit my grandparents," Nick tried to calm her down.
"Shut up! You said you were picking up Ryan and Sophie, so I didn't worry. Now they're gone, and if anything happens to them, I won't let you off the hook!" Caroline was livid.
"Don't get so worked up; it's not that serious," Nick tried to reassure her.
Caroline snapped, "Stay out of it!"
The argument on the other end of the phone raged on, and feeling helpless, Nathan hung up again.
Caroline was being way too arrogant. She wasn't even officially part of the Kennedy Family yet and was already acting like this. What would happen if she really joined the family?
The more arrogant she got, the more Nathan wanted to put her in her place.
Nathan decided Ryan and Sophie would stay the night. This was their home, after all, and they should sleep here.
Special arrangements were made, with four professionally trained nannies ready to take care of Ryan and Sophie.
But when a nanny tried to give Ryan a bath, he suddenly became uncooperative.
The nanny, at a loss, had to report the situation.
Nathan came from his study to the children's room specially set up for Ryan and Sophie.
Though called a children's room, it was as big as two living rooms in an average house.
Ryan sat expressionless on the sofa, surrounded by toys and scattered items he'd thrown around.
This was the first time Nathan had seen Ryan this angry. Usually polite and well-mannered, Ryan was surprisingly volatile when he lost his temper.
Not far away, Sophie lounged on a small sofa, quietly watching Ryan's outburst.
Nathan squeezed into a small sofa opposite Ryan, which wasn't easy for an adult, but he did it to communicate effectively with Ryan despite his discomfort.
He initially wanted to speak gently, but seeing Ryan's cold, expressionless face, Nathan realized that persuasion might not work. Ryan was probably the hardest person to convince, so Nathan thought he needed to take a firmer approach.
"Go to bed," Nathan said coldly.
"No," Ryan replied shortly and firmly.
They both had cold expressions on their similar faces.
Sophie shrank back a little.
Nathan realized he had met his match; Ryan wasn't budging. Nathan pondered, 'How should I respond?'
"What do you want?" Nathan asked coldly.
"Go home," Ryan's voice was even colder.
The nanny nearby started.
"This is your home," Nathan tried to persuade.
Ryan shot back, "No, it's not."
"You're Nick's child. Nick's home is your home," Nathan tried to reason.
But Ryan wasn't having it. "My home is where my mom is."
This statement hit Nathan like a ton of bricks.
No matter what he or the Kennedy Family did, they could never replace Caroline in Ryan and Sophie's minds.
"Just stay one night, okay?" Nathan tried to compromise.
"No," Ryan was unwavering.
A surge of anger rose in Nathan's heart. As the head of Kennedy Corp, he was invincible, yet he couldn't handle a child?
Nathan insisted, "Just tonight, and I'll send you back in the morning."
Ryan uttered, "No."
The negotiation reached a deadlock.
Nathan was at a loss. He couldn't throw a tantrum like a child.
Then he thought of Sophie. Sophie was always easygoing; maybe she could persuade Ryan.
But Sophie was confident that Ryan would win in the end.
Because she knew that while Ryan was usually reasonable, once he dug his heels in, no one could budge him.
Seeing Nathan heading her way, Sophie immediately got the hint that he wanted her help.
Sophie knew she couldn't sway Ryan. No one could break his resolve.
So, she quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
When Nathan got closer, he saw that Sophie, who was awake just a moment ago, was suddenly out cold.
Not wanting to disturb her, he signaled the nanny to gently cover Sophie with a blanket.
Nathan turned back to face Ryan.
To ease the tension, Nathan didn't sit down but knelt on one knee in front of Ryan, trying to appear gentle. "Ryan, it's really late now. It's not safe outside. I'll definitely take you back first thing in the morning."
Nathan deliberately slowed his speech and softened his tone as much as possible.
But Ryan's stance didn't change.
"No!" Ryan stayed stubborn, refusing any negotiation.
Nathan exhaled deeply, his inner frustration almost making him want to tear the room apart, but he had to stay calm.
He couldn't provoke Ryan any further; Ryan's stubbornness was unmatched.
"Sophie is already asleep. Do you want to wake her up?" Nathan tried to appeal to his sense of family.
"She's pretending," Ryan said bluntly.
Sophie felt both amused and helpless, 'I'm pretending to be asleep, but Ryan sees through it. Woe is me! Why drag me into the battle?'
Nathan looked back at Sophie, realizing she was pretending to sleep. No wonder she "fell asleep" so quickly.
Sophie was young but very perceptive.
"Is there really no room for negotiation?" Nathan showed a bit of defeat in his words.
"No," Ryan insisted.
Nathan stood up and paced a few steps.
Should he stick to his guns or completely surrender?
If he didn't agree, Ryan wouldn't let it go.
Ryan and Sophie's sleep was crucial; they needed enough rest to grow.
Thinking of this, Nathan sighed and instructed his staff, "Prepare the car."
At eleven o'clock at night in Aurora City, the stars and lights intertwined, and the city was still lively.
In a luxurious Rolls-Royce, Nathan was sandwiched between two child safety seats. The scene was somewhat comical.
The car weaved through the brightly lit city, the neon lights outside like fleeting dreams, while it was quiet inside the car.
Sophie was already drowsy, her initial pretense of sleep turning into real fatigue. Plus, the day's play had exhausted her; her eyelids drooped until they finally closed.
In contrast, Ryan was still alert, sitting upright and silent. Despite Nathan's concession, Ryan's displeasure hadn't dissipated. His handsome face was full of indifference, deliberately averted from Nathan as if Nathan were invisible.
Nathan muttered to himself, 'Can't afford to offend him.'
He began to ponder how to make amends with Ryan. Ryan wasn't an ordinary child; sweet talk wouldn't work on him.
As for apology? Impossible. Nathan never apologized easily, especially since he believed he wasn't wrong this time.
He provided such excellent living conditions. Was it wrong to ask Ryan and Sophie to stay one night? The luxurious children's room at Elegant Mountain Estate, with world-class facilities, how could staying one night be a grievance?
The driver, observing them through the rearview mirror, secretly laughed, 'Nathan had finally met his match!'
"Ryan," Nathan tried to break the deadlock.
He decided to be magnanimous and take the initiative to make peace. He comforted himself inwardly, 'It’s worth compromising!'
However, Ryan ignored him.
"Ryan Rockefeller," Nathan called Ryan by his full name.
Ryan remained unmoved.
Nathan was a bit annoyed. He turned on the overhead light and stared directly at Ryan's stern little face. "I'm talking to you."
Ryan still didn't look at Nathan. "What is it?"
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