Chapter 97: Why Is There a Children’s Room in Your House?
...
「Half an hour later.」
Adrian Grant came downstairs alone.
Carrying a new calligraphy copybook and a few children’s picture books, he walked over to Ryan Grant, who was playing in the garden. "Have fun here at your grandpa’s for a couple of days. Call me if you need anything."
Ryan Grant stared at the copybook, not a toy, and for the first time, a silent expression fell over his little face.
But his father had handed it to him personally, so his good manners compelled him to accept it with both hands. "Daddy, I’ll study hard."
...
After he left, Jonathan Grant and Grace Lawson came downstairs, their arms full of new toys.
"Ryan, look at all these toys. Do you like them?"
"I do. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma."
"As long as you like them! Tell Grandma later if there’s anything you want to eat. Grandpa has to step out for a bit, but Grandma will stay with you today."
First thing in the morning, they had confirmed the matter of Zoe Grant, which also indirectly confirmed that the child had traveled back from the future.
Grace Lawson’s head was still spinning.
After Jonathan Grant left the old residence, Grace Lawson, still in disbelief, began to probe indirectly. "Have you ever met Uncle Zoe?"
Ryan Grant was busy unwrapping a new toy. Hearing Grace Lawson’s question, he answered without looking up, "I have."
"Then can you tell Grandma about Uncle Zoe, please?"
...
When Caroline Whitman arrived at the company early that morning, Franklin Whitman was also at work.
They ran into each other in the elevator.
When she got to her office and saw Franklin Whitman follow her in, she knew the old man was about to ask about her and Adrian Grant again.
"You didn’t go back to Azure Heights last night?" Franklin Whitman asked doubtfully.
Caroline Whitman shot him a sideways glance. "You went to my place again?"
"What do you mean, ’your place again’?" Franklin Whitman glanced back at her, then casually continued, "Why did you set up a kids’ room in your apartment?"
"It’s for Ryan."
"Oh, right, for Ryan... Wait a minute, that’s his kid. Why are you setting up a room for him?" Franklin Whitman almost didn’t catch it.
Although the child was well-behaved and was nominally Caroline’s godson, Franklin Whitman felt there was no way Caroline would willingly clear out a room for a child on such short notice.
"What’s wrong with that? The kid comes over sometimes, so it’s good for him to have a place to stay. And even if he’s not here, my own kid can use it in the future. It’s just preparing in advance."
"Oh, right. That makes sense." Franklin Whitman thought it sounded reasonable, but then, after a pause, he realized something else. "No, wait. You’re already thinking about getting married and having kids?"
He looked utterly shocked.
’Is this the same person who was saying she didn’t want to get married just a little while ago?’
He thought about it. ’That little brat Ryan really is quite magical.’
After spending those two days with the boy, he’d started wanting a grandson of his own.
Franklin Whitman said, "Well, you’d better get a move on. You can’t have a baby on your own."
Caroline Whitman was speechless.
His words actually gave her pause.
’If the child isn’t from a so-called parallel world, but really from the future... ’
’...then if Adrian Grant and I go our separate ways, will Ryan Grant disappear from this world?’
Franklin Whitman’s voice interrupted her thoughts again. "By the way, your mother wanted me to tell you, if things are really getting serious with Adrian Grant, she wants you to bring him home for dinner."
...
Just then, her secretary suddenly pushed the door open and entered.
"President Whitman, I’ve finished the investigation you requested on Ethan Xavier’s overseas company. The qualifications are all in order, and all associated connections appear normal."
Caroline Whitman nodded. "Good, I understand."
"Oh, and President Whitman, a Miss Sutton sent over an invitation."
"Which Miss Sutton?"
"Wanda Sutton. The invitation arrived at the company yesterday, but you weren’t here."
Caroline Whitman raised an eyebrow, took the invitation from her secretary, and dismissed her before opening it.
It was for Wanda Sutton’s birthday party.
...
’Tonight?’
’What a coincidence.’
’But why would she suddenly send me an invitation?’
They had gone to the same high school, but they had never socialized.
Franklin Whitman glanced over. "Wanda Sutton? The one from Sutton Group?"
He remembered Caroline telling him at the very beginning to never have any dealings with the Sutton Family. He had kept that in mind.
’And look at you now, getting friendly with their daughter?’
Franklin Whitman asked, "What’s going on? Are we able to work with Sutton Group now?"
"Not at all," Caroline Whitman denied it. "I have no idea why she’d suddenly send me an invitation."
"Are you going?"
"No."
Since its founding, the Whitman Group had never once collaborated with the Sutton Family, or even with the Fuller Family for that matter.
And now she was suddenly being invited to a birthday party...
’Anyone who’s read a Mary Sue novel knows what a disaster the villainess’s birthday party always is.’
Caroline Whitman hadn’t forgotten the disaster that was the last and only birthday party she’d attended.
—
When she got off work that evening, Caroline Whitman hesitated between going back to Golden Crest Manor or Azure Heights.
After some thought, she ultimately chose to drive back to Azure Heights.
With the child gone, returning to Golden Crest Manor would make her intentions a little too obvious.
On a rare day when she didn’t have to work overtime and got off on time, she was planning to relax, but a message from Lily Young arrived right on cue.
"Hey, you didn’t come to Wanda Sutton’s birthday party?"
"...You went?" Caroline Whitman fell silent, looking at the dozen or so photos of the party that Lily Young had sent.
She scrolled through them. All the Kingsport socialites she knew were there.
Even Vincent Fuller was there, but Luna Lynn was nowhere to be seen.
Caroline Whitman zoomed in on the men in the photos, but after searching, she couldn’t find Adrian Grant.
’I wonder if he went back to The Seraphic or Golden Crest Manor after work today.’
In truth, all she had to do was check the security camera footage from the entrance of Golden Crest Manor to find out.
She hadn’t checked her phone yet, simply because it wasn’t time.
It was only nine o’clock in the evening—far too early.
She was planning to check the next morning.
But now, with Wanda Sutton’s birthday party, it made no sense that Adrian Grant wouldn’t be on the guest list.
Caroline Whitman pulled up the security feed. There was no notification of the door being opened.
This meant Adrian Grant hadn’t returned to Golden Crest Manor tonight either. It was expected, yet she still felt a pang of disappointment.
Lily Young: "Hehe, I wasn’t invited, but Chubby snuck me in."
The "Chubby" Lily Young mentioned was Finn Kaye.
Caroline Whitman: "..."
She was about to say something else when Ryan Grant’s routine check-in video call came through.
As soon as she answered, a close-up of a small face appeared on the screen, followed by a childish voice:
"Mommy, are you off work?"
"I am." Caroline Whitman looked at Ryan Grant’s back and asked curiously, "Are you in your room by yourself right now?"
"Yep. Grandma decorated a new room for me. I’m going to sleep right after I talk to Mommy."
"Oh, did your dad come back tonight?"
"He came back and had dinner with us, but then he took a call and went out again. Did Daddy go to find you?"
...
’Did he?’
’Of course not.’
Caroline Whitman smiled. "Yes, he did. You should get to sleep, okay? Mommy needs to rest."
Ryan Grant: "Oh, goodnight, Mommy."
After the video call ended, a few more messages came in from Lily Young.
Lily Young: [HOLY CRAP!]
Lily Young: [Finn Kaye’s friend Zane Carson got into a car accident!]
Lily Young: [I have to leave before I even got to eat any cake.]
Just as Caroline Whitman finished reading the message, her phone rang.
"Caroline, can you come over? I’m so sorry, you’re the only person I could think to call."