Chapter 130: Is the Strength Okay?
This time, while Adrian Grant was over for dinner, Franklin Whitman and Yolanda Young didn’t ask too many questions about their relationship.
They didn’t ask about getting married or engaged.
It was just a simple meal and some casual, everyday conversation.
After dinner, Franklin Whitman took the opportunity to ask Adrian Grant for some business advice and chat about industry prospects.
Caroline and her father listened quietly, taking mental notes.
Meanwhile, Ryan Grant was obediently nestled in Adrian Grant’s arms. Before long, he slid out and ran over to Caroline Whitman, asking for a hug.
After a few minutes of being held, he got down again and ran to Franklin Whitman, wanting to be held.
Eventually, Ryan Grant started yawning, his eyes drooping shut.
Franklin Whitman saw this, stood up with the child in his arms, and said, "Why don’t you let the boy stay here? Otherwise, you two have work tomorrow and will have to make another trip back here."
Ryan Grant, drowsy as he was, sensed the movement and opened his eyes. When he heard he was supposed to sleep here, he protested. He’d been looking forward to being with his mom and dad for so long.
He turned his head and called out to Caroline Whitman and Adrian Grant in a soft, pleading voice, "I want Mommy and Daddy."
As soon as he said it, Ryan Grant realized he wasn’t supposed to call Caroline Whitman and Adrian Grant "Mommy" and "Daddy" in front of his grandpa.
He was about to correct himself, but after a couple of seconds, Franklin Whitman didn’t seem to react. Instead, Adrian Grant stepped forward, took the boy into his arms, and said to Franklin:
"While Caroline was away on business, Ryan missed her terribly. We were planning to spend some quality time with him these next few days."
Hearing this, Ryan Grant hesitantly called out, "Daddy," again.
"Hm?" Adrian Grant looked down at him.
"Mommy, I want Mommy to hold me," Ryan Grant said, turning to look at Caroline Whitman, testing the waters.
At his words, Caroline Whitman took him into her arms. This series of events fully woke Ryan Grant from his sleepy state.
’Looks like I don’t have to keep calling them Godfather and Godmother in front of Grandpa anymore.’
’Yay!’
’I can finally call them Mommy and Daddy out in the open.’
Franklin Whitman watched them. Though they weren’t officially a family of three, they certainly looked like one.
’Look at them,’ he thought. ’Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were already married.’
"Alright then, you guys figure it out."
Franklin Whitman didn’t insist.
Yolanda Young was watching TV in the living room. Seeing the group come downstairs, she stood up, looked at them, and said:
"Leaving now?"
Adrian Grant replied, "Yes. Thank you for all your trouble during this time."
At this, Franklin Whitman cut in, "Psh, don’t talk about it being any trouble."
Franklin Whitman was still being reserved.
If it were anyone else, he would have definitely said, "We’re all family, don’t be so formal."
But facing Adrian Grant, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He wasn’t even afraid of Gavin Grant, but this young man had such a powerful aura that Franklin felt a little intimidated at the thought of being left alone with him.
’The student has surpassed the master,’ he thought. ’That saying is really true.’
Franklin was actually quite impressed with his daughter. She had the guts to pursue a guy with such a stone-cold face.
After watching the three of them get into the car, the couple closed the door and started talking.
"So, what do you think?" Yolanda Young asked.
"They already have a kid, what else can be done? It is what it is."
"Hey, what kind of thing is that to say? They have a child, but he’s not from this time-space!"
Yolanda Young hated Franklin Whitman’s ambiguous attitude sometimes.
"Anyway, I can see that Caroline doesn’t reject him at all. If she likes him, forcing her won’t work. If she doesn’t like him, forcing her won’t work either."
"..."
Franklin Whitman put on an air of open-mindedness, then clasped his hands behind his back and went upstairs, humming a little tune.
He left Yolanda Young standing there, watching his back speechlessly.
In truth, Franklin Whitman was very satisfied, but he had his pride to consider. He couldn’t show that he was *too* pleased.
Ryan Grant had already bathed at the family home, and on the way back, the little guy slept soundly in the car.
Even after being placed on the bed, he showed no signs of waking.
After playing sports during the day and building sandcastles with her son in the afternoon, all Caroline Whitman wanted was to take a quick shower and go to sleep.
Before her shower, she stood in the walk-in closet in front of the clear-doored wardrobe where she kept her pajamas.
Inside were several lace slip nightgowns she had brought from Azure Heights.
Caroline Whitman opened the wardrobe, her fingers sliding slowly over the options, but in the end, she chose a set of long-sleeved, long-panted silk pajamas.
When she came out after her shower, Adrian Grant was already in the room.
This time, he wasn’t staring at her with that same aggressive gaze from the first night. Instead, he was sitting in a chair, looking at his laptop.
It was a relief.
However, her gaze then shifted to the bed they slept in.
The comforter had been folded and set to one side.
A section of the sheet was exposed.
"Finished your shower?"
Hearing the sound, Adrian Grant’s gaze lifted from his laptop and turned to fall on Caroline Whitman.
"..."
The question may have been casual, but she read a deeper meaning into it.
It was a perfectly normal greeting, but coming from his lips, it seemed to take on a special meaning.
Caroline Whitman really couldn’t understand why he’d bother asking a question when the answer was plain to see.
She walked over slowly to stand beside him and said in a low voice:
"Next time, if you can see the answer with your own eyes, there’s no need to ask."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to his laptop screen.
Displayed on it were five very serious-looking words:
Manual Acupressure Point Massage.
It looked quite legitimate.
"Alright, I understand."
Adrian Grant smiled gently and didn’t say anything more. He just stood up, closed the laptop, and casually picked up a tie that was lying on the desk.
"What are you doing with a tie this late at night?"
Caroline Whitman followed his movement, her gaze dropping to notice the black tie in his hand.
"For the massage."
"Oh, right, the massage..."
’I thought it was for tying me up or something.’
Caroline Whitman really couldn’t figure out how the tie was going to help him with the massage.
But she found out in the next second.
He actually put the thing over her eyes.
She couldn’t help but ask, "President Grant, does a massage require a blindfold?"
Adrian Grant’s voice sounded from above her. "You can choose not to wear it, but the light might be too harsh."
The next second, she heard the flick of a light switch.
"..."
Caroline Whitman asked again, "Are you turning off the lights?"
Adrian Grant: "Turning them on."
Caroline Whitman didn’t believe him.
She opened her eyes and lifted a small corner of the tie.
Her vision was immediately filled with a blinding white light.
’Wow,’ she thought. ’I never knew the bedroom lights could get this bright.’
In the instant she peeked, her eyes met Adrian Grant’s as he looked down at her.
She saw him leaning down towards her.
Caroline Whitman’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pulled the tie back down, blocking her vision.
Then, a large hand took hers and led her to sit on the edge of the bed.
She hadn’t yet figured out what he was planning to do.
Then she felt a firm grip on her ankle as a hand rested on it.
He began to slowly knead her calf with just the right amount of pressure.
"Is the pressure okay?" Adrian Grant asked in a very professional tone.
Caroline Whitman kept her head down, slightly opening her eyes under the tie. Through a small gap, she could see the man’s focused expression.
She let out a soft "Mhm," unsure of what to do with her hands for a moment, before finally clasping them in her lap.