Chapter 53: Jealous?
Adrian Grant said nothing more.
After the plane took off, Caroline Whitman turned off her phone. As she took out her eye mask, she glanced at the man beside her.
He already had his eyes closed, resting.
She looked away, put on her eye mask, and closed her eyes to rest as well.
But after only a moment of silence, she suddenly began to ponder the meaning behind Adrian Grant’s earlier words.
’Wait, why did he bring up Chase Ford out of nowhere?’
People have three great delusions.
First, that your phone vibrated. Second, that you can turn the tables and win.
And third, that he likes you.
Right now, Caroline Whitman was narcissistically adding a fourth great delusion to the list.
’Is he jealous?’
Her heart skipped a beat. Caroline Whitman quietly pulled down one side of her eye mask to peek at him.
Adrian Grant was leaning back against his seat with his eyes closed. He had long since taken off his gold-rimmed glasses, revealing a high-bridged nose, well-defined lips, and even a jawline that was sharp and handsome.
The refined elegance usually hidden behind his glasses was now on full display, making him seem less distant and more serene.
She slowly pulled the eye mask back up and turned her head away.
’Then again, how could a man like him possibly be jealous? The very idea is laughable.’
They got off the plane.
It was already seven in the evening.
After collecting their luggage, Assistant Lynch looked at his phone and said, "President Whitman, the driver is already waiting for us outside."
"Okay."
Caroline Whitman glanced in Adrian Grant’s direction. His assistant had also arranged for a car. After a moment’s thought, she said goodbye to Adrian before leaving. "We’ll be going now."
Adrian Grant nodded, his eyes following her until she got into the car.
Just then, Chief Assistant Carson, who was beside Adrian Grant, said, "President Grant, our car is also waiting for us outside."
The two cars, one after the other, pulled up in front of the same hotel lobby.
As she got out of the car and saw a familiar face appear before her, Caroline Whitman couldn’t help but ask Assistant Lynch gloomily,
"You didn’t conspire with Adrian Grant’s assistant, did you?"
Assistant Lynch broke out in a sweat. "I’ve been wrongly accused, President Whitman! I don’t even know President Grant’s assistant, let alone have his contact information..."
Caroline Whitman muttered in bewilderment, "...This is so weird. It’s been one strange thing after another these past two days."
While the two assistants were still at the front desk checking in, Adrian Grant and Caroline Whitman had already gone ahead and stepped into an elevator.
She watched his long fingers press the button for the 26th floor. She waited in silence for the elevator doors to open, then quietly followed Adrian Grant out.
Adrian Grant stopped when he found his room, just as the BEEP of a door unlocking sounded from behind him.
"..."
「At the restaurant.」
Caroline Whitman watched the man across from her, who ate with such elegance. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and took small bites of the food on her plate.
To think they would end up having dinner together after all.
Except this time, Adrian Grant had been the one to invite her to dinner; it wasn’t another meeting brought about by "fate."
Booking the same hotel was one thing, but being on the same floor and even having rooms directly across from each other was another.
Caroline Whitman glanced up again at the man with impeccable table manners, thinking to herself, ’Is our fate really this strong?’
An idle mind wanders, especially in the quiet moments.
Adrian Grant rarely spoke while eating, and Caroline Whitman didn’t have the habit of talking during meals either. This was only the second time the two of them had eaten together like this, face to face.
The last time had been when she was helping Adrian Grant cover for a blind date.
Both times, they didn’t have much to talk about when they were together.
Caroline Whitman’s thoughts drifted. She wondered what their relationship was like in the parallel world.
Was Adrian Grant’s personality just as cold there?
But then she thought of Ryan Grant’s lively, clever, and outgoing nature. His parents’ personalities and parenting style couldn’t have been the dull and quiet type.
She recalled the child saying that she was the one who had pursued Adrian Grant...
Caroline Whitman lifted her gaze again to look at Adrian Grant, finding it truly impossible to imagine how she could have successfully pursued such a quiet man.
Adrian Grant had already finished eating. He set down his utensils, picked up a napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth, and then put it down. As he looked up, his gaze met hers perfectly.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"I was thinking about how I..."
Caroline Whitman realized what she was saying and stopped abruptly.
"How what?" Adrian Grant pressed.
"How I keep running into you. Our paths have been a little too aligned today. I thought our assistants had planned it."
"These frequent chance encounters are surprising to me as well," Adrian Grant said.
Caroline Whitman smiled. "Surely we’re not meeting with the same company this time."
Adrian Grant said, "I doubt it."
He paused, as if a thought had occurred to him. His lips parted again, and with a hint of teasing, he said, "At least it won’t be like Chase Ford’s company, where we have overlapping business interests and conflicts with you."
"..."
’There he goes again,’ she thought. ’Why did that sound so snarky?’
Just as she was about to offer a sarcastic retort, her phone rang.
Caroline Whitman opened her bag, took out her phone, and saw it was a video call from Franklin Whitman.
She answered, and an adorable, cherubic face appeared on the screen.
"Godmom, what are you doing? Do you miss me?"
Hearing the word "Godmom," Adrian Grant couldn’t help but smile.
’She really succeeded in teaching him that.’
Caroline Whitman put on a gentle smile. "Of course I do. I’m at a restaurant having dinner. Why do you have Grandpa’s phone? Where is he?"
"Grandpa’s upstairs. He let me play with his phone."
"..."
"What about Grandma?"
"Grandma went to play mahjong."
"..."
She knew her parents were carefree, but she didn’t think they were *this* carefree.
She wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or worried about leaving the child at the old family home.
After a pause, Caroline Whitman glanced at the man across from her. Thinking that the child would ask about Adrian Grant sooner or later, a mischievous idea struck her. "Your godfather is here too."
"Here, say hi to your godfather."
She passed the phone over, and Adrian Grant had no choice but to take it, his eyes immediately falling on the familiar little face.
The next second, the boy, following Caroline Whitman’s cue, blinked his eyes and called out to him in a sweet, soft voice, "Godfather."
"...Mm."
Caroline Whitman lowered her head, covering her smile.
Adrian Grant held the phone. "Did anything happen in class today?"
To make sure the child wasn’t being wronged or bullied at the early education center, Adrian Grant asked this almost every day.
Ryan Grant, holding the phone, obediently recounted what had happened that day.
Watching this, Caroline Whitman felt like yawning. This conversation wouldn’t be over any time soon.
She got up and went to the restroom.
Coming downstairs into the living room, Franklin Whitman saw Tiny on the phone. Listening closely, he was surprised. ’Huh, the little guy even reports his daily activities to his parents every day.’
Carrying a glass of water, he walked past Ryan Grant and heard the little one ask, "Godfather, when are you coming back?" Franklin Whitman stopped in his tracks, then backed up to glance at the person on the screen.
Adrian Grant’s face was clearly visible on the screen.
Franklin Whitman’s eyes widened, and he leaned closer. "Adrian Grant is your godfather?"
He was shocked!
Adrian Grant paused. Faced with the large face that had suddenly appeared on the screen, he remained perfectly composed. "Hello, Uncle."
Franklin Whitman asked in astonishment, "This child is your godson?"
Adrian Grant nodded. "...Mm."
Franklin Whitman paused, then it dawned on him that the call was from Caroline Whitman’s account. "Hey, wait a minute. Is Caroline with you right now?"
Adrian Grant replied, "We ran into each other in Janton today, so we’re having a meal together."
Franklin Whitman asked again, "Where is she?"
Clearly, he knew his daughter all too well. If Caroline Whitman were there, she would have definitely cut off their conversation by now.
And she would never casually hand her phone to a man.