Chapter 54: Godmother Really Likes Godfather
Adrian Grant looked up at the person approaching from the direction of the restroom. "She went to the restroom. She’s on her way back now."
Franklin Whitman stared at the magnified face on the screen, murmuring, "Oh, I see."
Taking advantage of the pause, Franklin Whitman glanced at Adrian Grant again before his gaze returned to the little boy right in front of him.
He suddenly noticed something. ’How come the two of them—the man and the boy—look so much alike?’
Franklin Whitman chuckled. "I just realized, you two look quite alike."
Caroline Whitman had just returned when she heard her father’s voice and what he was saying. A jolt went through her!
’Crap!’
’How did those two start talking?!’
She strode forward and immediately snatched the phone away.
"Dad," Caroline Whitman hurriedly changed the subject. "Look at the time. You’re still letting him play on the phone? It’s time for him to go to sleep."
"Ryan, go to bed early. You have school tomorrow."
"Honey... hey—"
Franklin Whitman wanted to say more, but the video call suddenly ended.
He looked at his phone and muttered, "Hey, I hadn’t even finished speaking, and she hung up so fast. Could she have a guilty conscience?"
After a moment, Franklin Whitman put away his phone, looked at Ryan Grant, and said mysteriously, "So, your godfather is Adrian Grant?"
Ryan desperately wanted to say, ’He’s my real dad,’ but when he remembered Caroline’s strict instructions and his grandparents’ health, he simply nodded without a word.
Franklin Whitman had a peculiar way of thinking. "Haha, in that case, I was right to have you call Jonathan Grant ’Grandpa’ the other day."
"Alright, alright, Grandpa will take you to bed, lest your godmother accuse me of being a bad influence again."
"But you really do look like your godfather. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he was your real dad."
Franklin Whitman rambled on for a bit before suddenly zeroing in on the main point.
He leaned in curiously, a mischievous grin on his face. "Give Grandpa the inside scoop. Does your godmother like your godfather?"
Ryan thought for a moment. ’Mommy never said I couldn’t talk about this.’
So, this time, he didn’t just nod. He spoke up. "My godmother likes my godfather a lot."
"Oh?" Franklin Whitman’s interest was piqued. "How much does she like him?"
"A lot, a whole lot. My godmother has lots of pictures of my godfather."
Franklin Whitman clapped his hands, an "I knew it" expression spreading across his face.
—
After hanging up the video call, Caroline Whitman felt a lingering fear. She glanced at him. "How did you two even start talking?"
"Your father happened to be passing by when the boy called me ’Godfather.’ I suppose he struck up a conversation out of curiosity."
"..."
Remembering Franklin Whitman’s last comment and seeing Adrian Grant’s current calm expression, she couldn’t help but ask gloomily:
"Basically, you were on screen with the kid, and my dad noticed you two look alike. How can you not be worried at all?"
"Worrying is useless," Adrian Grant said calmly. "Instead of worrying that your father will get suspicious, you should be more worried about him questioning the child about us."
When Caroline Whitman heard this, she realized that was something Franklin Whitman would absolutely do.
The instructions she had given her son before her business trip flashed through her mind. She pursed her lips, as if reassuring herself. "I told Ryan what to do before I left. He shouldn’t say anything he’s not supposed to."
...
In fact, Adrian Grant had hit the nail on the head.
That night, after returning to her hotel, Caroline Whitman received several messages from Franklin Whitman on WhatsApp.
She opened them to take a look.
[Don’t Wait Until You Lose Him to Feel Regret]
[Is a Woman Chasing a Man Really Degrading? After Reading This, I Just Want to Make the First Move]
[Does He Like You? Make a Move and You’ll Know]
[A Woman Chasing a Man Isn’t Desperate or Pathetic]
[Truly Smart Women Pursue Men Subtly]
[The Thirty-Six Stratagems for Chasing Men]
Caroline Whitman fell silent.
’Seriously, where on earth did her dad find so many weird Official Account articles?’
Caroline Whitman: [...]
Franklin Whitman: [Read and learn! If you don’t get it, ask your dad! Your dad is your strongest supporter and strategist.]
Franklin Whitman: [No one in the Whitman family is a coward!]
"..."
"What is all this nonsense?"
Caroline Whitman pressed her forehead in exasperation. If it weren’t so late, she would have called Ryan right then and there to ask him what on earth he’d told Franklin Whitman.
Just as she was about to turn off her phone, Franklin Whitman sent another message: "Remember to click and read them, okay?"
"..."
Caroline Whitman glanced at the clickbait article titles again, her eyes finally landing on the last one, "The Thirty-Six Stratagems for Chasing Men."
Her hand moved on its own and clicked it.
The article opened with the first stratagem: [Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Sea]
[Start by being friends. Pretend it’s just ’on the way,’ ’by chance,’ ’a coincidence...’]
...
[Stratagem Seven: Create Something from Nothing. Fabricate the illusion that ’we’re so fated to meet...’]
When Caroline Whitman saw this line, she couldn’t help but think of all the "coincidental" encounters over the past two days and fell silent for a moment.
’Speaking of which, does this count as "creating something from nothing"?’
Caroline Whitman continued to scroll down, seeing things like "Turn the Tables," "The Beauty Trap," "Sow Discord," "The Self-Inflicted Injury Ploy..."
...until the final stratagem, "Retreat is the Best Option": If he doesn’t like you, it’s useless no matter how hard you chase him. Run!
"..."
’That’s as good as saying nothing at all.’
Caroline Whitman turned off her phone and went to sleep.
She spent two hectic days in Janton and Lucia, and this time, there were finally no "coincidental" encounters with Adrian Grant.
The two had only had dinner together on the first day they arrived in Janton.
Their business entertainment schedules didn’t align. On the evening of the second day, Adrian Grant left Janton for his next business trip destination.
Franklin Whitman and Yolanda Young looked after the child these past two nights. With his attention diverted, the little guy didn’t pester them for long and would hang up the phone after just a few words.
On Friday evening, Caroline Whitman finished her factory inspections in the two cities and booked a flight back to Kingsport for that night.
It was already one in the morning when she got off the plane.
"President Whitman, which residence are we heading to?" Assistant Lynch asked from the driver’s seat.
For some reason, Caroline Whitman thought of the message she’d received from Adrian Grant that morning, saying he would be back in Kingsport this afternoon.
’He should be home by now.’
’I wonder if he went back to The Seraphic?’
Caroline Whitman glanced out the window. "Let’s go to Golden Crest Manor."
Golden Crest Manor was the apartment she had most recently rented.
Going back to the old family home at this hour would probably disturb them. Azure Heights was under renovation, so Golden Crest Manor was her only option.
「Half an hour later.」
"We’re here, President Whitman."
Caroline Whitman had dozed off. After being woken up, she got out of the car, took her luggage, and got into the elevator.
The moment she opened the door, she saw that the light in the kitchen and bathroom was on.
Caroline Whitman froze.
’Is someone here?’
’Is Adrian Grant back?’
’Or Miss King?’
’Or did I forget to turn off the light when I left?’
Countless possibilities flashed through her mind.
Caroline Whitman entered, opened the shoe cabinet, and saw an extra pair of men’s shoes inside and a missing pair of slippers.
She understood at once.
Just as she started walking toward the bedroom, the bathroom door slid open, and a billow of white steam drifted out.
Hearing the sound, she instinctively turned to look.
Caroline Whitman had originally planned to return on the weekend, but her inspection tour had ended early. She came back ahead of schedule and hadn’t had time to inform Adrian Grant.