Chapter 97: A Little Jealousy, A Little Love

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: A Little Jealousy, A Little Love

~Third-POV~

Reynold turned around, smiling at him. "Alright, Daddy."

Frederick stepped closer and took his hand, their fingers intertwining naturally. Hand in hand, they headed toward the grand staircase to join the family downstairs.

Just as they were about to descend, Frederick’s phone rang, interrupting their walk.

Reynold glanced at Frederick as he took out his phone. The moment Frederick saw the caller ID, his faint smile disappeared, and his expression turned cold and unreadable.

Reynold caught a glimpse of the name on the screen—Eva—but quickly looked away, pretending he hadn’t seen it.

Frederick silenced the ringing phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He cleared his throat before turning to Reynold, his expression guarded.

"Sweetheart, please, would you go downstairs and join them first? I’ll be down in a few minutes."

Reynold looked up at him with a sweet smile. "Why? Is it a business call, or is it someone more important?"

Frederick studied his face for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean," Reynold said softly. His expression remained gentle, but his tone was firm. "Just answer my question."

Frederick held his gaze for a moment before finally giving in. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to Reynold. "It’s Eva," he admitted. "Maybe she’s finally ready to apologize to you."

Reynold’s smile remained, but his fingers tightened slightly around Frederick’s hand. "Then let’s go back to the room together. I’ll wait until you’re done talking to her."

Frederick frowned. "Reynold, I told you to go downstairs. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done talking to her."

"And I told you I’d wait until you were finished," Reynold replied calmly, refusing to back down.

Frederick’s brows drew together, and his voice lowered into a warning. "Reynold."

"Please don’t be like that," Reynold said softly, stepping closer to him. "I know we haven’t officially defined our relationship yet, but we both know how we feel about each other. You like me, and I like you. There’s no point pretending otherwise. If you can get uncomfortable seeing me with someone else, then I should be allowed to tell you when something makes me uncomfortable, too."

He paused, holding Frederick’s gaze. "I’m not saying you can’t answer her call. I’m only asking you to let me stay with you until you’re done."

Frederick stared at him, his expression growing darker. "Reynold..."

"Frederick, please stop saying my name like that," Reynold said. "I don’t want to sit at the dining table wondering what you two are talking about and lose my appetite over it. If you like me, then please act like it. Don’t ask me to leave just because you want to speak privately with your ex-wife. I don’t want to feel like you’re hiding things from me."

"Reynold," Frederick called again, his tone firm.

"Yes, Daddy." Reynold held Frederick’s gaze. "I’m trying to make you understand how I feel. Why is she calling you that you have to step away from me just to answer her? I’m not being insecure, Frederick. You expect me to be open with you, and I want you to be just as open with me."

Frederick’s jaw tightened. "You can’t stop me from taking my calls."

"I’m not trying to stop you," Reynold replied. "But you wouldn’t like it if our positions were reversed. Imagine if someone you weren’t comfortable with called me and I asked you to leave so I could speak to them privately. Would you be happy about that?"

Frederick fell silent. After a moment, he let out a sigh and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"You’re right," he admitted. "Come on, let’s go to the dining room. Everyone is waiting for us."

Reynold smiled and held out his hand. Frederick took it, and they headed downstairs together.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way downstairs. When they reached the lower landing, Reynold tilted his head up to look at Frederick, breaking the silence with a playful smile.

"Frederick, will you take me out later tonight?" he asked sweetly.

A faint smile returned to Frederick’s face. "Of course. Just tell me what kind of place you’d like to go."

"All right, I’ll think of somewhere nice," Reynold replied happily as they continued toward the dining room.

The double doors stood open, revealing a grand chandelier hanging above a long mahogany table. Silver serving platters, fine porcelain, and an impressive spread of food covered the table. The family was already seated, with Grandfather at the head, Grandmother to his right, and Freya chatting with Alden.

As Frederick and Reynold entered, Grandmother looked up from her tea and glanced between them.

"What took you both so long? The food is getting cold."

Frederick stepped forward, resting a hand on Reynold’s waist. "Sorry, Grandmother. We got caught up upstairs."

Alden caught Reynold’s eye and gave him a knowing smirk, while Freya chuckled softly into her napkin.

Frederick led Reynold to the seat beside his own and pulled out the chair for him.

"Sit here, sweetheart," he said.

Reynold smiled politely and settled into the chair before Frederick took his seat beside him.

"Finally!" Grandmother exclaimed, gesturing toward the dishes. "Go on, eat as much as you like. And Reynold, dear, make sure you eat enough. We have plenty of delicious food, so enjoy yourself."

Reynold blushed under her attention and nodded politely. "Thank you, Grandmother. Everything smells wonderful."

Frederick picked up the serving tongs and placed a generous portion of meat and roasted vegetables on Reynold’s plate before serving himself. "Don’t overwhelm him, Grandmother," he said with a smile.

As the family settled into their meal, Reynold leaned closer to Frederick, letting his shoulder brush against his arm. Beneath the tablecloth, he reached for Frederick’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Frederick glanced at Reynold but said nothing. Instead, he covered Reynold’s hand with his own and held it against his thigh as they continued eating.

His mind kept returning to what had happened on the stairs. He hadn’t expected Reynold to

His mind kept returning to what had happened earlier. He hadn’t expected Reynold to insist on staying with him, especially when it came to Eva. He had only wanted to answer her call to find out if she was finally ready to apologize to Reynold. Still, his usually gentle boy had surprised him by standing his ground and making it clear that he wouldn’t be pushed aside.

Beside him, Reynold smiled to himself as he took another bite of his meal. If you wouldn’t like me doing the same thing, then I won’t let you do it either.

The meal continued with light conversation and laughter. Reynold enjoyed the food so much that he finished everything on his plate, taking Grandmother’s advice to heart. Frederick ate less, occasionally glancing at Reynold as he happily enjoyed his meal.

When everyone had finished eating, they left the dining room and gathered in the grand living room to relax.

A moment later, Reynold felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw a private message from Alden.

Alden:Can we talk outside for a few minutes?

Reynold read the message before typing his reply.

Reynold:No, Alden. We’ll talk on campus, not right now, please.

A few seconds later, Alden replied.

Alden:I understand.

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with the family. As the sun began to set, Frederick checked his watch and turned to his grandparents.

"We should get going now," he said.

Grandmother looked reluctant to see them leave. She held Reynold’s hand for a moment before asking, "All right, dear. When will you bring Reynold back to visit us?"

"Soon, Grandmother," Frederick replied with a gentle smile. "Very soon."

Reynold stood and said goodbye to his grandparents and Freya. Before leaving, he turned to Alden and gave him a small wave. Alden returned it, and Reynold went back to Frederick’s side.

Frederick took his hand, and they walked out of the mansion together.

The driver was waiting by the car. As soon as he saw them approaching, he stepped forward and opened the rear door. Frederick held it while Reynold climbed in, then slid in beside him.

The driver closed the door and returned to his seat before starting the engine.

As the car pulled out of the estate and onto the main road, Reynold moved closer to Frederick. He wrapped both arms around his arm and rested his head against his broad shoulder, settling comfortably beside him as they headed back to Frederick’s estate.

Frederick looked quietly out the window at the passing evening scenery, while Reynold closed his eyes, feeling a deep, quiet happiness wash over him.

Meeting Frederick’s family had been overwhelming in the best possible way. Even though Reynold still wasn’t entirely sure where he stood or what the exact label on their relationship was, Frederick had brought him into his home and introduced him to his family. That alone meant everything to him.

It wasn’t just Frederick who cared for him; Lily adored him, and everyone in the family had welcomed him with open arms. Watching them all sit together, sharing food, laughing, and bantering across the dining table, it hit Reynold with a sudden, aching realization:

So this is what a real family feels like.