Chapter 703: Happy Times (3)
Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Happy Times (3)
The group was chatting and laughing when the villa’s front door opened. Nathaniel Nathan emerged from inside, and Vera Xavier immediately ran up to him without a shred of shame. "You’re back! I’m so happy!" she exclaimed.
With Winter Sullivan and Sheldon Caldwell there, she was too embarrassed to throw herself into his arms. However, she still needed to express her feelings in front of him. If she didn’t, he’d give her a hard time the moment they left. Besides, she was genuinely happy to see him.
Seeing the two of them, Sheldon Caldwell felt a pang of secondhand cringe. He curled his lip slightly and said, "Vera Xavier, if you had a tail, it’d be wagging off the hook right now!"
"Mind your own business!" Vera Xavier huffed, glaring at him.
Sheldon Caldwell heaved a long sigh and turned to Winter Sullivan. "Mom, did you see that? This is her way of saying we’re not welcome. She’s kicking us out!"
Vera Xavier immediately let go of Nathaniel’s hand, ran to Winter Sullivan’s side, and linked her arm through hers. "I’m so happy you could come, Auntie," she said. "As for you, Chief Instructor, you can go cool off somewhere!"
"Oh? The coolest place is inside your house. I’ll head in first, then!" Sheldon Caldwell said with a cheeky grin.
This time, Vera couldn’t even be bothered to give him a scornful look.
The corners of Winter Sullivan’s mouth lifted into a small smile. Being with them made her feel much younger.
At the research institute, she was a leader, and she was always extremely strict and serious about her work. As a result, no one at the institute dared to joke in her presence. At home, she and Julian Caldwell had long run out of things to talk about, so the atmosphere there was never very good.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this.
Nathaniel Nathan walked up to her. "Professor Sullivan," he said, "I’ve heard so much about you."
Winter Sullivan was the director of the research institute and already a full professor. But with her many other prestigious titles, few people addressed her that way. To her, "Professor" was actually the title she cherished most.
She smiled as she sized up Nathaniel Nathan. He was dressed in simple casual clothes. Standing there in the sunlight, he had a somewhat cold air about him, but he was very polite. He seemed far more approachable than the last time she’d seen him from across a crowd, when his expression was as cold as frost.
She already had some knowledge of Nathaniel Nathan and a general sense of his personality, so she wasn’t surprised to see him standing there. She smiled and nodded. "You’re too kind. I’ve heard a great deal about you as well. Your accomplishments are remarkable, and I admire you very much."
A gentle smile, rarely seen by anyone other than Vera, appeared on Nathaniel’s face. "You flatter me, Professor Sullivan. It is your work that is truly admirable. For years, your presence has given our operatives on missions a much greater level of security."
He was not a man who typically offered such pleasantries. He said this now partly because he genuinely respected Winter Sullivan, and partly because she was Vera’s biological mother—his mother-in-law.
This meeting wasn’t exactly formal—it was more of a chance encounter—but it was his first time meeting his mother-in-law. The proper respect and courtesy were non-negotiable. No matter what, he wanted to leave a good impression on her.
And while his words might have been polite formalities, they were also the truth. Many of the weapons Winter Sullivan had developed over the years were given priority to operatives on active missions. The superior quality of that weaponry provided them with added security and had significantly reduced casualties.