Seemingly exhausted, the two little ones were incredibly well-behaved with their father around.
Elliot would occasionally stroke their little heads or soothe their backs to help them sleep more soundly.
After a night of fussing, the two little ones, comforted by Elliot's presence, soon drifted off to sleep.
Lionel and Nathaniel watched on, somewhat taken aback.
Lionel never expected the babies who cried and fussed in front of them to behave so obediently in Elliot's presence.
Could this be the power of blood ties?
Nathaniel observed Adora's peacefully sleeping face and remained silent for a while before speaking.
"Elliot, you're a responsible father."
The fact that the twins trusted Elliot so much showed he cared for them greatly.
"But, where's Nana? I know you lied earlier. I want to know the truth."
Elliot glanced at the two children nestled in his lap and calmly replied, "Since you're both here, I know I can't keep it from you, nor do I intend to. There are relevant documents in the desk drawer. Look at them and you'll understand."
Just as Nathaniel was about to rise, Lionel beat him to the desk, unwilling to let him intrude on Elliot's workspace.
After reading the documents, Lionel was left speechless, unable to express his shock.
Nathaniel's expression turned grim, and his frustration was evident.
"Elliot, Nana's been missing from mid-afternoon until now. That's over twelve hours! And yet, you sat in your office smoking and drinking. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Elliot did not even spare him a glance, quietly warning, "Keep your voice down. The kids are asleep. If you wake them, I'll have you carried out tomorrow morning."
Knowing he should not disturb the children, Nathaniel took a deep breath before continuing softly.
"What's your plan now, then?"
"Wait."
Elliot slowly looked up, glancing at him with a mocking gaze.
"Nathaniel, you're losing it. Have you forgotten that you're in a relationship? You have a girlfriend. Yes, I messed up this time and failed to protect her. But can you guarantee that you'd do better than me?"
Nathaniel's face grew paler with each sentence.
Over the years, he had witnessed Elliot and Sheena's relationship, how Elliot cared for his wife and children, and how he seamlessly balanced family responsibilities with work.
Nathaniel begrudgingly admitted that he could not guarantee doing better than Elliot.
He also had enemies in the business world, but he lacked Elliot's power.
He might even have problems obtaining the information in those documents.
Deflated, Nathaniel fell silent.
Lionel spoke up gravely, "Now's not the time to be bitter. The priority is to figure out how to rescue her. Elliot, share your plan with us. Together, we can come up with more ideas."
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