Chapter 69 Chapter 69
Leo chuckled. "He fit right in with our chaos. The boys haven't stopped talking about him."
As they moved toward the entrance, Tony caught Iris's hand, and she leaned into him briefly.
"They're going to be fine," he murmured.
Richard turned to Leo and Carol once inside. "Before dinner, perhaps the four of us might speak privately? There's much to discuss about how our families move forward together."
Leo nodded. "We'd like that."
Iris watched her parents, all four of them, walk toward Richard's study, hope and anxiety swirling in her chest. Tony's hand remained steady in hers as the sounds of Bryce and Jakob's excited chatter faded down the hallway toward the basement lab.
"You're thinking too hard," Tony observed, his thumb tracing gentle circles against her palm.
Iris turned to face him, a small frown creasing her brow. "It's just... this is all so strange. Yesterday, my brothers met you, I mean, the Lawson brothers. You grew up in their circle. Today, everyone's here acting like this is normal." She paused, her analytical mind catching on something that had been nagging at her. "True, but it's a wonder my four younger brothers and my parents, who haven't met you before, didn't even jump on you. Okay, that's just weird, and I've never had a boyfriend before."
Tony's eyebrows rose slightly at her observation. "You're right. I expected at least some interrogation from your father. Maybe a protective glare from Buck and Finn."
"Exactly," Iris said, her designer's mind picking apart the situation like she would a flawed sketch. "Dad's a firefighter. He's protective. And Buck once scared off a boy who asked me to prom junior year just by standing behind me with his arms crossed. But today? Nothing. They barely acknowledged you beyond polite hellos."
Tony considered this, his expression shifting from amused to thoughtful. "Maybe they're overwhelmed by everything else? Meeting the Lawsons, seeing the estate..."
"Maybe," Iris conceded, though she didn't sound convinced. "Or maybe Theodore said something yesterday when they visited. He's very... thorough."
A knowing smile crossed Tony's face. "You think your biological brother gave your adoptive family a briefing on your boyfriend?"
"It would be very Theodore," Iris replied, a hint of dry humour entering her voice despite her confusion. "He probably prepared a dossier. 'Antony Kennedy III: Background, Intentions, and Threat Assessment.'"
Tony laughed, the sound warm and genuine in the grand entrance hall. "Should I be offended or impressed?"
"Both, probably." Iris leaned against him slightly, some of her tension easing. "I just... I don't know what I expected. Maybe Dad pulling you aside for 'the talk' or Mom asking pointed questions about your intentions. That's what normal families do when their daughter brings home a boyfriend for the first time."
"Nothing about this situation is normal," Tony pointed out gently. "Your families are meeting each other for the first time while simultaneously processing that you're the long-lost Lawson heiress. Your boyfriend's identity probably ranks fairly low on their list of concerns right now."
Iris nodded slowly, acknowledging the logic even as something still felt off. "I suppose. It's just that I've spent nineteen years imagining how my parents would react when I finally brought someone home. I had it all planned out in my head. Dad would be gruff but fair. Mom would ask about your family, your studies, and your plans for the future. The boys would tease me mercilessly."
"And instead?"
"Instead, my dad shook your hand like you were a business acquaintance, my mom smiled politely, and my brothers were too distracted by Bryce and the promise of basketball to even register your existence." She sighed, frustration and something deeper, perhaps disappointment, colouring her voice. "I know it's silly to be upset about this when there's so much else happening, but..."
"It's not silly," Tony assured her, turning to face her fully. His hands found her shoulders, grounding her with his steady presence. "You wanted them to care enough to grill me. To make sure I was worthy of their daughter and sister."
Iris felt heat rise to her cheeks at how easily he'd understood her unspoken feelings. "When you put it that way, it sounds..."
"Completely reasonable," he finished. "You've never had a boyfriend before. This is a milestone, and you wanted it to be acknowledged, even amid everything else."
She met his eyes, vulnerability softening her usually guarded expression. "Is it strange that I'm more nervous about them accepting you than about any of this Lawson stuff?"
Tony's expression softened with affection. "Not strange at all. The Lawson situation happened to you. But choosing to be with me, that's a decision you made. It makes sense that you'd want your family's approval for something you actually had control over."
Before Iris could respond, footsteps echoed from the corridor leading to the guest wing. Victor appeared, his military bearing softened by what might have been amusement.
"Bryce has already recruited Jakob for his crystalline experiment," he reported. "Nikolaus is with Mother in the studio, she's showing him her early sketches. And Buck and Finn are inspecting the basketball court with a level of seriousness that suggests they're planning military strategy rather than a casual game."
"Thank you, Victor," Iris said, appreciating the update even as she recognised it for what it was, her biological brother checking on her while pretending to deliver information.
Victor's gaze shifted to Tony, assessing him with the practised eye of someone trained to evaluate threats. "Kennedy. I trust you're settling in?"
"Just keeping Iris company while the parents talk," Tony replied evenly, meeting Victor's scrutiny without flinching.
Victor nodded slowly, something shifting in his expression. "Theodore mentioned you've been... supportive throughout this situation. That you warned us about your mother's intentions regarding the Maxwell family."
"I did what was right," Tony said simply.
"Not everyone does." Victor paused, then added with careful deliberation, "The Maxwell family may not have had the opportunity to properly vet you yet, given the circumstances. But we have. Theodore conducted a thorough background review before your first visit."