Chapter 30 Chapter 30
Richard observed the subtle interaction between his newfound daughter and the Kennedy heir with mixed emotions. Under normal circumstances, he would have been wary of any Kennedy showing interest in his family. But these were far from normal circumstances, and the young man had shown genuine concern for Iris that seemed to transcend his family's calculating nature.
As they reached the parking lot, Theodore directed their small procession toward two waiting vehicles, a sleek black SUV with tinted windows for the Lawson family, and Tony's more modest car parked several spaces away.
"We'll lead the way," Theodore told Tony, handing him a small card with an address and gate code. "The estate has security protocols. This will get you through the main entrance."
Tony nodded, accepting the card with appropriate gravity. "We'll be right behind you."
Richard hesitated before entering the SUV, his weathered face reflecting twenty years of accumulated hope and grief. "Iris," he said softly, "thank you. For being willing to meet your mother. It means... everything."
Iris nodded, her analytical mind still processing the surreal nature of her situation even as her heart responded to the raw emotion in her birth father's voice. "I want to understand," she said simply.
As the Lawsons settled into their vehicle, Tony led Iris to his car, opening the passenger door with a courtesy that felt both natural and slightly awkward given the extraordinary circumstances.
"Are you really okay?" he asked once they were alone, his voice low and concerned. "This is a lot to process in one day. And I’ve wanted to do this again the whole time." He finished as he tilted her face to look into his eyes, and he kissed her for the second time.
Iris melted into the kiss, her initial surprise giving way to a warmth that spread through her chest. Unlike their first impulsive kiss, this one felt deliberate, a choice rather than a reaction. Her portfolio case slipped slightly from her grasp as she leaned into him, finding unexpected stability in this one certain connection amid a day of revelations.
When they finally separated, Iris's cheeks were flushed, her carefully maintained composure momentarily disrupted. "That was..." she began, then stopped, analytical mind failing to find the right classification for what had just happened between them.
Tony smiled, the tension that had been building in his shoulders all day finally easing. "I know," he said softly. "I've been wanting to do that again since the first time."
In the Lawson SUV ahead of them, Bryce craned his neck to peer through the rear window, his natural curiosity overwhelming his sense of propriety. "They're kissing," he reported, unable to keep the note of surprise from his voice.
Theodore sighed, reaching over to physically turn his youngest brother to face forward. "Give them privacy, Bryce. Our sister has had enough intrusion for one day."
Richard Lawson sat silently in the passenger seat, his mind racing with thoughts of the coming reunion. After twenty years of imagining this moment, the reality felt both miraculous and terrifying. Would Dianne recognise their daughter in this poised young woman? Would the connection between mother and child transcend the years of separation?
As Tony started the engine, Iris fastened her seatbelt, her practical nature reasserting itself. "We should follow them," she said, though her voice carried a new softness. "I don't want to keep my... my birth mother waiting."
The phrase felt strange on her tongue, like trying to speak a language she had never learned. For nineteen years, Carol Maxwell had been the only mother she had known, the woman who had bandaged scraped knees, braided her hair for school, and taught her to stand strong in a world that often underestimated her. Now she was driving to meet a stranger who, biologically at least, was equally her mother.
Tony pulled out of the parking space, following the Lawson SUV at a respectful distance. "You can still change your mind," he reminded her gently. "At any point. Just say the word, and I'll take you back to campus."
Iris appreciated his offer, though she knew she wouldn't accept it. The analytical part of her brain that had guided her through every major decision in her life was already calculating the variables of this meeting, what to say, how to respond, what information she needed to gather. Yet beneath that rational assessment, an unfamiliar emotional current tugged at her, a curiosity about the woman who had carried her for nine months only to lose her on the day of her birth.
"I need to do this," she said finally. "Not just for them, but for me. I need to understand where I came from.”
The Design classes Discord chat and the collage one had exploded.
Firstly, because the Lawsons had been on campus, and secondly, the Kennedy heir had just kissed the no-name from design class. Along with photos of both situations. Her cheeks flushed at the photo of Tony holding her in his arms. It looked right somehow.
Iris scrolled through the messages, her face growing hotter as her classmates' comments flooded the screen. People who had barely acknowledged her existence were now analysing her connection to one of the city's most eligible bachelors and speculating wildly about why the Lawsons would be meeting with her.
"They don't know yet," Tony observed, glancing at her phone as they stopped at a red light. "About you being Roxanne."
"Small mercies," Iris murmured, closing the app and setting her phone face down on her lap. "Though I doubt that will last long."
In the Lawson SUV ahead of them, Richard was on the phone with the family's PR team, his business acumen overriding his emotional state. "We need to control the narrative," he was saying. "Draft a statement, but hold it until I give the word. Dianne needs to meet her first, before this becomes public."
Theodore nodded in agreement, already mentally preparing for the media storm that would follow. The Lawson heiress, found after almost twenty years, would be the story of the decade. Reporters would descend like vultures, desperate for details of the kidnapping, the reunion, the lost years.
"Should we increase security at the gates?" Victor asked, his military training focusing on practical concerns.