Chapter 108 Disappearing Without Saying Goodbye
Amber took Aurelia back to Bloom Villa that evening. Aurelia had rested for a few hours and was fine, able to walk by herself. However, Amber insisted on escorting her back.
She expected to face Nathaniel, thinking about how to explain it to him. However, he did not return that evening.
On Monday, as soon as she arrived at the office, Aurelia received an internal call from Zack.
"Aurelia, please come to the CEO's office for a moment. It's work-related."
Aurelia put down her bag and went straight upstairs without even turning on her computer.
Nathaniel was seated in an armchair, holding a pen, looking visibly upset.
"Mr. Heilbronn, what can I do for you?" Aurelia said.
Zack closed the door and left.
Nathaniel handed her a few sheets of paper. There were dark circles under his eyes as if he had stayed up all night.
He said, "Aurelia, take a look at this."
Aurelia took the papers from him and went through them one by one. It was a handwriting analysis report.
The analysis concluded that Aurelia's submission for the company's design competition bore a striking resemblance to a design previously published online by the renowned designer Lolly. As a result, her submission was deemed to bear strong traces of imitating Lolly's design style.
Aurelia couldn't help but smile wryly. It wasn't imitation at all; the designs were entirely her own.
"Did you have someone conduct this analysis?"
Nathaniel replied, "No, your recent success has sparked jealousy among your peers."
Aurelia had a hunch that the peer mentioned was probably Chelsea. She felt speechless and helpless; it seemed she had no way to prove that the design was her own.
It was like a real-life case from a few years back, where a person's mother had passed away, and the bank asked him to prove that she was indeed his mother in order to access her money.
Some problems have no solution.
Nathaniel took back the analysis report and placed it on the table.
"Aurelia, as a designer, if you lack your innovation and perspective, merely imitating others will not produce works with soul. Although your work this time is excellent, I hope you can develop your design style. The Heilbronn Group does not need to rely on imitation to become popular."
Aurelia felt sick to her stomach.
What made her feel even colder at that moment was that a few days ago, when Chelsea's plagiarism was confirmed, he had looked the other way. But when it came to her, she was treated differently.
In his eyes, she was never a serious designer, just an imitator who casually doodled while looking at others' work. Not being trusted was what hurt Aurelia the most.
"Mr. Heilbronn, can I resign?"
Nathaniel suddenly looked up at her. "Are you giving up so easily?"
The underlying message from Nathaniel was, "Are you losing interest now that the novelty has worn off?"
Aurelia chuckled lightly, "I'm not interested in the Heilbronn Group's design department or your company. Don't worry, what my grandfather said won't come true. I won't compete with you for the company."
Nathaniel furrowed his brow and gave her a look that seemed to say, "Do you even know what you're saying?"
Aurelia obediently fell silent. She was tired of the office politics in the design department.
When she returned to the office that day, she sat in her chair for a long time before finally turning on her computer.
The atmosphere in the design department that day felt strange. Aurelia's intuition told her that there was a new rumor circulating, and it was about her. However, due to her relationship with Nathaniel, no one dared to provoke her actively.
Tiffany looked at her sympathetically. "Aurelia, don't mind what others say. It's okay to imitate; it's much better than plagiarism. At least your work this time was chosen by billions of internet users; no one can say it's not excellent."
Aurelia smiled bitterly and, as expected, found an email from Chelsea in the company inbox with the analysis report attached. The email was copied to all members of the design department.
Chelsea had been quiet for a day after leaving the hospital, planning this scheme to discredit Aurelia.
She casually scrolled through the company's official website, where she saw the announcement on the homepage about the upcoming launch of the blockbuster piece for the quarter, the pendant she had designed, which was nearly completed. The design was Chelsea's ticket to flaunting her power in the Heilbronn Group's jewelry sector.
Aurelia snapped back to reality, first drafting a resignation email to send to Nathaniel. She then contacted Swan Company, sending them the design draft of the pendant, shut down her computer, and left the office directly.
After suppressing her emotions for so long, she felt it was time to relax.
Aurelia went to a yoga studio for a class, returned to the Bloom Villa to pack her things, and then headed straight to the Heilbronn Villa.
During lunch, Tedmentioned that Reed wanted to stay at the villa in the neighboring city for a few days. Aurelia didn't want to face Nathaniel's questioning or engage in further conflict with Chelsea. Escaping was the only good option, and following Reed seemed like a safe bet.
Aurelia tried to spend more time with Reed while she could. He had high expectations for her, wanting her to run the company together with Nathaniel, but her performance was extremely poor, leaving her burdened with guilt. Moreover, Nathaniel's domineering possessiveness would not allow her to leave his sight. Aurelia thought by following Reed , Nathanielprobably wouldn't stop her.
Arriving at the Heilbronn Villa, Ted had already packed Reed's luggage and was busy preparing sugar-free snacks in the kitchen, afraid that he wouldn't be comfortable there.
Reed was surprised to see Aurelia return on a workday and even more puzzled when he saw her carrying a suitcase.
"Aurelia, why are you here at this time?"
"Grandpa, I'd like to accompany you. Can I come along?"
Aurelia felt a surge of grievance when she saw Reed. Afraid he would worry, sheforced hertears back.
"Of course, but could you first tell me what's bothering you?"
"Grandpa, I'm fine. I miss you a bit."
Reed smiled lightly, sitting on the sofa. It was crystal clear that since Aurelia suddenly showed up with her suitcase, she must have been upset about something.
He scolded his grandson in his heart and instructed Ted, "Move Aurelia's luggage to the car."
Aurelia felt relieved and squeezed in next to Reed.
"Grandpa, how long are we staying?"
He chuckled softly, "Will you stay with me for a year if I do?"
Aurelia nodded as if she had attached herself to Reed for life.
Reed lightly tapped Aurelia's head. "What a silly girl! What's good about staying with me? Pursue what you deserve; don't give up everything. Are you really willing to leave your husband?"
Aurelia blushed slightly; her heart was touched by his words.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
"Is that woman causing trouble again? Let me tell you that as long as I'm alive, she will never set foot in the Heilbronn family. Such a despicable person is not worthy of our family. My grandson must be blinded. If you don't want him, let him be; he will surely regret it."
Reed mentioned Chelsea with great anger, the sound of his cane hitting the floor loudly.
"Grandpa, please don't upset yourself. I can deal with her."
Reed raised an eyebrow, his face showing a look of relief. "What's your plan?"
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