Chapter 117 Putting a Billion-Dollar Contract Aside to Pick his Wife Instead
Aurelia took the vegetables she had picked in the yard to the kitchen and then went back to pack her suitcase. She couldn't help but wonder if resigning from a job should be this troublesome!
After packing, she went to bid farewell to Reed. As she descended the stairs, she noticed someone in the living room talking to Reed. He had a slender figure and a gentle, refined voice, and it was Marcus.
"Uncle Marcus, here you are," Aurelia politely greeted him and got straight to the point, "Grandpa, I need to make a trip back to Imperick. I won't be able to stay here with you for a while. I'll come back late."
Reed squinted his eyes, thinking to himself that Nathaniel finally listened to him and his efforts were worthwhile. "Go ahead. I have Ted here to keep me company. Don't worry about me. The young couple should live their own lives. There's no need to stick around me."
"Grandpa, are you tired of me?" Aurelia asked.
Reed wiped his forehead, thinking how women of all ages loved to ask this question. His wife had said this to him for a lifetime, and it had been a while.
"Of course not. Have your things packed and let the driver take you. Next time you come, try to bring a great-grandchild with you."
Aurelia blushed at the teasing.
Marcus, who had been quietly listening, checked his watch and said, "It's almost lunchtime. Why skip the lunch? It's nearly a four-hour drive back to Imperick on the highway. You might get hungry on the way if you skip it."
Upon hearing this, Reed immediately changed his tune. "Right, let's have lunch first. No rush."
He couldn't let his granddaughter-in-law go hungry. Aurelia was naturally slim, and her petite frame needed to be well taken care of. Reed was also counting on Aurelia to give him a great-grandchild!
Marcus coughed lightly, covering his mouth and nose. "I'm leaving this afternoon, so I'll go with you."
And so, it was settled. Aurelia agreed to this arrangement.
Reed went back to rest in his room, leaving Aurelia and Marcus in the living room.
After a few awkward seconds, Aurelia felt she should say something to lighten the mood. "Uncle Marcus, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
"Reed brought a large group of people with him, and the Heilbronn Villa suddenly became empty. I felt out of place, so I came to see how you all were doing here and if there was anything you guys needed."
"Grandpa has been sleeping well these past few days. He slept for nine hours the day before yesterday, and Ted had to wake him up for breakfast."
Reed had a problem with insomnia, which the whole family knew about. They had consulted many famous doctors to no avail. Sleeping for nine hours straight was a significant improvement.
Marcus's lips curved up, and his gaze lingered on Aurelia's waist for a few seconds before quickly looking away. "It seems this place is quite suitable for the elderly and children. How about buying a larger villa in Silvershore Falls in the future and renovating it nicely? I feel this current place's renovation is a bit superficial. Next time, we should hire the renovation team from Imperick."
Aurelia was surprised. The villa they currently lived in was already the largest in the nearby affluent coastal area. While the renovation might not match the grandeur of the Heilbronn Villa, it was clear that a considerable amount of money had been spent on it.
"Uncle Marcus, there's no need to go to such expense. We stay here for summer vacation only, less than three months in a year."
Marcus adjusted his glasses. "If you like it, stay here permanently."
Aurelia felt the conversation was getting awkward and quickly changed the subject. "Uncle Marcus, does resigning from the Heilbronn Group require submitting a resignation report and another month of handover before leaving?"
"There is such a rule, which generally applies to employees involved in important projects in their positions, such as department managers and vice presidents. Regular employees don't need to hand over for that long. Without many tasks, they can leave on the day they resign, or at most, in a week."
Aurelia sneered inwardly and asked, "Does the resignation report need approval from the HR manager, or is approval from other leaders sufficient?"
"No, the resignation report can be approved by any leader higher than the HR manager."
"Can Nathaniel handle employee resignations?"
Marcus's eyes were curved. " It's up to him to decide whether the HR manager stays. He certainly has the authority to sign a resignation report for an ordinary employee."
The flames of anger reignited in Aurelia's heart. That man was using the company's HR manager to deceive her into returning.
Aurelia wouldn't let him have his way.
In no time, the kitchen staff prepared a table full of dishes.
Today, with Marcus's visit, a few seafood dishes were added.
During the meal, Reed didn't forget to instruct the kitchen staff, "Pack the snacks made yesterday for them to take on the road. Fill the thermos with hot water and prepare some fruit."
As Aurelia mumbled while eating, she nervously spoke up, "Grandpa, I don't plan on going back."
Reed paused, "Why not?"
"Grandpa, it seems like there's nothing urgent for me to go back for. I want to stay here and enjoy the sea breeze with you."
Reed didn't say anything, but he started to feel anxious. He thought, 'A long-distance relationship won'twork. Arethey still planning on having a baby? Having Ted brought their lunch every day seems to be a waste of time now.'
The kitchen staff came over and asked, "Mr. Heilbronn, do we need to pack the food?"
Reed glanced at Marcus eating beside him and said, "Yes. Someone needs to hit the road."
Marcus set down his fork and said, "Dad, I won't be leaving this afternoon. I've delegated the work at the company to my subordinates. I'll stay with you for a few days."
With both of them staying, there was nothing to pack. The nanny returned to the kitchen to continue cleaning, and the driver relaxed a bit. After finishing the meal, they could even take a nap.
Reed didn't show any outward signs, but he felt a slight unease. He wanted to send his granddaughter-in-law back quickly.
After dinner, back in the study, Reed instructed Ted to call Nathaniel and have him drop everything to come and pick up his wife.
Ted immediately called and put it on speaker. After a few rings, the call was connected.
"Mr. Heilbronn, you are required to come immediately to pick up Mrs. Heilbronn."
Nathaniel fell silent for a few seconds. "Aurelia hasn't left yet, has she?"
"Mrs. Heilbronn was planning to leave after lunch with Marcus. However, during lunch, they changed their minds and decided not to leave."
Upon hearing that Marcus had gone there, Nathaniel felt uneasy all over. He thought, 'Uncle Marcus had rarely visited Grandpa, not even once in a year, when he was recovering outside. Why does he suddenly wanted to be spend more time with my Grandpa?'
Nathaniel immediately called Zack, "Cancel the dinner with Mr. Smith tonight, reschedule the important meeting for the afternoon, and clean the schedule after 7 p.m."
Although Zack didn't know the reason, he guessed it had to do with Aurelia.
The dinner with Michael Smith had been arranged a week ago. The Heilbronn Group had always imported raw materials for jewelry from abroad at high prices. Michael specialized in gemstone procurement, directly sourcing from mines, cutting out several go-betweens, and offering prices half as much as what the Heilbronn Group paid. If this collaboration went through, the Heilbronn Group could save hundreds of millions in annual costs.
Zack thought, 'What else could make Mr. Heilbronnpostpone a contract worth that much?'
"Mr. Heilbronn, it's not that to schedule a meeting with Mr. Smith. If we postpone it, it might be hard to reschedule."
"Then we won't. Does the Heilbronn family's business rely solely on signing this contract?"
Zack was taken aback and quickly went to make the arrangements.
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