Chapter 152 Don't Want to Bother Him
Aurelia gently comforted Reed, whispering soothing words. She didn't notice the coat slipping off her shoulders, carrying a familiar warmth and his unique scent.
She looked up at Nathaniel, her eyes distant, as if saying, "I don't need this!"
That look stirred a mix of emotions in Nathaniel's heart.
Those eyes used to look at him often. He still loved it when Aurelia smiled, leaned against him, and complained about him coming home late, skipping dinner, and not praising the late-night snack she made.
Now, that look seemed so unfamiliar, making him feel like there was no future for them.
Aurelia reached out to return the coat. She had made up her mind not to let his small gestures of kindness change her decision.
This time, she was resolute, ready to completely give up on this marriage that had brought her endless pain.
Nathanie stopped her. "It's cold. Just wear it. Don't catch a cold and pass it on to my Grandpa."
He clearly cared for her and was worried about her being cold, but his words took on a different tone.
Aurelia was long accustomed to his inconsistent nature, understanding deep down that he cared for her. However, she no longer wanted this belated care.
Since he couldn't let go of Chelsea, he might as well care for Chelsea alone; there was no need to bother her.
"I'm not cold," Aurelia said lightly, exerting force with one hand. Nathaniel let it go, and the neatly ironed suit fell to the ground.
Aurelia bither underlip, picked up the clothes, and hung it on the hanger, not looking at him throughout the process.
"It's dirty. Let Betty take it to wash it tomorrow."
Nathaniel's clothes had always been under Aurelia's care. Now she verbally assigned this task to Betty, which left Nathaniel feeling strangely empty, as if a piece of his heart had been taken away for no reason.
Nathaniel felt an unprecedented sense of loss but couldn't tolerate letting this sudden loss disturb his thoughts. He had called her over today to please Reed and also to try to discuss terminating her contract with Swan and signing with the Heilbronn Group.
Now, it seemed utterly impossible.
Aurelia was truly determined to break ties with him.
Realizing this, Nathaniel glanced elsewhere, his face cold as he said, "It's just a piece of clothing. You can throw it away."
Aurelia sneered. "As you wish."
After speaking, she returned to the bedside to accompany Reed, completely ignoring him.
Feeling restless, Nathaniel wanted to go out for a smoke. He opened the door of the ward, and the two caretakers he had called for arrived. The two middle-aged ladies, around forty, sat on the bench outside the ward, not daring to disturb the three of them inside.
Seeing someone coming out, the two caretakers quickly stood up. "Mr. Heilbronn, shall we go in now?"
Nathaniel glanced back at Aurelia sitting by the bedside, softly telling jokes to Reed. It was a good decision to call her over at this late hour; Reed probably didn't want to see anyone else at this time.
"You two stay here. If Mrs. Heilbronn needs anything, she will call you. Go in at midnight to make sure they are covered with the blanket to prevent them from catching a cold," Nathaniel said.
The two caretakers nodded repeatedly.
Nathaniel sat in the car, his elbow resting on the window as he lit a cigarette. Thinking about the words he had just instructed the nurses, using the words "Mrs. Heilbronn" seemed somewhat ridiculous now.
He sat in the car all night.
The next day, Zack brought two contracts that needed signing, along with the share transfer document.
"Mr. Heilbronn, I've booked a flight and hotel for the cardiac specialist from Melicia's side. The plane will land at nine thirteen next Wednesday morning."
Nathaniel noddedand instructed, "Skip the hotel; just bring the specialist to Diamond Crest Estates. Arrange for a few more bodyguards to accompany them to prevent any unforeseen circumstances."
Diamond Crest Estates was one of Nathaniel's private properties, with strict security in the area, prohibiting entry of any strangers. It was less than a mile from the local police station, making it the safest of his properties.
Zack managed all of his properties, so he naturally knew about this.
Zack wondered why Nathaniel was so cautious this time about bringing the specialist from abroad. Was he solely concerned about the specialist's safety?
Zack didn't dare to pry into Nathaniel's thoughts, but he felt it was about time a specialist took a good look at that woman. Every time she got sick before, Zack thought she was faking it.
After Zack left, Nathaniel glanced over the share transfer document and then headed upstairs.
Aurelia was serving breakfast to Reed. She had faint dark circles under her eyes.She probably hadn't slept wellthe night before.
A small table was set up by the bedside.
Reed was quite weak now, relying mainly on nutritional supplements, only able to take a few sips of liquid food.
Aurelia fed Reed a few spoonfuls of soup, but he waved his hand, indicating he didn't want any more. She sighed, looking at the almost untouched soup.
Nathaniel stood outside the room for a few minutes. One of the caretakers saw him as she went out to fetch water.
"Mr. Heilbronn is here," the caretaker called out, but neither Reed nor Aurelia turned to acknowledge him. He stood there like an invisible figure.
Nathaniel couldn't understand why Reed was treating him this way. Even a scolding would have been better than this. He even worried that Reed might be suffering from memory loss, not recognizing his grandson.
"Grandpa, how are you feeling today?" Nathaniel asked, but Reed didn't respond at all, not even lifting his eyelids.
Just then, the doctor came for rounds, followed by several specialists. The Deputy Director had always overseen Reed's health.
Aurelia stepped back to make room when she saw the doctors enter.
Dr. Grant approached and asked, "Mr. Reed Heilbronn, how are you feeling today?"
Reed weakly replied, "Everything's fine. I'm just feeling a bit low in spirits, having trouble sleeping."
After a brief examination, Dr. Grant smiled and said, "You're recovering well. I'll prescribe some sedatives to help you relax and sleep better. I assure you that when you leave the hospital, you'll be as spirited as before."
Reed nodded in thanks and said no more.
Nathaniel couldn't shake the feeling that Reed had been quieter than usual, almost devoid of words and even lacking his usual temper. Perhaps it was due to his age.
He silently felt that Reed was holding back some emotions.
Following the doctors out of the ward, Nathaniel asked, "Dr. Grant, is my grandfather really okay?"
Dr. Grant paused and asked, "Is there any specific discomfort Reed is experiencing?"
Nathaniel shook his head. "He seems not to recognize me anymore. He doesn't respond even when I call him."
Dr. Grant was taken aback, then smiled. "Mr. Heilbronn, perhaps you should reflect on what you have done to upset Reed. Based on our current examinations, all of Reed's bodily functions are recovering, and he still remembers me. Of course, he wouldn't forget his own family."
Nathaniel stood there in a daze.
Dr. Grant's words were straightforward, something he had also suspected, but hearing it from the doctor made him feel a bit choked up. He wondered what was going on with Reed.
Recalling recent events, ever since he had revealed Aurelia's identity as Mrs. Heilbronn at the press conference, Reed had been much kinder to him. Reed hadn't scolded him on the phone and had even praised him a few times.
Thinking it over, he couldn't pinpoint anything he had done recently that would go against Reed's wishes.
When he returned to the ward, Reed glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then quickly closed his eyes, clearly indicating that he didn't want to acknowledge his grandson.
Nathaniel felt deeply troubled by Reed's behavior; he couldn't fathom Reed's thoughts.
Reed didn't sleep well last night and wanted some quiet time, so Aurelia hurriedly left.
Seeing the situation, Nathaniel didn't dare to step inside and waited in the corridor for her to come out.
After tucking in Reed, drawing the curtains, and placing a glass of water by the bedside, Aurelia quietly opened the door and stepped out, only to find Nathaniel leaning against the wall outside.
Aurelia tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist the next moment.
"Aurelia, the share transfer document is ready. You can sign it now," Nathaniel said.
When Aurelia had initially proposed this condition, she had thought it was a fantasy, never expecting it to happen so soon. Nathaniel was actually willing to transfer a quarter of his assets to her.
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