Chapter 181 The Expert Arrived
Aurelia went home to change and then headed to the suburban cemetery.
Timothy had mentioned Brenda's grave was fixed, but she needed to see it herself to be sure.
In the taxi, she felt heavy-hearted. Even though she had retaliated against Chelsea and her mother for what they did to Brenda, she still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward her mother.
Deep down, she blamed herself for dragging her mother into this mess. If it weren't for a man, she wouldn't have provoked those crazy women, leading to such disgraceful treatment.
When the cab stopped outside the cemetery, she instructed the driver to wait for her there, knowing it would be difficult to get another cab later.
She got out and headed straight for the entrance. A security guard in uniform came out of the booth to greet her. Aurelia had been visiting frequently over the past few days, so to the guard, she was now a familiar face.
"Ms. Semona, I'll go with you," he offered.
Aurelia politely declined, "No need, thank you. I can manage."
The guard looked uneasy. After Brenda's grave was vandalized, Joe had hired him for a hefty sum to ensure Aurelia's safety.
So, he pretended to agree but followed her from a distance.
At Brenda's grave, she saw it had been cleaned up and fresh flowers placed. She knew the mysterious visitor had been there.
She couldn't guess their relationship with Brenda but knew they were important to her mother. Since they never showed up, she had no way to thank them.
She left a note at Brenda's grave.
On her way home, Ulysses sent her a gossip news link on Facebook. She wasn't interested until she saw the the headline: [Heilbronn Group President Nathaniel's Beloved Wife Pregnant and Hospitalized]
Aurelia's heart was in her throat as she scanned the situation. Thankfully, her photo hadn't surfaced inside the news, but the online buzz was feverish. Posts were brimming with congratulations and well-wishes.
She opened her Instagram, only to be bombarded with countless mentions and direct messages. The topic of Mrs. Heilbronn's pregnancy had skyrocketed to the top of the trending searches.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel went to find Dr. Perez but missed him again. Zack, in the driver's seat, was looking at his phone.
"Mr. Heilbronn, check this out," Zack said.
Nathaniel opened the link Zack shared and frowned. The headline "Heilbronn Group's young mistress pregnant" made him furious.
'Who dared to call herself the Heilbronn Group's young mistress and spread this news?' he thought.
"The meeting is canceled," he said, quickly getting out of the car and heading back to the hospital.
In the ward, Chelsea had woken up from a nap. With Norman's comfort, she felt better and no longer believed she was haunted.
Maria lay on the bed, silent and lost in her own world.
Nathaniel walked in, exuding a cold aura.
Chelsea saw him and smiled, "Nathaniel, you came to keep me company?"
Nathaniel's face was stern as he scolded, "Who told you to leak the pregnancy news to the media?"
He didn't waste any time and directly questioned her.
Chelsea was caught off guard. Her phone wasn't with her, and she had been disconnected from the internet, completely unaware of what had happened.
She felt wronged and was about to cry, "Nathaniel, did someone find out about my pregnancy?"
Nathaniel snapped, "Stop pretending!"
This tactic of using pregnancy news to create public pressure was common in high society. In Nathaniel's eyes, no one but her would do such a thing.
Chelsea started crying, "Nathaniel, I really don't know what you're talking about. My phone isn't with me. Can you show me what happened?"
Seeing Chelsea cry, Norman felt heartbroken, almost in tears himself, and said, "Mr. Heilbronn, Chelsea really doesn't know anything. She's been watched by your people these past two days, and then there was yesterday's incident. She didn't have her phone with her. She couldn't be the one causing trouble. Please believe her; she can't take any more stress. She's my only precious daughter!"
Nathaniel was stung by Norman's last comment, thinking to himself, 'This old man only acknowledges Chelsea as his daughter and completely disregards Aurelia as if she were a mere afterthought.'
'What does he mean, 'only precious daughter'?'
He glanced at the deranged Maria and scolded, "Didn't I say to move her out? Why is she still here?"
Norman wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Mr. Heilbronn, I've already contacted the hospital for a new ward. Her mental state is unstable, and she can't share a room with strangers. Single rooms are in short supply, but one should be available by tonight."
Nathaniel reluctantly accepted that she would move out by tonight.
Chelsea continued to cry pitifully, "Nathaniel, will you never trust me again? I really didn't do anything. I swear on my life and the baby's life, if I did this, let me die with the baby."
Hearing her extreme words again, Nathaniel tensed up. No matter the situation, she always faced problems in such an extreme way.
Faced with her terrifying words, he compromised.
A death threat—how horrifying!
"It better not be you!"
When Nathaniel left, Chelsea was still crying miserably.
The room was left with the three of them again. Norman glanced at the deranged Maria and spoke, "Chelsea, the expert Nathaniel fetched is already here. We don't know when they'll come to examine you. We need to come up with a plan before that."
Chelsea wiped her tears and said, "What can I do? He doesn't believe anything I say and blames me for everything. He won't listen to my explanations."
Norman squinted his eyes and encouraged her, "Whether he believes it or not, we can't lose our composure. First, you definitely can't undergo the examination. The expert is well-protected, and we can't tamper with him."
Chelsea sniffled and said, "Dad, you're not helping. I know this is urgent, but you're just making me anxious without offering any useful solutions."
Chelsea was still a bit resentful of Norman for urging her to confront Reed, which led to Reed's collapse and her own escape.
Norman's eyes sharpened, and he scolded, "How can you talk to me like that?"
His gaze fell on the deranged Maria, and he suddenly had an idea, offering, "Chelsea, why don't you pretend to be crazy, like your mom? The expert can't do anything to a lunatic. If you don't cooperate with the examination, the expert also can't do anything about it."
Chelsea hesitated and said, "Dad, will that work?"
Norman sat down with a cunning look and said, "It will. First, pretend to be crazy to avoid the examination. Then, we'll pressure Nathaniel into getting the marriage license."
The plan was set.
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