Chapter 190 Twins
Ashley pouted, glancing at the scowling Nathaniel and then at Beatrice. Fighting back tears, she murmured, "I'm sorry."
She figured that would be the end of it—after all, she had apologized. But Nathaniel was far from finished.
"Just apologizing to me? You've ruined the entire meal. You owe an apology to everyone at this table, including the chef. And especially to Aurelia. She's pregnant and has a delicate appetite. What's she supposed to eat now?”
Ashley was visibly shaken by his harsh tone. It was clear Nathaniel was genuinely furious.
Beatrice, feeling sorry for Ashley, said, "Alright, an apology should suffice. She's grown up enough to remember this and won't do it again. No need to look like you're about to hit someone. Are we still eating this meal or not?"
Nathaniel had long been frustrated with Beatrice's unconditional indulgence of Ashley, but he never found the right moment to voice his discontent. Now seemed like the perfect time to let it all out.
He said, "She's over twenty and doesn't even know basic table manners. You all keep spoiling her. Once she leaves this house, people will just laugh at her and say she wasn't raised properly."
"Enough!"
Beatrice slammed her fork onto the table, unable to stomach Nathaniel's harsh remark about her daughter's upbringing. His comment about her being uncouth struck a painful blow to her maternal pride. The thought that her carefully raised daughter was being insulted by her own son left her feeling utterly humiliated.
With her outburst, everyone stopped eating.
Beatrice stood up and said to Ashley, "Let's go. Nathaniel doesn't welcome us. We won't come here again."
Ashley pouted in grievance, "Mom, I've only had a couple of bites. I'm still hungry."
Nathaniel sat there with a stiff face, angry that Beatrice always sided with Ashley regardless of right or wrong. This had led to Ashley, in her twenties, having no manners and doing whatever she pleased. Such an arrogant young lady would not be liked once she left the Heilbronn family.
She would eventually get married. She had already been rejected once by the Sinclair family, which strained his relationship with his friend Caleb. Her personality would cause trouble sooner or later.
After a moment of tense silence, Nathaniel spoke reluctantly, "Mom, I didn't mean that way. Ashley is an adult now.You need to teach her what is right and wrong. Every time she sees Aurelia, it ends badly because she has no manners. It's only because Aurelia is good-tempered that she hasn't made a fuss. Anyone else would have fought with her by now."
Beatrice glanced at the silent Aurelia and said, "You can't just blame her alone!"
Nathaniel rubbed his forehead, feeling for the first time that his usually reasonable mother was impossible to communicate with.
"Mom, what exactly are you saying? Aurelia didn't say a word the entire time, and you were right there watching it all. Ashley started being provocative as soon as she walked in. How is it not just her fault?"
Beatrice was left speechless by the confrontation. She looked at her eldest son with a mix of confusion and hurt. It was clear now that he was fiercely defending his wife, even at the expense of his own mother and sister.
Beatrice felt disappointed that Nathaniel was arguing with her for an outsider.
"Ashley, let's go."
They left in a huff, leaving behind the silent Aurelia and the enraged Nathaniel.
"Aren't you going to chase after them?" Aurelia asked.
Nathaniel replied irritably, "No, it's best if they never come back."
Aurelia smirked and said bluntly, "If Ashley comes alone, I won't open the door for her."
Her words surprised Nathaniel. She was usually so mild-mannered, but Ashley had pushed her to the point of openly saying Ashley wasn't welcomed.
"Quite right. Her mouth is only good for eating," Nathaniel said.
Aurelia couldn't help but laugh. Seeing him defend her so fiercely, even at the cost of falling out with his own mother and sister, gave her a strange feeling.
"Let's have the kitchen make some new dishes," she said.
It was a pity that a whole table of good food ended up in the trash.
Meanwhile, Ashley called Chelsea as soon as she stepped out. She urgently needed someone to vent to about the bitch who had bewitched Nathaniel, who used to never scold her so harshly.
When the call connected, Ashley said, "Chelsea, do you know? Aurelia, who hasn't been pregnant for three years, is now expecting twins. She's practically strutting around the Heilbronn family. My mom and I were kicked out of the villa by her."
On the other end, Chelsea was eating lunch that Norman had bought. Hearing Ashley's words, she instantly lost her appetite.
"What did you say? Aurelia is pregnant with twins?" Chealse said in shock.
"You didn't know? She's so arrogant now. She thinks having two kids will elevate her status in the Heilbronn family? Let me tell you, Nathaniel's attitude towards me and my mom is terrible. He only cares about Aurelia."
Ashley was so focused on venting her grievances that she didn't consider Chelsea's feelings. Just hearing a few sentences made Chelsea's hand holding the fork tremble with anger.
After hanging up, she swept all the food off the hospital bed onto the floor, covering the bed, the floor, and the blanket with food and soup.
When Norman came back with water, he was startled. For a moment, he thought Chelsea had really gone mad. After all, her performance in front of Nathaniel and the doctor was so convincing that she was almost indistinguishable from Maria.
"Chelsea," Norman called out.
She quickly put down the kettle and ran over to check on Chelsea, asking, "Chelsea, are you okay? Your mom is already crazy; our family can't afford another one. Otherwise, I really can't bear that.?"
Chelsea gripped the bed sheet tightly, veins bulging on her arms, tears welling up in her eyes, and her gaze filled with hatred.
She said,"Dad, Aurelia is pregnant with twins, and Nathaniel has already brought her home."
Norman instantly deflated, like all the energy had been sucked out of him.
He asked, "Who said that? Is she really so lucky to be pregnant with the Heilbronn family's twins?"
Chelsea started sobbing, tears streaming down her face, making Norman's heart ache.
He comforted, "Chelsea, don't cry. I will help you."
Norman let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, 'I need to figure out a way to make Nathaniel marry my precious daughter. But with Aurelia pregnant with twins and Nathaniel doting on her, her chances are looking very high.
'Were at a disadvantage right now, so we need to come up with more strategies to capture Nathaniel's heart.
'At the moment, Nathaniel's only lingering attachment to Chelsea is the life-saving favor from when they were younger. Even with Chelsea pregnant with his child, he barely gives her a second glance.
'We need to hold onto this, to tug at his conscience, or we risk losing everything.'
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