Chapter 192 Jumping into the Lake
Nathaniel was busy at the office until late, and by the time he felt hungry, the neon lights outside the building were already on.
The dinner Zack had brought him was sitting on the small table, cold. He had no appetite and his mind was a mess.
Chelsea called again, asking him to accompany her tomorrow for a fitting of the wedding dress she had ordered. He was at a loss for how to respond, caught between fearing she might die or might live.
Whatever happened, she was determined to make him suffer.
Daphne called and told him that Aurelia had been waiting for him to have dinner. Only then did he turn off the lights and drive home.
Aurelia had been sitting from dawn till dusk and finally heard the familiar sound of the car engine, feeling a sense of relief.
He was back.
Nathaniel walked in, his eyes landing on her.
"Why haven't you eaten?"
Aurelia smiled slightly, "No appetite, wanted to wait for you to come back and eat together."
"Why didn't you call me?"
Aurelia couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd called him. Once upon a time, she used to worry about him not eating properly or not coming home at night, and she'd call three times a day to check on him.
Now, she would never do such a foolish thing again.
"You said you'd come back."
Nathaniel changed his shoes and walked over. They stood facing each other, one standing, one sitting.
Aurelia could tell he was in a bad mood and didn't want to bring up unpleasant topics that would make them both unhappy.
As long as his heart was at home, she didn't believe Chelsea could cling to him forever.
"It's so late, you must be hungry?" he asked, reaching out a hand to her, and Aurelia placed her hand in his, letting him help her up slowly.
Her butt had gone numb from sitting all afternoon.
The food in the kitchen had been reheated countless times and was no longer fresh, so Daphne made a new batch.
They sat in the small dining room, each lost in their own thoughts as they ate.
At night, after Aurelia finished her bath and got into bed, Nathaniel moved closer, pulling her into his arms, one hand covering her belly.
"Aurelia, you need to eat well so the baby can grow strong. Otherwise, we'll end up with two picky eaters, just as skinny as you."
Aurelia remained silent, letting him hold her, and soon fell asleep.
The next day, as Nathaniel was about to leave, Aurelia asked again, "Are you coming back today?"
Her unusual behavior made Nathaniel feel that pregnant women were like children, asking the same question every day.
"You're here, of course, I'll come back," he said.
Aurelia nodded. "I'll wait for you."
She now felt as if she were a teacher waiting to correct a student's mistakes. She had given him too many chances already—there wouldn't be another.
On his way to work, Chelsea sent a video call.
"Nathaniel, I'm at your office. When you get here, we'll go to the bridal shop together."
Nathaniel rubbed his temples, his head about to explode.
"Chelsea, I'm busy with work today. Go back to the hospital. If the doctors can't find you, they'll call me."
Chelsea pouted, "No, I'll wait for you. If we don't choose the dress now, it'll be too late. My twentieth birthday is coming up, and if we don't buy it now, where will we find a suitable dress then?"
Zack, driving in the front, reminded him, "Mr. Heilbronn, there's an international conference scheduled for 9:30 this morning. We have just over half an hour left. We can't afford any delays. This meeting has already been postponed for two days, and the issues on Melicia's side need to be resolved urgently."
Zack's words were clearly heard by Chelsea on the other end of the video. She snorted, "I'll wait for you. Whenever your meeting is over, we'll go try on the dress."
In no time, the car arrived at the Heilbronn Group's parking lot, and Nathaniel took the executive elevator upstairs.
In his office, Chelsea sat with her legs crossed atop his desk chair, the secretary girls running errands for her as she demanded everything from coffee to little cakes, laying out a spread across the whole table.
When she spotted Nathaniel, her eyes lit up, and she hopped out of the chair like an excited child. Nathaniel knew that her memory had returned to the age of nineteen.
He remembered their interactions back then when she would share her wild, imaginative thoughts, voice her unrealistic wishes, and coax him into helping her achieve them.
At the time, he was often busy with work. Struggling to find peace, he'd eventually agree to her demands.
Now, he deeply regretted it. His promises had given her expectations and had become his shackles.
"Chelsea, my meeting is about to start. Don't disturb me. Go back to the hospital now."
Chelsea pouted, "No, I'll stay here with you. I won't cause any trouble."
Nathaniel couldn't get rid of her and felt helpless.
Zack arranged the meeting in the multimedia conference room, and during the meeting, Chelsea had the executive office to herself.
The secretaries, who were being ordered around, whispered outside, "Wasn't she exposed for plagiarism recently? How does she still have the nerve to come to the company?"
"I don't know, but her relationship with the boss seems complicated. She causes so much trouble, yet Mr. Heilbronn never says anything. She must be special to him, so we better be careful."
"No way! I don't believe it! Mrs. Heilbronn is so nice. She has a great personality, is capable, and looks better than her. Unless Mr. Heilbronn is blind, he wouldn't choose her over his wife."
"Shh, keep it down!"
Inside the conference room, the meeting dragged on. Nathaniel rejected one proposal after another, demanding on-the-spot revisions, only to reject them again.
Only Zack knew that Nathaniel wanted to drag the meeting out all day.
Finally, by noon, everyone in the conference room was hungry, and the proposals were almost finalized.
The long international meeting finally ended.
Chelsea was still waiting in the office.
Nathaniel returned and closed the door.
He said, "Chelsea, go back. I'm busy this afternoon and can't accompany you."
Chelsea snorted, "I just need an hour. Can't you even spare an hour?"
Nathaniel took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm and not provoke her. "Chelsea, I can't agree to your request. I'm married now and can't go with you to try on wedding dresses. If you're willing, I can introduce you to some young entrepreneurs. There are many people better than me in this world. You shouldn't be fixated on me."
Tears welled up in Chelsea's eyes, and she cried, "You really don't want to marry me anymore?"
Nathaniel looked at her helplessly, and said,"Chelsea, I can't! I have a family, a wife, and kids. I can't fulfill your request. How about something else? A villa, a private jet, anything else."
Nathaniel even thought that if she wanted, he could give her all his assets as long as she stopped bothering him.
Chelsea wiped her tears and said fiercely, "Don't regret it."
She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Nathaniel composed himself and asked Zack to have someone follow her, to prevent any incidents he couldn't bear the guilt for.
In the afternoon, just as Nathaniel was taking a break and hadn't started working, Zack rushed in and reported, "Mr. Heilbronn, Chelsea jumped into the lake."
He pulled out a photo. In it, Chelsea was almost entirely submerged, her hair floating on the water's surface while only the top of her head was visible.
Nathaniel glanced at it briefly before quickly turning away. The sight triggered his deep-seated fear of water, making his skin crawl and sending a shiver down his spine.
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