Chapter 264 Co-sign with the Heilbronn Group
Nathaniel slipped on some disposable gloves and got to work peeling shrimp for Aurelia. Before long, Aurelia's plate was stacked high with shrimp.
The employees were munching on their meals, sneaking glances over at their table.
Feeling all those eyes on him, Nathaniel peeled the shrimp with even more gusto, like he wanted everyone to see he was doing it for Aurelia.
His recent antics made it clear to everyone: he was totally into Aurelia.
Nathaniel was already a big deal in the jewelry world, and those junior designers usually never got to interact with him, so they were super curious.
Now, seeing the big shot chasing after the goddess in person, they couldn't help but steal a few more looks. This couple was already the talk of the town.
Aurelia didn't know that the employees were already blowing up their group chat.
[ The big shot is after our boss!]
[OMG, shrimp peeled by the big shot must taste amazing. Anne, just say yes already so Karma Jewelry and the Heilbronn Group can team up. Then we can all get famous in the design world.]
[No way. A friend of mine works at the Heilbronn Group, and she said a famous model tried to flirt with Mr. Heilbronn. Guess what? He called her agency and set her up for a live-streaming session trying on clothes.]
[Wow, Mr. Heilbronn is cold towards women! But it's cool since he's sweet to Anne.]
Aurelia was chowing down, and every dish on the table was her fave. But the more she ate, the more questions popped up. The Velvet Palate was a local joint, but there were all the dishes Imperick-style.
She grew up in Imperick, and in the four years since moving to Coral Bay, she hadn't gotten used to the local food. The North-South differences were huge, and it wasn't easy to adapt.
During her three years married to Nathaniel, her taste got pretty picky. Except for the chef hired from Imperick, she rarely found food she liked outside and usually just grabbed a quick bite while working.
Aurelia thought this couldn't be a coincidence. Nathaniel was probably behind it.
Aurelia asked, "Did you bring in a chef from Imperick?"
Nathaniel denied it, saying coolly, "Maybe The Velvet Palate pays well and attracted those skilled chefs."
Aurelia served herself some soup, not buying his story.
While they were eating, Zack rushed over with his phone, his eyes flicking between Aurelia and Nathaniel. He said in a steady voice, "Mr. Heilbronn, there's a situation in Imperick!"
Nathaniel paused his shrimp-peeling. Zack had been with him for years, and they were so in sync that Zack's tone clearly meant something serious was up, and it wasn't for Aurelia's ears.
He calmly finished peeling the shrimp and placed it on Aurelia's plate, then took off his gloves and tossed them in the trash. "Aurelia, take your time eating. I gotta handle something."
Aurelia nodded and said, "Go ahead."
She hoped he wouldn't come back. It was a lie to say he didn't mess with her work. Her work efficiency this morning was terrible.
Nathaniel left the restaurant with Zack, who filled him in on the situation in Imperick.
Nathaniel's face got all serious. "When did she show up?"
Zack replied, "Last night. Our guys saw her checking into a hotel and have been tailing her since. They confirmed it was her this morning."
Nathaniel pulled out a cigarette and twirled it between his fingers. "Book a flight. We're heading back to Imperick ASAP."
Zack, always on top of things, had already booked the tickets. "Mr. Heilbronn, the flight's set. Leaves in an hour and a half. Our car's downstairs, and we got just enough time to make it."
As they talked, they stepped out of the elevator. Zack opened the car door, and the car zoomed off towards the airport.
Nathaniel's exit made everyone chill out. The vibe was way more relaxed, filled with laughter, totally different from before.
Aurelia was still munching away, her appetite in full swing.
Someone piped up, "Anne, is Mr. Heilbronn gonna be working here now? Does he have any single buddies who could join us too?"
Aurelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry, he won't be taking up our office space permanently. This is just a coincidence and won't mess with your work."
Everyone looked bummed. They weren't scared of disruptions; they were hoping for them. Especially with someone as high-caliber as Nathaniel, his crew had to be top-notch too. They didn't care how long these dudes hung around the office.
Someone asked, "Anne, haven't you noticed we have more women in our company?"
Aurelia hadn't specifically hired women; it just turned out that way. Now, with over eighty employees, the gender ratio was way off—one guy for every three women.
Aurelia said, "If you know anyone who'd be a good fit, feel free to introduce them. We don't care about gender, just talent."
Someone boldly shouted, "Anne, I think Mr. Heilbronn's team is awesome. How about we merge offices?"
Aurelia smiled wryly. Everyone wanted to link up with the Heilbronn Group, while she wanted to keep her distance.
The Heilbronn Group was top-tier in the jewelry world, but Aurelia had her own big dreams, just as ambitious as theirs. "Work hard, and everything will come. Relying on yourself is the most dependable. Anyone else could betray you."
No one dared to bring up merging with the Heilbronn Group again. Instead, they asked, "Anne, were you and Mr. Heilbronn close before?"
If they weren't close, the big shot wouldn't be dropping by so often. Running a huge company wasn't easy. Nathaniel must be making time.
As the saying went, there was always time for someone a person liked.
They figured Nathaniel was now super attentive to Aurelia and was seriously pursuing her.
Aurelia didn't want to dig into the past and replied vaguely, "I used to work in the design department at the Heilbronn Group."
Everyone gasped. The Heilbronn Group's interviews were notoriously tough, and getting into their core design department was quite hard in their eyes.
Of course, they admired Aurelia's design skills, but they didn't expect her to leave the Heilbronn Group and start her own studio.
Aurelia wasn't into this topic. Everyone had finished eating, and chatting about these trivial matters was a waste of time. She was the first to head downstairs.
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