Chapter 265 The Tainted Man
Nathaniel was chillin' in the car, phone in hand, totally zoned out. Thinking 'bout the past, he felt like his life was a total flop, like he was a disgrace to the Heilbronn Family.
He wanted to play the recording for Aurelia, but with Nova keeping an eye on him all morning, he hadn't found the right moment.
Zack was all about the driving. "Mr. Heilbronn, your laptop's with Mrs. Heilbronn, and we didn't have time to grab it. We might need to snag a new one when we get back to Imperick. Could you hit up Mrs. Heilbronn to send over the important docs? We need those for the company."
Nathaniel snapped out of his daydream when he heard Zack mention the important docs. "Yeah. I'll talk to her later."
"Mr. Heilbronn, I got Mrs. Heilbronn's personal number and sent it to your phone."
Zack had managed to get close to Aurelia and snagged her number without a hitch. As a top-notch assistant, he always got stuff done before Nathaniel even asked, making sure he earned that extra bonus.
Nathaniel opened Zack's Facebook message and saw a string of digits. He saved the number in his contacts, labeling it "Aurelia."
Zack peeked in the rearview mirror and caught a rare smile on Nathaniel's handsome face. "Mr. Heilbronn, about my bonus this month..."
Nathaniel's eyes sparkled. "You've been killing it lately. I'll triple your bonus."
Zack was so stoked he almost wanted to pull over and call his fiancée. He was planning a wedding next month and needed the cash to make it as perfect as possible, ensuring a sweet ending to their long relationship.
With the extra dough, he could book a fancier hotel and snag a bigger diamond ring for his bride.
"Thanks a ton, Mr. Heilbronn," he said, full of gratitude.
Good vibes were contagious, and Nathaniel felt Zack's happiness, making the car's atmosphere pretty chill. "I pay you a good salary. Why are you so hyped about this extra cash?"
Zack tried to keep his grin in check. "Mr. Heilbronn, you're living the high life, so you might not get how important money is to us regular folks. I'm getting hitched next month, and I'd love for you and Mrs. Heilbronn to be my witnesses."
Nathaniel felt a twinge of envy. He'd been married twice but never had a wedding. He used to think it was a hassle, but now that he wanted one, Aurelia was gone. "If I can have a wedding with Mrs. Heilbronn this year, I'll double your salary next year."
Zack's eyes lit up like he just hit the jackpot. "Mr. Heilbronn, are you for real? Our car's equipment recorded what you just said!"
Nathaniel chuckled and said, "Have I ever broken a promise?"
Zack knew he was right. Nathaniel always kept his word. He knew exactly what to do now—helping him win back Aurelia was his jam. "Mr. Heilbronn, you'll totally win Mrs. Heilbronn back. She's actually got a soft spot."
Zack stopped himself from saying more. He wanted to mention that if it weren't for the past drama, they wouldn't be in this mess. But he knew these were touchy subjects for Nathaniel, and saying too much might mess up his bonus.
The car rolled up to the airport, and they headed to the VIP lounge.
Before boarding, Zack was feeling a bit jittery. He'd just brought his fiancée to Imperick, and now he was jetting off. If he didn't check in, he'd have some serious explaining to do later. "Mr. Heilbronn, I gotta call my fiancée."
Nathaniel watched Zack walk away, feeling kinda lost. He didn't even have the right to call and check in with Aurelia.
He missed the days when Aurelia would blow up his phone, begging him to come home. No matter how late he got back, there was always a hot meal waiting.
Nowadays, when he went home, all he had was a cold bed. In a house that big, he was the only one breathing. Forget a warm meal—if Zack had been sloppy, Nathaniel wouldn't even have purified water to drink.
Being cared for was happiness, and having someone to care for was also happiness. Too bad he didn't get that when he had it and was too dumb to see it. He only woke up to this realization after ending up alone.
Nathaniel mulled over his thoughts for a bit, then pulled out his phone and added Aurelia's personal number on Facebook, sending a friend request. He waited for a response but got nothing.
About ten minutes later, Zack came back from his call, and Nathaniel was still clutching his phone, waiting for a message.
Nathaniel hesitated a bit before asking, "Did you add Aurelia as a friend?"
Zack didn't think much and replied, "Yeah, she accepted right away. I asked her for the parking lot attendant's number this morning, and she replied."
Nathaniel frowned, suspecting he might've been blocked. He opened her work number and sent the word "Aurelia," only to find out he had been blocked.
Nathaniel took a moment to process this and then told Zack, "Tell Aurelia that I have an urgent matter in Imperick and will be back in two days at most."
Zack did as he was told. The announcement for their flight boarding came, and they stood up, heading to the VIP lane with their phones.
Nathaniel was still hung up on the Facebook thing. "Did she reply?"
Zack checked and said, "Nope."
Nathaniel's eyes dimmed. They were about to board, and he wouldn't be able to use his phone for the next few hours. He was worried about missing her message.
A minute later, Nathaniel asked again, "Did she reply?"
Zack inwardly chuckled at Nathaniel's anxiety. He checked his phone again and saw Aurelia's message. But he hesitated, knowing it might upset Nathaniel.
Nathaniel noticed Zack's hesitation and knew she had replied. "What did she say?"
Zack didn't dare to say a word and handed the phone to him. "Mr. Heilbronn, maybe you should read it yourself."
Nathaniel took the phone, his eyes scanning the message, and his face darkened instantly. Zack held his breath, fearing his bonus might be at risk.
Aurelia's message hit Nathaniel like a punch, making it hard to breathe.
[Zack, reconciling with Mr. Heilbronn is impossible. As his assistant, remind him not to waste his time and energy on me. It's better for both of us. Also, he knows I have a mild cleanliness obsession. I won't take back a tainted man. I'm not looking to start a new relationship now; I just want to earn more money.]
She called him ''a tainted man.''
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