Chapter 280 He Is Quite Pitiful
Aurelia and Patrick spent the whole afternoon at the amusement park. As dinner time rolled around, Ulysses called and invited her to a fashion show. It was showcasing Ulysses' work, and since she was back in town, she had to show her support.
Aurelia said, "Patrick, I've got plans with a friend later, so I can't hang out. If you want to grab a drink, there's a street full of bars nearby."
Patrick scratched his nose, thinking, 'Heartless woman, who spent the whole afternoon with you?'
Patrick said, "Alright then, you owe me a meal. I haven't tried the local desserts, and you need to show me those spots from the TV shows."
He said it all in one breath, making Aurelia wonder if he was really new to Imperick. He drove straight to the mall without using GPS.
"Patrick, why do I feel like you know Imperick better than I do?" she asked, suspiciously.
Patrick smirked and changed the subject, "Where's your friend? I'll drive you."
"No need, my friend will pick me up. You go do your thing," she replied.
Just then, Ulysses called again. "Aurelia, I'm here. Come out."
Aurelia hung up, looking rushed.
"Patrick, my friend's here. Gotta go," she said.
With nothing else to do, Patrick followed her out and saw her get into a flashy blue sports car, which promptly sprayed exhaust in his face.
Patrick stood there silently, thinking, 'Why do I feel a bit disappointed?'
Aurelia felt uneasy as soon as she got in the car. She hadn't expected Oscar to be there with Ulysses.
Oscar was driving.
In the four years she'd been away from Imperick, it seemed these two had gotten pretty close.
"Oscar, where are we going?" she asked.
Oscar slowed down the car, being the gentleman he was, unlike the rough and careless Ulysses.
"Aurelia, if you get car sick, let me know so we can take a break. We'll grab a bite first; the fashion show starts at eight," Oscar said.
They stopped at one of Oscar's chain restaurants, and a waiter immediately ran over.
"Mr. Oscar Moore, Mr. Arthur Moore is in a bad mood today. You might want to steer clear," the waiter warned.
The father-son fighting always made the workers suffer. The waiter had been there for years and knew how to mitigate risks. As soon as he heard Oscar's car, he ran out to give a heads-up.
Oscar put his hands on his hips and walked a few steps in frustration.
"Just my luck!" he muttered.
With so many restaurants in the family, he randomly picked one for a casual meal with friends and still ran into his annoying father.
"Alright, let's go somewhere else," he said.
Just then, a mature and powerful voice called from inside. "Where are you going?"
Oscar stopped and turned around.
"I'm just bringing friends for a meal. If we're not welcome, we'll go elsewhere," he said.
Arthur Moore replied, "You ungrateful brat, are people avoiding me?"
His gaze swept over Ulysses and Aurelia.
"Can you at least get a proper girlfriend?" he added.
Oscar was sulking. Ever since his dad found out about his orientation, he'd gone crazy, constantly trying to set him up with women.
After a few rejections and making his stance clear to his father, the old man went even further, trying to get him drunk and set him up. Luckily, Oscar had built up his alcohol tolerance and didn't lose his dignity.
Their relationship had hit a boiling point.
Oscar didn't want to argue with Arthur in public. No matter who won, it would be a loss of face for the Moore family. But he stood his ground, never bowing to oppressive forces.
"I'm just bringing two friends for a meal. If there's an issue, we can discuss it later," he said calmly, a stark contrast to his usual temper with Arthur.
Arthur noticed that one of his son's friends was a girl, which was at least a slight improvement. He suppressed his temper.
"Go on up. The luxury suite is available. Ask the young lady what she likes to eat, don't neglect the guests."
Oscar thought to himself, 'What's gotten into Arthur?'
He led Aurelia and Ulysses upstairs to a luxurious private room.
They ordered a variety of dishes, and soon after the waiter left, food started arriving in a steady stream.
Oscar noticed that none of the dishes were what he had ordered. There were all delicate desserts, like milk tea, ice cream, and beautifully plated fruits.
It was all food that girls liked to eat.
Before leaving, the waiter added, "Mr. Arthur Moore asked you to take good care of the young lady. Order anything she wants, even if it's not on the menu. If it has a name, we can make it."
Oscar felt a headache. His father was obsessed!
He shouldn't have let his dad see him with a girl.
Oscar poured himself a glass of water to cool down, saying, "Aurelia, I hope my crazy father didn't scare you."
After four years, Oscar used to call her "sister-in-law," but after that incident, he started calling her Aurelia, just like Ulysses.
Aurelia sensed gossip in the air. "Have you come out to your family?"
"Sort of. They don't know about him." Oscar nodded towards Ulysses, who was quietly drinking water.
Aurelia raised an eyebrow and asked Ulysses, "Will it be inconvenient for me to visit your place in the future?"
Oscar felt the atmosphere getting awkward and somehow steered the conversation in this direction.
Oscar said, "Alright, let's not talk about that. Aurelia, have you seen Nathaniel since you got back? He's been like a lost dog these past four years, really pitiful.
Reed won't let him return to the Heilbronn Villa, and Beatrice keeps forcing women on him. He doesn't even dare to step into your old house. He lived in his office for over a year before moving to his current place."
Aurelia sipped her drink. Everyone said Nathaniel had a tough time these past few years, but she didn't think it was as bad as they made it out to be. In her mind, Nathaniel was a cold and heartless person.
The news of her death might have hit him hard at the time, but it wouldn't be enough to bring him down.
Aurelia smiled silently, clearly not believing it.
Oscar sighed and said, "I'm not defending him, he really is quite pitiful."
With that, Oscar pulled out his phone and showed Aurelia a video.
Oscar said, "Take a look. I secretly filmed this. In the days right after you left, he went crazy looking for you all over the world. Later, the hospital confirmed you had passed away, and he couldn't go on. With encouragement from family and friends, he got back on his feet and made a grave for you next to your mother's. He slept at the cemetery for seven days and nights before Zack took him away."
Oscar's words made Aurelia's throat tighten. Her eyes fell on Oscar's phone, and her heart ached.
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