Chapter 281 Showcasing Their Love
In the video, Nathaniel looked like he'd been through hell, his clothes all dirty and his face covered in stubble. His eyes were empty, like he'd lost everything.
He was kneeling at her grave, looking completely broken, muttering over and over, "Aurelia, I'm late."
Aurelia had never seen Nathaniel like this. He was always so clean and put-together, never a hair out of place. But in the video, he looked like he didn't care about anything anymore, like his whole world had fallen apart.
She hit the pause button, unable to watch any more.
She felt confused, not sure which Nathaniel was the real one.
The guy who once tossed her aside was now shattered by her death. Just days ago, he was chasing after her, confessing his love, but he could still move on to other women.
Aurelia gave a bitter smile, her lips curling. Why dig up the past? Wouldn't it be better to look forward?
Oscar, feeling chatty, kept going, "After you left, all of us cut ties with him. Later, seeing he was falling apart, we tried to help him out. Ulysses even went to see him. You can ask him if you don't believe me."
Ulysses just nodded, staying quiet.
Oscar continued, "I've known Nathaniel for years, and you know how proud he is. Your death really broke him. For half a year, the whole Heilbronn Group was almost in crisis because of it."
Ulysses couldn't take it anymore and said, "Alright, can we talk about something happy? Nathaniel has had a rough time, but Aurelia has been through worse. She almost died. If Nathaniel hadn't indulged Chelsea, none of this would've happened. He deserves it!"
Mentioning Chelsea, Oscar remembered something else and said, "Aurelia, you don't know. After you left, Nathaniel made Chelsea take abortion pills himself. Everyone who wronged you back then got punished by him."
Aurelia was shocked. She never thought Nathaniel would go that far. He used to protect Chelsea like she was made of glass, but he forced her to take abortion pills. That was cold.
Aurelia felt a pang of bitterness, an indescribable feeling.
The waiter started bringing out the food, and everyone was pretty hungry. No one talked about the past anymore, and they all dug in.
The fashion show venue was close by. After dinner, they drove over to grab front-row seats.
Ulysses had been doing well lately. His brand was getting some recognition in the fashion world, and with Oscar introducing him to wealthy clients, he was getting a lot of exposure.
This fashion show had three of Ulysses' designs shortlisted.
When they got to the venue, it wasn't too crowded yet, and they snagged the center seats in the front row.
Oscar insisted Aurelia sit in the middle. She looked around, feeling out of place. Sitting between the two guys, especially knowing their history, made her super uncomfortable.
"How about I sit behind you two? It doesn't seem right for me to sit in the middle," Aurelia said, starting to get up, but Oscar pulled her back.
"Aurelia, just sit here. I'm tired of looking at the same face every day. Your beautiful face is a nice change," he said.
Ulysses, on the other side, heard this and said, "I think you need an eye check. Who's the one watching short videos of muscle men every night and sending them gifts?"
"What are you talking about? Can't I watch short videos? Haven't you heard the saying, 'Looking at handsome guys can prolong life'?" Oscar retorted.
Aurelia thought to herself, 'Isn't that saying meant for women?'
"How about you two sit together?" she suggested, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. The two of them were practically flaunting their affection, completely ignoring her.
As soon as she spoke, Oscar and Ulysses said in unison, "No need!"
Aurelia fell silent.
Finally, it was eight o'clock. The audience seats gradually filled up, and the fashion show began.
Aurelia had drunk a bit too much milk tea during dinner and needed to use the restroom. She waited until Ulysses' designs had been showcased and then slipped out of her seat.
The restroom was at the end of the hallway outside the hall. She was in a hurry and almost ran there.
After finally relieving herself, she came out of the stall to wash her hands and vaguely felt a weird gaze on her back.
She looked up and saw in the mirror a slender and elegant man standing at the restroom door, staring straight at her.
Aurelia panicked for a moment, thinking she had entered the wrong restroom. But seeing the female symbol on the door confirmed that it was indeed the women's restroom.
Marcus stood at the door, blocking it completely. Upon seeing this, people who wanted to use the restroom had to back away.
"Uncle Marcus, this is the women's restroom!" Aurelia said.
Marcus, hearing Aurelia's reminder, remained unfazed and coughed a few times, covering his mouth. Then he said, "Aurelia, is it really you?"
Instead of stepping out, he walked in, threw the "Under Maintenance" sign outside, and then closed the door.
Aurelia's heart skipped a beat with the sound of the door closing. For some reason, she felt a sense of panic. Marcus, usually so refined and polite, couldn't be associated with his recent behavior.
He had entered the women's restroom!
"Uncle Marcus, why don't we talk outside?" Aurelia suggested.
Marcus had already walked up to her and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, saying, "Aurelia, don't call me Uncle Marcus. You and Nathaniel are no longer related. How about changing the way you address me?"
Aurelia's mind went blank. At this moment, Marcus exuded a dangerous aura, looking at her like a predator eyeing its prey. She recalled Nathaniel's warning, 'Stay away from Marcus, he's not someone you can easily deal with.'
A terrifying thought crossed her mind, 'Marcus is dangerous!'
"Marcus, this is the restroom. Whatever you have to say, let's talk outside. It won't look good if someone comes in," Aurelia said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Marcus curled his lips into a smile and chuckled, "There's no one else here. Aurelia, I've always wanted to tell you something. You look very much like someone, from your appearance to your demeanor. Sometimes, I can't tell the two of you apart."
As Marcus spoke, he kept moving closer. Aurelia instinctively took a step back, her back pressing against the cold sink.
She gasped and said, "Marcus, get a grip. I'm Aurelia, not who you think I am."
Marcus placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her, saying, "Aurelia, I'm very clear-headed. She's gone, but you... you're very much here."
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