Chapter 289 Aurelia, Open the Door
Aurelia didn't think Chelsea would move so fast.
She called Patrick, and it rang forever before he finally picked up.
A groggy voice answered, "Aurelia, why are you calling me so early? You wanna go for a run or something?"
"Patrick, sorry, I thought you'd be up by now," she said.
Aurelia remembered Patrick mentioning a golf game with a business partner. She figured he'd take it seriously enough to be up and ready.
Patrick mumbled, still half-asleep, "No worries, I was just about to get up."
"Patrick, I'll go with you to the golf game."
There was a pause, then Patrick's voice cleared up, "Sure, I'll come pick you up."
Aurelia went back home and finally let herself relax. It had been a crazy day, and her brain felt like it was about to short-circuit.
Her mind kept flipping between Marcus's wild look and Nathaniel's desperate face. Both of them were driving her nuts.
She hadn't slept all night, and even though she was dead tired, sleep just wouldn't come.
Aurelia replayed everything from the night before. She thought she was tough, but hearing about Nathaniel's severe depression hit her harder than she expected.
When Nathaniel pulled her close, she felt a sudden, inexplicable fear that almost made her lose it.
She thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. She decided to keep her distance from Nathaniel. Whenever he got too close, she felt a paralyzing fear that messed with her head and made her want to run.
She washed her face and put on some makeup to hide her dark circles.
She made some porridge, but just as she was about to eat, Patrick called, "Aurelia, open the door."
Aurelia was startled. She ran to the balcony and saw Patrick already parked outside. He was leaning against his car, dressed casually, and called up to her, "Aurelia, I haven't had breakfast!"
Aurelia realized she was still in her home clothes. "Patrick, wait a moment."
She dashed to her bedroom to change before opening the door. Patrick greeted her with a warm smile, "Aurelia, why aren't you ready yet?"
He was straightforward and easygoing.
Aurelia smiled and let him in. "Patrick, I just changed. How did you know my address?"
"Joe told me. He said you had a tough time in this city and told me to look out for you. If anything happens to you, he'll break my arms."
Patrick didn't know much about Aurelia's past, so he just repeated what Joe had said. Of course, he had bugged Joe for the address.
They laughed and chatted as they went inside.
Neither of them noticed a pair of eyes watching from a distance, emotions swirling beneath a calm exterior.
"Have you found out what medication Nathaniel is taking?" Marcus's voice was cold, missing its usual warmth.
The assistant quickly reported the findings from the past few days.
"Mr. Heilbronn, Nathaniel's meds are all hidden in vitamin bottles, so we can't tell what they are. Our contact in the secretarial department snagged two pills, and they're being tested now. We should have the results in three days."
Marcus replied, "Keep it under wraps. Make sure he doesn't find out. That secretary doesn't need to show up at Imperick anymore."
"Mr. Heilbronn, we've already given her $200,000. She's got financial issues and will keep it confidential."
"Just make sure she stays quiet. Also, find out what's going on between Aurelia and Patrick."
Marcus's face was stone-cold as he stared at the villa's gate. Any guy she invited in had to be special.
The only man who deserved her smile was him. Putting up with Nathaniel was already pushing it.
Inside, the porridge Aurelia made was just enough for herself, and with Patrick there, it seemed a bit skimpy.
The fridge was almost empty, just a few eggs left from when she and Joe came back to pick up Brenda.
Aurelia dug through the freezer and found a pack of frozen noodles that was still good.
"Patrick, are noodles okay?"
"Sure, I'm not picky."
He really wasn't. Aurelia thought someone like him wouldn't touch frozen noodles.
Not only did Patrick eat with gusto, but he also washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, which was surprising given his usual laid-back attitude.
It was almost time. Patrick had a 10 AM appointment with Gabriel Gray from Eden Industries at the golf course.
They headed straight to Oakmont Manor.
They got to the parking lot with fifteen minutes to spare.
Aurelia quickly unbuckled her seatbelt to get out.
"Aurelia, no rush. Let's go in right on time."
Patrick turned off the car and casually checked his phone. "Eden Industries isn't worth us showing up early."
Aurelia didn't get these business nuances, but she trusted Patrick. He seemed carefree, but he knew how to handle these situations.
With some time to kill, Aurelia wanted to talk about dealing with Chelsea.
"Patrick, Chelsea's taken over the company and is now the CEO. The shareholders who were against her have caved, and she's got decision-making power."
Patrick smiled nonchalantly, "Let her have her moment. It'll hurt twice as much when she loses it."
Patrick and Joe had been in the business world long enough to understand human greed. He wanted to hit Chelsea hard, and if he was going to do it, he'd go all out.
He had his own reasons too. He wanted to impress Aurelia, to make her see him in a better light. So that when he showed up at The Semona Family again, it wouldn't be just a nodding acquaintance.
"So we wait until the company fully trusts her before making a move?"
"Aurelia, you're so smart."
Aurelia was a bit worried about Jacoba, afraid he might cause trouble during this period. Joe was busy with work and couldn't always keep an eye on him.
The nanny, Dahlia, couldn't control the mischievous Jacoba. Only when she was home would he behave a bit.
They chatted in the car for a while. Patrick checked his watch and got out right on time.
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