Chapter 297 Jacob Came to Imperick
Aurelia took a deep breath and said, "Nathaniel, I'm back."
Nathaniel's eyes were red, trying to hold back his pain. He asked, "Aurelia, when did you have a baby?"
Aurelia brushed his hand away and fumbled for her phone. "When you weren't around," she replied.
Nathaniel had clung to a sliver of hope, wishing she would say it was a godson or an adopted child. But her answer crushed him.
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, his neck veins bulging. He struggled to keep his emotions in check, feeling like a heavy weight was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. "Is he a good husband?" His voice was hoarse and broken, like someone was choking him.
Aurelia licked her lips and gave a bitter smile. "I'm tired."
Nathaniel glanced at her, the dark circles under his eyes still visible despite the concealer. "Go back and rest," he said, hesitating before finally managing to get the words out.
"Goodbye." Aurelia didn't hesitate. She got out of the car and went home. Nathaniel watched her enter the house and close the door. The place where she had just sat felt empty, and so did his heart. He felt that her goodbye meant they would never see each other again. They probably wouldn't have the chance to be together again in this lifetime.
He sat in the car for a long time, suddenly understanding her detachment. To her, he was nothing, just a part of the past. And that past was something she didn't want to mention again.
Zack knew Nathaniel needed some time to accept it. He played a game under a tree, occasionally glancing at the car. Through the half-open window, he saw Nathaniel's hand resting there, a cigarette between his fingers. Only after the hand with the cigarette was withdrawn did he return to the car.
Opening the door, Zack was hit by the smoke and coughed a few times. The back seat was filled with smoke, and the cigarette pack on the car's center console was half empty.
Zack glanced back and saw Nathaniel looking forlornly at the house door. He didn't know how many cigarettes his boss had smoked and didn't dare to ask. "Mr. Heilbronn, should we go?"
Nathaniel's thin lips moved slightly, and after a long time, he said, "Go." Zack stepped on the gas and drove away from this heart-wrenching place.
After a long silence, Nathaniel said, "Zack, find out where she's living in Coral Bay, who she lives with, what that man does for a living, and whether he is of good character."
Zack's hands stiffened on the steering wheel. "Mr. Heilbronn, is there some misunderstanding? Maybe you should ask Mrs. Heilbronn directly."
Nathaniel said coldly, "Zack, from now on, call her Ms. Semona."
"Okay," Zack responded, unable to help but sigh inwardly. Was Nathaniel planning to give up? Zack couldn't help but feel sad for Nathaniel. Having been by his side all these years, he knew how much Aurelia meant to him. He probably decided to give up because he felt he had no chance left.
Aurelia returned home and called Jacob, worried about what trouble Jacob might have caused.
When the call connected, Jacob was at the airport with his uncle. "Mommy, do you have signal now?" Jacob asked.
Aurelia paused and asked, "Jacob, what do you need?"
On the other end, Jacob grinned and said, "Mommy, I'm at the airport with Uncle. We're flying to Imperick to see you."
Aurelia said surprisingly, "Jacob, give the phone to your uncle."
Joe took the phone from Jacob. "Aurelia, I'm heading to Imperick for a project. I didn't feel right leaving Jacob at home, so I brought him along."
Aurelia asked, "Did you bring Jacob alone? What about Dorothy?"
Joe replied, "Dorothy has a dance performance at her preschool soon. She didn't want to miss it."
Understanding the situation, Aurelia's frown relaxed. She had missed her kids during her time away from Coral Bay, and it was a bummer Dorothy couldn't come this time. "Alright, what time is your flight? I'll pick you up."
"No need, just wait at home. I called Patrick to pick us up."
"Okay."
Joe bent down and asked Jacob, "Jacob, do you have anything else to say to Mommy?"
Jacob clutched his backpack straps and said, "Nothing else. I want to tell Mommy in person."
After hanging up, they heard the boarding announcement for their flight. Joe took out a safety strap from his pocket, linking their hands together, and they queued up for check-in.
Jacob's little heart was racing with excitement. This was his second trip to Imperick. Last time, he hadn't had enough fun before his uncle took him back to Coral Bay. There were still many places he hadn't visited, and this time, with Aurelia around, he was determined to visit all the places he wanted to see.
The plane landed in Imperick. Jacob ran alongside Joe to the exit. Patrick had been waiting for a while. Seeing Jacob, he walked over and flicked his forehead.
Jacob had never been afraid of anyone, but Patrick was an exception. He hid behind Joe and made a face. "Weird uncle, why is it you?"
Patrick put his hands on his hips. "Who did you expect to pick you up?"
Jacob snorted, his eyes darting, "Of course, the handsome Uncle Caleb."
Patrick's mouth twitched. He had heard of this Caleb the little guy mentioned. Patrick was so annoyed by Jacob that he wanted to flick his forehead again, but Joe stopped him. "Alright, stop bullying my nephew. Let's get in the car first."
Patrick protested, "Are you sure? It's clearly Jacob bullying me." He finished speaking and saw Jacob making faces at him again.
Patrick was at a loss for words. He couldn't understand how someone as cool and aloof as Aurelia could have such a troublesome little rascal!
The three of them got in the car, with Patrick driving towards Aurelia's address. Jacob looked around curiously the whole way.
Joe warned him, "Jacob, Uncle has important business to handle in Imperick, and Mommy is also very busy as she needs to reclaim your grandmother's company, so you mustn't cause any trouble or go online to provoke strangers, understand?"
Jacob scratched his head anxiously. When had he ever bothered strangers online? Not being allowed to go online was worse than not being allowed to play with his Transformers. "Uncle, if you're all busy, what am I supposed to do?" he asked.
Patrick teased him, "How about you come with me? We'll go to the biggest amusement park in Imperick and ride roller coasters, swinging hammers, and pirate ships."
Jacob looked terrified. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was really afraid of heights. He looked pitifully at Joe, afraid of ending up with Patrick, saying, "Uncle..."
Joe chuckled and pulled Jacob into his arms, "Alright, don't worry. Uncle will spend time with you after work, and Mommy will too. I ordered a box of those rare materials you wanted last time. They'll be delivered tonight. You can assemble your robot and give one to Uncle when you're done."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
