Chapter 300 Giving Gifts
Aurelia had a lot on her plate: she needed to sketch a draft for a competition and keep an eye on Jacob.
Even though Jacob didn't really need much looking after, the kid was always messing around with weird stuff that she couldn't really get into.
After giving Jacob his breakfast, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, there was this huge box full of stuff. She was confused because she hadn't ordered anything, but then she saw it was addressed to Jacob.
"Jacob, did you order something online? Why is there a big package for you?" Aurelia asked.
Jacob was busy playing Sudoku on his iPad. When he heard his mom mention a package, he quickly ditched the iPad and ran over. "It's a gift from Uncle. Be careful with it, don't break it," Jacob said excitedly.
Aurelia had no clue what was inside, and the box was almost too heavy for her to lift. Once they got it inside, Jacob eagerly tore it open, his excitement obvious.
He had been waiting for these parts for ages and finally got them. Now he could build an even better robot, better than the one in Coral Bay.
Aurelia didn't recognize the parts, but seeing Jacob's face light up, she had a pretty good idea. Jacob was always into this kind of stuff.
"Jacob, Mommy has work to do today. You can put these things together here, and we'll each do our own thing, okay?" she said.
Jacob was itching to start building his robot right away. "Mommy, you go ahead. Just don't bother me, okay?"
Aurelia nodded and went back to her design work. She had to get the draft done by the end of the month, or she'd have to wait until next year.
They both worked all day, only stopping for lunch, each lost in their own projects. Before she knew it, it was dinner time, and Aurelia had almost finished her draft.
She stretched and went downstairs, seeing Jacob still fiddling with his parts, which were scattered all over the living room. Joe had sent so much stuff that it would keep Jacob busy for a while.
"Honey, are you hungry? What do you want for dinner?" she asked.
Jacob looked up and thought for a moment. "Mommy, what was your favorite food when you were a kid? I want to eat what you loved."
Aurelia picked up the empty packaging bags on the floor and replied, "Mommy's favorite was Grandma's sandwiches, but we can't have those anymore."
Jacob pouted and said, "That's a bummer. How about you make your specialty?"
Aurelia smiled. "Alright, Mommy will get creative!" She put on an apron and was about to head into the kitchen when the doorbell rang again. Jacob called out from the living room, "Mommy, there's someone at the door."
Aurelia peeked out the window and saw Nathaniel standing outside with a food box and several other boxes at his feet. She put down the vegetables and went to open the door.
Nathaniel stood there, feeling a mix of emotions as he saw Aurelia in her domestic mode. She used to show this side of herself only to him, but now she was cooking for someone else.
Pushing his feelings aside, he said, "Aurelia, I brought some things. This is dinner." He handed her the food box first.
Aurelia glanced at the boxes at his feet and asked, "What are these?"
"All toys," Nathaniel replied. He looked at the boxes with some frustration. He had asked Zack to buy some high-end toys, but Zack had gone overboard and bought a ton without even repacking them nicely. He wondered if the kid would like them.
Aurelia was surprised. "That's a lot."
Nathaniel scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward. "It's not too much. Is anyone home? I can help you carry them in," Nathaniel offered, trying to gauge if Joe was around.
"You bought way too many. My son won't be able to play with all of them. We're heading back to Coral Bay soon," Aurelia replied.
"If he can't play with them now, he can play with them next time. If he likes other toys, just let me know," Nathaniel said.
"Thank you for your generosity," Aurelia responded, their polite exchange only making the distance between them more obvious.
Nathaniel had been wrestling with this for a while and finally decided to ask, "Aurelia, is Joe actually Samuel?"
Aurelia was taken back to old memories by his sudden question. He used to get really upset when she called out Samuel's name in her sleep, and they had fought about it many times. Who would have thought the person he was jealous of was actually her big brother?
"Four years ago, it was Joe who took you away from Imperick, right?" Nathaniel pressed.
Aurelia nodded, her mouth dry, and said, "He is Samuel. He is also..." My brother.
Before she could finish, a black G-Wagon pulled up behind Nathaniel's car. Joe got out, his face darkening when he saw Nathaniel at the door.
"Mr. Heilbronn, you seem to have a lot of free time. Instead of managing your employees, what are you doing at my house?" Joe said coldly.
Nathaniel's heart sank when he heard Joe say 'my house.' In matters of the heart, he felt like a loser in front of Joe. He quickly composed himself and said, "I came to deliver something to Aurelia."
Joe glanced at the boxes filled with various toys for boys and understood. This guy must have found out about Jacob. It was his fault for not hiding the kid well.
"The Semona family can afford to buy toys for our kids. We don't need to accept others'. Mr. Heilbronn, please take these back," Joe said firmly.
Nathaniel didn't say anything, just looked at Aurelia, waiting for her decision. If she didn't say no, he wouldn't take the toys back. The atmosphere grew tense.
Aurelia coughed lightly and asked Joe, "Do you want to go inside and keep Jacob company? I'll talk to him for a bit."
Joe stood his ground, saying, "Aurelia, go back inside!"
Aurelia looked between Nathaniel and her brother, worried they might start fighting. "Don't hit him," she pleaded.
Joe gave her a reassuring look and said, "Don't worry, there won't be a fight."
Hearing Joe say that, Aurelia reluctantly went back inside. Outside the door, the two men faced off.
Nathaniel felt a pang in his heart as he witnessed their silent understanding. Surprisingly, Aurelia going back inside actually relieved some of his psychological pressure. He knew a confrontation with Joe was inevitable.
Nathaniel smirked, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which remained cold. Joe's expression was equally dark, and neither man was willing to back down.
"How's your project going? Shouldn't you be at a business dinner?" Nathaniel taunted.
Joe raised an eyebrow and said, "Such a small matter is no trouble for me. Thanks for your concern. Next time, if you have something to say, say it to my face. No need for underhanded tactics."
Joe spoke lightly, but the project's delay had indeed caused him some trouble. The project was his key focus in Imperick this year, and he planned to complete it before the end of the year. He had started it early, even without the necessary permits, and had pulled many strings to do so. The permits would come, but it would take some time. But Nathaniel actually reported him, causing his project to be forcibly halted.
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