Chapter 301 I Can Do Anything for Her
Nathaniel thought to himself, 'Joe backstabbed me, and now he has the nerve to label me bad guy.'
He said, "Mr. Semona, you're being too harsh. I just do it on behalf of the government to keep things running smoothly in our city. Illegal buildings hurt the common folks in the end. You can't just chase money without thinking about everyone's safety."
Joe chuckled and said, "Mr. Heilbronn, you're acting like I've committed some terrible crime. I'm no saint, but I don't go around hurting people for no reason. Making money has never been my top priority."
Nathaniel didn't want to hear it. What was with this good guy act? "Mr. Semona, don't you plan to get married? What kind of man are you, letting a woman follow you around without any commitment?"
Joe was taken aback for a moment, then realized Nathaniel thought he was Aurelia's boyfriend. He didn't feel like explaining, his smile turning more mocking.
Joe said, "Whether I get married or not is none of your business. At least I don't juggle two women like you do. Aurelia never has to suffer with me. Whatever she wants, I make it happen."
Joe's words were full of affection. A man who ruled the business world, yet when talking about Aurelia, his face softened, showing how much he cared for her.
Nathaniel felt a pang of jealousy. "At least she was my legitimate wife. You don't even want to marry her, and you dare say you truly love her?"
Nathaniel added, "I can do anything for her now. She can be a queen with me."
Joe laughed disdainfully, saying, "If a marriage certificate was all it took, she wouldn't have been hurt so badly four years ago, almost losing her life. With me, she's a princess. As long as she wants something and I can provide it, I will." Joe's tone was confident. As a real estate tycoon, he had the means to back up his words.
Nathaniel fell silent for a moment and said, "I don't believe she has no feelings for me now. We lived together for three years, we have a history. Since you don't want to marry her, I won't give up easily. Let's compete fairly!"
Joe frowned, thinking, 'Who are you to talk about fair competition? The Semona Family's wealthy daughter isn't someone just anyone can marry.'
Joe said, "I advise you not to show up in front of her again. To her, you're just someone from the past. Don't waste your time." Just then, the door opened, and Aurelia stepped out.
Aurelia was worried the two might get into a fight. Joe wasn't known for his patience, and Nathaniel liked direct confrontation. If they fought, it wouldn't be a big deal, but she was concerned about the impact on Jacob if he saw it.
Jacob would grow up eventually. He might not understand now, but one day he would. Seeing his uncle fight with his father wouldn't be a good memory.
Aurelia walked over and stood by Joe, softly asking, "Shall we eat first?" Her meaning was clear, she wanted to call Joe back inside.
Joe was also tired of talking with Nathaniel. Talking to this stubborn guy was less productive than planning his next project. "Let's go inside and eat."
Joe led the way inside, with Aurelia following closely behind. Nathaniel stood there, tears silently streaming down his face. Watching their backs, he couldn't help but think they made a good pair. Joe and Aurelia were really living together.
Inside, Joe pushed aside his irritation and noticed Jacob still engrossed in assembling a pile of odd parts on the floor. He joined in, helping Jacob with the project.
Aurelia went into the kitchen to calm herself down. She sneaked a glance out the window and saw Nathaniel still there, leaning against his car, smoking. It seemed his smoking habit had gotten worse since they reunited. Every time she saw him, he was smoking.
She opened the food box Nathaniel had given her. Inside was her favorite sandwich from that restaurant she used to pester him to take her to four years ago. The food still tasted the same, and Nathaniel was still the same. But she no longer felt the same way.
Back then, it wasn't that she loved the food so much; she just wanted more time alone with Nathaniel. He was always busy, coming home late at night. Their most frequent interaction was in bed.
After she mentioned it enough times, Nathaniel would occasionally leave work early to take her out to eat.
Aurelia snapped back to reality, took out the food, and set it on the table, adding two new dishes she made herself, enough for three people.
She set the table and looked out the window. Nathaniel was no longer there, and the toys he brought were neatly placed at the door.
After dinner, Aurelia decided to bring all the toys inside. Since they were bought, it would be a waste to throw them away.
Seeing her struggling with the boxes, Joe finally couldn't stand it and went out to help her bring everything in.
The living room buzzed with activity, resembling a bustling warehouse, and Jacob was the happiest of all. Although he never lacked toys, no child could resist the excitement of suddenly getting so many new ones. He was already quite composed."Mommy, did you buy these toys for me?" Jacob asked, but it didn't seem likely. Given Aurelia's usual habits, she wouldn't suddenly buy so many things.
Was it Joe? That didn't seem likely either. Joe had just bought him a lot of expensive machine parts, so he probably wouldn't give him more gifts so soon. So who bought them?
Aurelia paused and answered, "They were gifts from someone you don't know."
Jacob laughed happily, saying, "That person must be a good friend of yours, Mommy, or they wouldn't buy me so many toys."
Jacob happily unwrapped the gifts, completely unaware of the tension between Aurelia and Joe.
Joe pulled Aurelia into the kitchen and quietly asked, "What are you thinking? You don't really want to get back with him, do you?"
Aurelia shook her head and said, "Joe, to be honest, I've met him a few times since we reunited. I find that now I'm a bit afraid to get close to him. I don't know if you understand that feeling."
Joe said, "You were hurt by him before, it's probably a stress response. No matter what, I want you to be happy. Men aren't essential. If you don't want to get married, I'll support you, Jacob, and Dorothy for life. The last thing our family lacks is money."
Aurelia's eyes welled up. "I know."
Joe said, "Think it over carefully. He now sees me as his rival. I suspect Jacob and Dorothy's parentage won't be hidden from him for long. Be prepared."
Aurelia had thought about this. The children's parentage couldn't be hidden from him forever. He would eventually find out the truth.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
