Chapter 307 Don't Drink Anymore
Nathaniel furrowed his brow and said,
"Did she really say such harsh things to you?"
"If you don't believe me, just pretend I didn't say anything. She's your mom, and you choose to believe her over me. I can understand that."
Aurelia had grown accustomed to Nathaniel not taking her side. Now that they were divorced, she had nothing to complain about. In her heart, nothing mattered anymore.
Nathaniel's mouth twitched as he said, "Aurelia, I believe you. I decide who comes and goes in the Heilbronn family. If you don't like Mom and Ashley, you don't have to interact with them. I won't force you to do anything. You're the one living with me, not them."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed as she asked, "Who said I want to live with you?"
Stupid man, what is he thinking?
Aurelia's refusal was straightforward, leaving Nathaniel looking dejected.
"Aurelia, I've never considered other women. I see them the same way I see the fiberglass mannequins in our store. Do you understand what I mean?"
Nathaniel explained anxiously, afraid that Aurelia wouldn't believe him and would misunderstand.
"Aurelia, Lori is my dad's friend's daughter. Today, they tricked me into coming here. I didn't know she wanted me to be her date. If I had known, I would have rather been Oscar's date than come to this setup."
Aurelia found his words exasperating. Why drag Oscar into this?
"Do you and Oscar have something going on?"
She asked casually, purely out of curiosity, but it made Nathaniel anxious.
"Aurelia, don't you know my sexual orientation? I've known Oscar since we were kids. Our dads and grandfathers were close, so we hung out together. If I liked him, would I have waited until now?"
He earnestly explained his innocence with Oscar, and Aurelia suddenly remembered an incident from a few years ago when he and Oscar got drunk and spent the night in the same room.
At that time, she didn't know Oscar's sexual orientation and didn't think much of it. Now, looking back, it seemed quite suspicious.
"You slept in the same bed as Oscar before."
Nathaniel nearly stepped on Aurelia's foot in his haste to deny it.
"No, Aurelia! If this bothers you, I can call him over right now, and the three of us can confront each other. I haven't lost my mind to the point of betraying my own brother. Besides you, there's been no one else. Zack can vouch for me; he's with me every day."
Aurelia fell silent. She used to hope he would explain where he went when he didn't come home, whether he went to see Chelsea when he was on business trips to Melicia, and how far things had gone with Chelsea.
Now, whatever Nathaniel said felt meaningless to Aurelia. What was the point of explaining? They had been divorced for a long time.
Aurelia smiled faintly and said, "You don't need to explain."
Nathaniel was once again hurt by that smile. Aurelia didn't care anymore! Who he slept with or associated with was irrelevant to her.
"Aurelia..."
He called her name again.
Aurelia lifted her eyes to look at him, seeing the grievance and pity on his face, like a big dog seeking attention. He was the heir to the Heilbronn Group, a ruthless and merciless figure in the business world. This wounded expression was something Aurelia wasn't used to.
She was more accustomed to him ignoring people..
"Don't drink anymore, especially when Zack isn't around."
She thought Nathaniel had terrible drinking habits. He would lose consciousness and forget everything the next day after drinking just a little alcohol. If it weren't for Zack, who knows how many times he would have been taken advantage of by women, even losing his underwear.
The incident with Chelsea was a result of being tricked and set up while drunk.
Nathaniel thought Aurelia was concerned about him, and his eyes brightened, feeling a bit warmer inside.
"Aurelia, if you don't want me to drink, I will quit drinking immediately."
"Do as you please. I'm just reminding you not to drink to the point of losing consciousness at social events. Finding out you have a child out of nowhere is something I don't think Mr. Heilbronn wants to experience a second time."
Nathaniel fell silent, feeling a bit regretful. That incident was the biggest stain on his life, something that would probably be written on his tombstone.
As the song ended, Nathaniel still held her hand.
"Aurelia, one more dance?"
Aurelia suddenly thought of some past events. He often attended banquets like this. When they were together, she always hoped he would take her along.
Once, it was the Heilbronn Group's celebration banquet. She had asked him many times to take her, and he agreed.
She had even done her makeup and changed into her dress, but at the last minute, he left her at home.
"Reed said he didn't sleep well last night. You should go look after him at the Heilbronn Villa."
Those were his exact words. After saying that, he got in the car and left, leaving the dressed-up Aurelia standing there. When she returned to the Heilbronn Villa, Reed wasn't suffering from insomnia or feeling unwell; it was all an excuse.
After that incident, Aurelia realized he didn't want to take her along, especially in front of the Heilbronn Group employees. She wasn't worthy of standing by his side.
She never asked him to take her to such events again, and they never had the chance to dance together.
Aurelia snapped back to reality and mocked, "Mr. Heilbronn used to be afraid of appearing with me at such events. Today, Why did you change your mind?"
Nathaniel was taken aback and asked, "When was I ever afraid to be with you?"
At this point, Aurelia didn't hold back and said directly, "That year at the Heilbronn Group's celebration banquet, everyone in Imperick with status was there. You didn't let me go. Were you afraid of being seen with me? I guess someone like me isn't worthy of standing by your side. You must have had a pretty date, right?"
Nathaniel recalled the event and couldn't help but laugh in frustration.
"When did I ever have a date? I always took Zack to such events. Have you ever seen a date by my side? Do you really not know why I didn't let you go?"
"You think I'm not as good as the women in your circle, afraid I'd lower your standards and embarrass you."
Aurelia averted her gaze. Even now, thinking about it made her unhappy. She had prepared for days for that celebration banquet, running around Imperick's high-end malls with Ulysses to find the perfect dress. She even got her hair done and put on exquisite makeup.
But at the last minute, she was left at home.
Any woman would hold a grudge for a lifetime over such an incident.
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