Chapter 345 Help Her with the Bag
Nathaniel followed Dorothy inside and stopped about three feet away from Aurelia.
Aurelia held the drink Dorothy handed her, sensing that the office atmosphere felt a bit off.
"Dorothy, why did you come here with Dad?"
Dorothy excitedly recounted her day to Aurelia, "Mommy, Oscar took me to buy a bunch of kittens, and we also went to Dad's office. Now all my kittens are in Dad's car. Do you want to go see them? They're so cute."
"Dorothy, Daddy is very busy with work. You shouldn't disturb him during office hours."
Dorothy pouted.
"I think it's fine. Daddy seems to slack off a lot at work. I didn't see him working; he only opened his computer once and made two phone calls. The rest of the time, he was playing with the cats."
Aurelia glanced at Nathaniel standing nearby and couldn't help but chuckle. Dorothy's words made Nathaniel seem quite incompetent, reducing a busy CEO to someone who just played with cats in the office.
"Dorothy, Daddy must have postponed his work to spend time with you. He's usually very busy," Aurelia explained.
Dorothy blinked her big eyes, thought for a few seconds, and then asked, "Really? Then I won't go to Daddy's office next time."
Dorothy refused to call Nathaniel "Dad," but when talking to Aurelia, she kept saying "Dad" without hesitation, completely ignoring the fact that Nathaniel was standing right behind her.
When Nathaniel heard Dorothy call him "Daddy," his eyes softened. The pang of jealousy he felt while watching Aurelia and Patrick discuss work was somewhat alleviated by this small but significant acknowledgment.
"Dorothy, Daddy is not busy. You can come to my office anytime. Next time, bring your brother along."
Now that Dorothy didn't reject him, he certainly wouldn't say he was busy. Even if he was, he would make time. Nathaniel smiled, feeling like he had found a way to bring his wife and daughter back home.
Dorothy shook Aurelia's arm, eager to share her joy.
"Mommy, do you want to go downstairs and see my kittens? They come in so many colors. They're even cuter than Princess Elsa's cats."
Aurelia checked the time; it was already the end of the workday. She closed her computer, stood up, and pushed in her chair, ready to grab her bag.
Just as she reached for it, Nathaniel had already picked it up.
Aurelia looked up, and they exchanged a silent glance.
"Let's go," Nathaniel said as he walked ahead, the delicate lady's bag looking even smaller in his large hand.
Today, he wore a black satin shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a strong forearm. The bag in his hand made him look like a considerate husband.
Aurelia couldn't help but think of those domineering CEO novels she read when bored; the CEOs in those stories looked just like this.
Aurelia led Dorothy, following behind Nathaniel, and the three of them left the building.
Nathaniel's car was always the most noticeable one, no matter where it was parked. Dorothy saw Nathaniel's car and pulled Aurelia's hand, running over. Nathaniel pressed the car key to unlock it.
Aurelia opened the car door and was surprised to see the group of kittens.
She never expected that Oscar, who was always so frugal, would actually buy ten kittens for Dorothy. Ten whole kittens!
The leather seats in Nathaniel's car were already scratched by the kittens. She worried about what would happen if they brought the kittens home—would they wreak havoc on the house? Moreover, she would soon be taking the kids back to Coral Bay, so what would happen to the kittens then?
Aurelia held her forehead, unable to share in Dorothy's joy, her mind preoccupied with how to deal with the kittens.
Nathaniel walked over, placing the bag in the back seat, then quickly took it out again, probably afraid the kittens would scratch it.
"Nathaniel, is this car even salvageable?" Aurelia hesitated to say it directly; the smell of cat urine was unmistakable.
Nathaniel had an even keener sense of smell; he had noticed it on his way to find her. He shrugged, seemingly unbothered.
Aurelia didn’t dare say it directly; she could smell the cat's urine.
Nathaniel’s nose was even more sensitive; he had smelled it on the way to find her. He shrugged, looking unconcerned,
"It's fine. I'll have Zack take it to the shop for maintenance later. Worst case, I'll replace the interior."
Aurelia was speechless. For someone with a cleanliness obsession, he was surprisingly tolerant. It seemed he had indeed changed a lot over the past four years.
"These kittens don't look cheap. Ask Oscar how much they cost, and I'll transfer the money to him."
"No need, I've already paid him back."
Nathaniel's collection of ornaments had been completely looted by Oscar, who didn't leave a single one.
Those ornaments were rare collectibles, very valuable, and any one of them could easily cover the cost of the ten kittens.
Since he said so, Aurelia didn't press further. After all, Dorothy was his daughter, and it was only right for Nathaniel to take responsibility.
The car started, but Nathaniel didn't drive straight home. Instead, he stopped at a mall. He had checked on his phone and found a well-reviewed pet store there.
The kittens needed a home.
Nathaniel got out of the car and picked up Dorothy. When Aurelia got out, the three of them went shopping.
After buying a bunch of stuff, Nathaniel picked out the most complex cat tree. He carried Dorothy the whole time and, at the checkout, turned to Aurelia.
"Aurelia, can you get my phone?"
Aurelia didn't understand, so he added, "It's in my pocket."
He indicated that he couldn't free his hands while holding Dorothy. He said it so naturally, as if they weren't divorced.
Aurelia unconsciously touched her nose. Was it appropriate for her to reach into his pocket?
If they were still married, it wouldn't matter, but given their current relationship, it felt a bit ambiguous.
"I'll pay."
Aurelia felt awkward after saying that, realizing she had left her bag and phone in the car. She looked up at Nathaniel, who was still waiting for her to get his phone, even positioning himself for it.
Aurelia hesitated but reached into his pocket, inevitably touching him.
She quickly took out the phone, and the next second, Nathaniel's voice came from beside her. "Unlock it. The password is the same as the house door."
Aurelia's heart tightened as she silently entered the familiar numbers.
She handled the rest of the transaction, while Nathaniel just held the child. After paying, he directed Aurelia to put the phone back in his pocket.
Aurelia reasonably suspected he did it on purpose. Dorothy wasn't a baby; he could have put her down and done it himself.
She watched Nathaniel, who appeared calm and showed no signs of having pulled off a scheme, so she dismissed her suspicions.
The store staff helped carry their purchases to the car. On the way back, Nathaniel's phone rang.
Seeing it was Reed calling, Nathaniel put it on speaker.
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