Chapter 368 Doubt
Dinner was prepared by Ulysses himself, and Nathaniel volunteered to help in the kitchen. Although his cooking skills weren't great, he could still lend a hand.
In the living room, Aurelia, Amber, and Oscar were watching TV. The two kids were getting hungry and obediently sat on the sofa eating nuts.
Amber ate the nuts while trying to suppress her laughter. Aurelia was completely relaxed, leaving everything to Nathaniel.
During dinner, Nathaniel took a phone call and returned with a strange expression. Although he didn't say anything, Aurelia sensed that the call was related to her.
She didn't want to ask in front of their friends, so she waited until they were on their way home to speak up. "Did something happen?"
Nathaniel was driving, his face expressionless. "The police informed me that Chelsea's verdict is out. Three years."
Aurelia's heart clenched. "Only three years?"
"The police said that everything was orchestrated by Maria, and Chelsea didn't handle any of it. Given the circumstances, it's considered a heavy sentence."
Aurelia clenched her fists tightly. She could only blame Maria's cunning for protecting Chelsea so well that all the charges fell on her alone, leaving Chelsea as merely an accomplice.
Nathaniel glanced at her through the rearview mirror while waiting at a red light. Aurelia's face was pale, devoid of any color. He knew she hated that woman, but he couldn't change the police's decision.
"Aurelia, there's an auction abroad in a few days. One of the items is a piece of jewelry once worn by the Queen. Would you like to go with me?"
He was trying to distract her. In reality, he had already planned to attend the auction and had bought two tickets. He intended to tell her after handling some matters.
Aurelia sat silently, her palms cold and sweaty.
Nathaniel had actually withheld some information. The police had told him that Chelsea, who was in prison, was found to be two months pregnant and could be granted a one-year suspension. She could return home to serve her sentence this afternoon.
The demon who wanted to destroy others was back in the world.
He didn't dare tell Aurelia, fearing she wouldn't be able to handle it. He decided to wait for the right moment.
Seeing Aurelia's current reaction, he was glad he hadn't revealed everything. Otherwise, who knew how much more upset she would be.
The car pulled up to the Bloom Villa. Nathaniel carried the two kids out of the car. Jacob insisted on getting out by himself, but Nathaniel still carried him down.
The little guy pouted and ignored him, heading straight inside.
The two kids walked ahead, and Nathaniel adjusted his pace to walk with Aurelia.
Aurelia hadn't said much on the way back. After the kids went inside, she stopped and looked at Nathaniel with questioning eyes. "Did you hire the lawyer?"
Nathaniel nodded. "It was the company's lawyer. You've met him; he's quite capable."
Aurelia paused and then asked, "I mean Chelsea's lawyer."
Nathaniel was stunned for a moment and then let out a bitter laugh. He thought he had explained their relationship clearly, but she still suspected he had helped Chelsea get a lighter sentence.
Nathaniel felt a dull pain in his heart. After a long pause, he answered, "No."
Aurelia's eyes were red, and she struggled to control her emotions. It was hard to tell if she believed him or not. She turned and went inside.
Nathaniel didn't follow her. He stayed in the yard and smoked a cigarette. He had ordered the yard to be planted with white roses, hoping to surprise her.
She didn't even look at them and still doubted him. Ungrateful woman.
Nathaniel took a moment to compose himself and went to the car to get the robot. He had brought it back from the company yesterday but hadn't had a chance to take it out.
The thing was quite heavy and took some effort. He opened the mobile app and controlled the robot to walk into the house. Jacob ran over from a distance, clapping his hands and jumping with joy.
Nathaniel squatted down to be at eye level with Jacob. "Call me 'Dad,' and I'll teach you how to control it."
Jacob pouted and reluctantly said, "Dad."
Nathaniel's wounded heart found some solace in his son's words. He patiently demonstrated with his phone. The robot was a 3.0 version with basic functions like pouring water, serving dishes, opening doors, and playing music.
The tech department was working hard on the 4.0 version, and Nathaniel had invested a lot of money into making it more intelligent. He had acquired the company out of interest, not expecting his son to like it. It turned out to be a kind of father-son bond.
Nathaniel explained patiently, and Jacob nodded frequently. He was more interested in the robot's internal structure than its functions and wanted to take it apart. "Can I take it apart?"
"Can you put it back together if you do?"
Jacob nodded confidently. "I think I can."
Nathaniel glanced at the ugly contraption Jacob had assembled in the living room and recalled the first day he entered Aurelia's house and was pinned down by that ugly thing. He believed Jacob could reassemble the robot. "It's yours. Do whatever you want with it."
Jacob grinned, showing a row of neat white teeth, and immediately got to work.
Aurelia was nowhere to be seen in the living room. Dorothy was on the sofa, brushing a Barbie doll's hair. Nathaniel sat down and quietly asked, "Dorothy, where's Mommy?"
Dorothy shook her head. "Mommy's in a bad mood. I'll bring her some dessert later to cheer her up."
"Does Mommy like to eat sweets when she's in a bad mood?"
Dorothy nodded. "Yes, Mommy says sweet things can make people temporarily forget life's troubles. Whenever she's unhappy, I buy her a strawberry cake."
Nathaniel ruffled Dorothy's bangs and chuckled. "Buy it!"
Aurelia didn't have this habit before. She had a small appetite and rarely touched high-calorie foods, saying she needed to maintain her figure and couldn't let herself go after marriage. She didn't want to gain an ounce of fat on her waist.
Nathaniel leaned back on the sofa, reminiscing about the past. He liked her waist, not just because it looked slim but because he loved the feel of it, soft and boneless. Every time he touched it, he couldn't help himself.
He always had to hold her with one hand while sleeping, pulling her into his arms. And she probably knew he liked her waist.
Nathaniel suddenly realized that she had likely controlled her figure to cater to his preferences. She did like sweets.
Feeling a pang of sadness, he wondered how they could make up for the four years they had lost.
Nathaniel opened the food delivery app on his phone and ordered some desserts and milk tea.
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