Chapter 380 The Semona Family's Conditions
Nathaniel emerged from the stairwell to find Aurelia standing at the hospital room door, dialing on her phone. She could sense the tension in the room earlier.
After Nathaniel and Marcus left, she endured a few minutes before finding an excuse to follow them out.
Nathaniel's phone rang in the hallway, and Aurelia looked up, their eyes meeting.
"Are you okay?"
"Worried about me?"
They spoke almost simultaneously.
The next second, Nathaniel smiled. "I'm fine. Let's go back in."
Aurelia's worried expression made Nathaniel happy, reminding him of his conversation with Marcus.
Marcus never had a chance, even if he genuinely liked Aurelia, especially since he only saw her as a stand-in.
Nathaniel's cold demeanor suddenly dissipated. He walked over with long strides and naturally wrapped an arm around her waist. "Let's go in before Grandpa gets suspicious."
They returned to the room. Ted had come back from the Heilbronn Villa with some items, and Reed handed two exquisite gifts to Jacob and Dorothy.
"This gift is four years late. I missed four years of holding you. I hope you are healthy, happy, and carefree for life."
Jacob and Dorothy hesitated, looking back at their parents. Their mom had told them not to take things from others, but this great-grandpa felt as close as their great-grandmother from Coral Bay. They weren't sure if they could accept his gifts.
Reed laughed. "Reach out. Why are you looking at them? Whatever Great-Grandpa has is yours. You don't need to be polite. The entire Heilbronn family will be yours one day. Go on, take it."
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Take it. It's okay to accept gifts from Great-Grandpa."
Aurelia nodded in agreement.
Only then did Jacob and Dorothy boldly accept the gifts.
Reed beamed, focusing on entertaining the children. He hadn't had a chance to speak properly with his granddaughter-in-law. "Aurelia, come sit by me."
Nathaniel's hand was still around Aurelia's waist. His actions were so natural that Aurelia didn't find it strange at first.
Feeling awkward, Aurelia gently removed his hand and sat on a chair by the bed.
Reed's gaze shifted between Aurelia and Nathaniel, looking pleased.
"I'm so happy you two have reconciled. When you married into the Heilbronn family, you didn't have a grand wedding. I've always regretted that. Since there's a chance for a fresh start, let's have a grand wedding this time. Once I'm out of the hospital, we'll pick a good day and take Nathaniel to the Semona family for an engagement."
At the mention of engagement, Aurelia's face stiffened. "Grandpa, there's no rush."
She didn't directly say she wasn't planning to remarry yet, fearing it would upset his weak health.
Nathaniel, knowing her dilemma, quickly changed the subject. "Grandpa, if Aurelia is happy, she can take me to meet her family first. There's no rush for anything else."
Reed's eyes narrowed. "How can there be no rush? You rascal, don't mess things up again. A girl's youth can't be wasted. This must be scheduled. If you mess up again, see how I deal with you."
Nathaniel's brow twitched. He was in a tough spot. It wasn't that he wasn't in a hurry; it was that she didn't want to remarry. But he could only agree.
He had promised himself that if she didn't want to remarry, he would date her for life. After everything they'd been through, he understood that being together didn't depend on a marriage certificate. Miscommunication could lead to divorce even after marriage.
He had failed as a husband before, leading to their divorce and her fear of marriage.
Now, he was determined to stay with her for life. Of course, remarrying would be ideal, but if not, he was willing to wait.
"Grandpa, Aurelia's family doesn't have a good impression of me. I need to improve my standing with them first. We can't get engaged on the first visit."
Reed realized he was indeed rushing things.
Reed's tone softened. "Good that you know. Meet the elders first. Make sure to get rid of that grumpy expression. Remember to be polite, pull out chairs for them, pour drinks when they raise their glasses. Don't think I'm nagging. Your parents are unreliable, only caring about themselves. I'm the only one worrying about your marriage."
Nathaniel rubbed his chin, thinking, 'I don't disgrace the Heilbronn family with my looks, do I? How did it become cold and stern in Grandpa's eyes?'
"Grandpa, I won't." He knew how much Reed wanted him to remarry Aurelia. Given the current situation, it might disappoint him.
The family of four spent most of the day with Reed, even having lunch in the hospital room.
On the way back, Joe's video call came in.
Aurelia saw the caller ID and panicked.
She hadn't told her family about her decision to give things another try with Nathaniel. She knew the Semona family's attitude towards him; they always had something negative to say.
Four years ago, her family had seen her struggle back from the brink of death, thinking Nathaniel deserved to die.
Aurelia hesitated to answer the call.
Nathaniel, driving, noticed her phone ringing for a while and glanced at her. "Why aren't you answering?"
Aurelia replied timidly, "It's my brother."
Nathaniel responded ambiguously.
Aurelia's phone rang for a long time before Joe hung up. She sighed in relief, but the phone rang again. It was Joe, this time calling.
After some internal struggle, Aurelia answered. Joe immediately asked, "Aurelia, where are you?"
Aurelia calmed herself, thinking it was just a call, not a video. Joe couldn't see who was driving. She lied, "At home."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Aurelia, I just spoke with Dahlia. She said you and the kids haven't been home for days."
Aurelia's heart tightened. Before she could respond, Joe asked again, "Aurelia, you're not entangled with Nathaniel again, are you?"
Aurelia's face and ears turned red with nervousness, and she stammered, "N-no."
"He's not causing you trouble, is he?"
Aurelia glanced at the driver and replied guiltily, "No, he's not."
Joe, unsure if he believed her, said after a long pause, "As long as you're not with him. Even Patrick is better than him. The Semona family isn't just for anyone."
Aurelia's face turned red, then pale. "Joe, what kind of conditions do we have?"
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