Chapter 389 Caught in the Whirlwind of Public Opinion
The noonday sun shone on his face, and Nathaniel finally woke up from his sleep, feeling more relaxed under Mark's hypnosis.
His first reaction upon opening his eyes was to get dressed and make breakfast for Aurelia and the kids. Sitting up and seeing his surroundings, he realized he was at Mark's house; he had already sent Aurelia and the two kids away yesterday.
Nathaniel lay back down, staring at the ceiling, wondering what the three of them were doing now. It was probably lunchtime by now.
He wanted to check the time but couldn't find his phone anywhere.
Mark heard the noise, pushed the door open, and came in, holding the phone Nathaniel had been searching for. "Awake? Take this call. The whole world is looking for you."
As he finished speaking, the phone screen lit up with another incoming call.
Nathaniel leaned against the headboard and took the phone from Mark. It was Beatrice calling, and he already guessed she wanted to talk about Ashley.
Sure enough, as soon as he answered, there was a burst of crying and accusations.
"Do you know about Ashley? How can you just ignore your own sister and watch her get taken away by the police? She's been detained, you know that? The police said they would hold her for fifteen days. How can anyone stay in a place like that? You need to find someone to get Ashley out; she can't handle it there."
Fifteen days, just as Nathaniel had expected.
"Mom, I've told you before, Ashley is not a child anymore. Spoiling her like this will only lead to trouble. She even dared to hit a pregnant woman, openly attacking someone in a hospital. Her behavior is atrocious. What reason do I have to get her out?"
There was a noticeable pause on the other end, followed by an incredulous tone. "Nathaniel, what do you mean by that? Are you just going to let your sister stay in there?"
"How can I help? The pregnant woman she hit is still in the hospital. When I left yesterday, she was being moved from the emergency room to the delivery room. I watched the surveillance footage of Ashley hitting her with the police. The evidence is clear, and Ashley was still stubbornly blaming the other person for starting it, without any remorse. How can I help her?"
On the other end, Beatrice started sobbing. "I only have you two children. If you don't help your sister, what will happen to Ashley? She can't endure hardship. How can anyone stay in a place like that? It's already been one night. How can you brush me off like this? I know your connections. If you wanted to get her out, it would be a matter of minutes."
Beatrice's sobbing only strengthened Nathaniel's resolve not to help Ashley. She didn't even ask about the condition of the pregnant woman, only about getting Ashley out. She kept saying that place wasn't fit for people. Now she was scared, but what did she do every time Ashley threw a tantrum?
She never restrained her behavior, only fueled her arrogance.
Ashley needed to be locked up for a few days to learn a lesson. Otherwise, relying on the Heilbronn family's connections and influence, she might dare to kill someone tomorrow, causing even bigger trouble.
"Mom, I don't have that kind of power. Ashley's behavior was too much; she crossed the legal line. I have my moral standards. As you said, I do have connections, but they are not to be used like this. Prepare some daily necessities and send them over. I'll inform the people inside to place her with some mild-tempered individuals to ensure her safety."
Nathaniel's words dashed Beatrice's hopes.
"Are you really not going to help Ashley? How did I raise such a cold-hearted son? Ask yourself, if it were Aurelia in there, would you save her?"
"Aurelia would never do something so immoral. Don't use her as an example; it's not a realistic scenario."
Beatrice was so angry her lips were trembling. "Fine, she's morally superior, and my daughter is not. She's perfect in every way, even giving birth to the Heilbronn family children with the last name Semona, not Heilbronn. This is the woman you protect."
Nathaniel had been speaking calmly, but his mother's words stirred up his frustration.
"Mom, I've told you before, don't interfere in matters between Aurelia and me. The children are ours, and their last name doesn't change our bond. I don't care about that."
"Fine, I won't interfere. I won't care about your matters anymore. If you don't save Ashley, I'll find a way."
Beatrice hung up the phone.
Nathaniel sat quietly, reflecting on Beatrice's question. If it were really Aurelia in there, would he be so righteous and indifferent?
After pondering for a long time, he had his answer. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing. If she did something wrong, he would be willing to take the punishment for her.
Mark sent a link to Nathaniel. "Mr. Heilbronn, stop dazing off. Look at this video. Your sister was filmed, and I see you in the footage too. The online backlash is huge, and people have already dug up Ashley's background. I bet the Heilbronn Group's stock will drop when the market opens tomorrow."
Nathaniel opened the link Mark sent. Sure enough, someone had filmed the entire incident of Ashley hitting the woman, even capturing the moment she called for backup and his arrival.
The topic had gone viral overnight, and Ashley's background had been thoroughly exposed, including her home address and phone number.
The online outrage was no longer just directed at Ashley but had escalated to the Heilbronn Group.
The Heilbronn Group, a decades-old company, had built its reputation under Reed's management and had never had any negative news until now.
The Heilbronn Group had its competitors in the business world, and now various parties were voicing their condemnation, putting the entire Heilbronn Group under intense scrutiny.
Nathaniel's first thought after seeing all this was not to contact the PR department to control the narrative but to worry about what Aurelia might think of him.
Since yesterday, they hadn't spoken.
He dialed the number he knew by heart, feeling anxious. With things blowing up this much, she must have seen the news and the video online.
The video included him and Chelsea. Even though Chelsea's matter was in the past, it was still a taboo subject for them.
Nathaniel held his phone, his heart pounding with each ring. He cherished the relationship he had fought hard to regain and feared Aurelia would misunderstand him again.
He knew that anything involving Chelsea would cloud her judgment and make her lose her ability to think clearly.
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