Chapter 507 Failure to Appreciate Kindness
Nathaniel's face was a mix of emotions.
He'd messaged Aurelia on Facebook but had not received a reply, so he decided to come upstairs to find her.
He didn't expect to see his mom here and hear such harsh words from Aurelia.
His heart ached a bit.
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
Beatrice hadn't mentioned she was coming back. He thought he'd have peace and quiet for two years. Zack had signed her up for that senior tour group to travel around the world, which was planned for over two years.
Nathaniel's temples throbbed, his head pounding.
Beatrice didn't need to be so timid with her own son.
"How could I not come back? If I didn't, your uncle would be sentenced, and you wouldn't even care."
Nathaniel felt that discussing this here was a bit awkward.
"Let's step outside first, don't disturb others' work."
The three of them got into the elevator together, and Beatrice spoke again.
"Nathaniel, Aurelia, you two should pick a date and get married soon. A family shouldn't be so divided. The wives in Imperick would say all sorts of nasty things."
Nathaniel felt uncomfortable. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry her soon. She would occasionally cause trouble, and his uncle wasn't easy to deal with either. Not to mention, Aurelia hadn't agreed to marry him before. Even if he succeeded in proposing, having a mother like his would scare her away.
As a mother, she wasn't worried about her son's happiness. The first thing she thought of was the gossip among the wives, affecting her own dignity.
"Mom, didn't I tell you before not to come to Aurelia's company? How is she supposed to work like this?"
Beatrice sighed.
"I couldn't persuade you, so I came to find Aurelia. Women understand women's difficulties best. Having a son is useless; a daughter-in-law would be more supportive. Aurelia will be like my own daughter in the future."
Aurelia walked on Nathaniel's other side, finding these words amusing.
"Beatrice, don't say that. I don't plan to remarry your son. I can't understand your difficulties. I only had one mother, and she's no longer with us."
Beatrice was taken aback. She had come today with kind words, but Aurelia left her no dignity. As an elder, she had lowered herself as much as possible.
Aurelia showed no manners, speaking to her so coldly.
Beatrice held back, knowing she needed Aurelia's help. Otherwise, she would have shown that vixen a lesson.
Beatrice put on a fake smile.
"Aurelia, why speak so distantly? We're all family. No need to be so confrontational. When you come back to Imperick, I'll make your favorite food."
Nathaniel couldn't listen anymore. His mother's words sounded insincere to him, let alone to Aurelia.
He felt embarrassed.
"Mom, you booked a hotel, right? I'll call a car to take you there. Don't come again. This matter has nothing to do with Aurelia. If you have the ability, go plead with the police and find the best lawyer. We won't get involved."
After a pause, he added.
"Uncle isn't innocent."
He wanted to tell her to save her energy and stop running around over this matter.
Even if it was Joe, he couldn't tolerate it happening right under his nose.
Beatrice's lips trembled with anger. She held a suitcase in one hand, looking at Aurelia and then Nathaniel. She had begged Aurelia for so long, but her dignity was trampled, and even her self-respect was gone.
Her son's last words broke her.
"How did I raise someone so cold and heartless? Do you even care about family? All you see is women, this... this witch. The Heilbronn Group will be ruined by you. Just wait, the Heilbronn Group jewelry will soon be hers."
Nathaniel felt a headache coming on. He flagged down a car, quickly stuffed her two suitcases inside, opened the door, and gestured for Beatrice to get in.
Beatrice was breathing heavily with anger.
"Aurelia, you really don't know what's good for you. A woman like you doesn't deserve to be a daughter-in-law of the Heilbronn family."
With that, she angrily got into the car.
Nathaniel watched the car drive away, feeling relieved.
Facing Aurelia, his heart tightened again. He held her hand, squeezing it as if apologizing.
"Aurelia, let's get in the car. We're running late."
She had promised the kids she'd be the first parent to pick them up. A promise is a promise. He had left ten minutes early today, but this delay wasted those ten minutes.
Aurelia's expression was calm, while Nathaniel was very attentive, opening the passenger door for her and helping her buckle the seatbelt once she was inside.
He was actually nervous inside, unsure if Aurelia would be angry with him.
"Aurelia, I didn't know she was coming back. I'll have Ashley take her back. Next time she comes, no matter what she says, don't listen. Just call security to escort her out. Don't worry about my face."
Aurelia said calmly,
"She's an elder. I don't want to be too harsh. But today, as for your mom's request, I really can't do it. Even if I pleaded with Joe, he wouldn't relent. You won't blame me, right?"
Nathaniel chuckled.
"Aurelia, I'm protective but not unreasonable. If this happened at the Heilbronn Group, how do you think I would handle it?"
Aurelia raised an eyebrow, curious to hear more.
Nathaniel started the car and drove onto the main road.
"I would handle it the same way as Joe. Employees involved in shady dealings can't be kept; it will lead to big trouble eventually. Your brother is suffering now; not only is the project ruined, but he would also have a bad reputation. A company's reputation is built slowly but can be destroyed easily. Your brother must be very upset."
Aurelia adjusted the seatbelt across her chest.
"Exactly. He's been in Imperick dealing with this for a week now. He said he'd be back in a week, but hasn't mentioned returning yet. Clearly, cleaning up this mess isn't easy. He hasn't finished handling it."
Nathaniel sighed, looking aggrieved.
"Aurelia, it's so hard to pursue you! Your brother's attitude towards me just started to soften, and now this happens. Will I ever catch up to you in this lifetime?"
As they spoke, the car arrived near the kindergarten.
There were many cars waiting to pick up kids, and they were already late, with a long line of parents.
Forget being first, they couldn't even make it into the top ten.
Nathaniel parked the car and quickly got out, unsure how to explain to the kids.
Aurelia also got out and quickly followed. They held hands, standing in line, a handsome man and a beautiful woman creating a picturesque scene, drawing frequent glances from passersby.
"Are you Jacoba's mom?"
A voice sounded from the crowd. Aurelia and Nathaniel turned simultaneously. A girl in her twenties stood ahead of them, separated by two people, seemingly also picking up a child.
Before Aurelia could speak, she continued,
"I saw a post about you and Phoenix online a few days ago. Can I interview you? Are Jacoba and Jacoba your and Phoenix's children?"
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