Chapter 528 This Is Not a Hotel
Aurelia spoke with a heavy heart, "I hope he's at peace now. Such a good man—he'll surely be blessed in his next life."
Ulysses peeled an apple and handed it to her. "Are you really comfortable leaving the children with the Heilbronn family?"
Aurelia took the apple and bit into it thoughtfully. "I'm not worried. Beatrice bullied me because I was an outsider, but she wouldn't dare mistreat her own grandchildren. Besides, Nathaniel would never allow it."
"That's true enough." After a pause, Ulysses asked, "What do you make of Beatrice inviting you back for dinner? Is she trying to make amends?"
Aurelia smiled wryly. "She's just trying to win over her grandchildren."
"You'd better stand your ground this time. Don't let that old witch walk all over you again, or I'll lose all respect for you."
Aurelia laughed. "Respect is mutual—I'll treat her exactly as she treats me. But I have more class than she does. I'll show her the courtesy due to an elder, and as long as she doesn't come looking for trouble, I can maintain a civil facade."
A knock interrupted their conversation.
"That'll be Amber," Ulysses said, rising to answer the door. He'd called her earlier, suggesting they all get together since Aurelia was finally back in town.
When he opened the door, Ulysses froze.
Aurelia tossed her apple core in the trash, wiped her hands with a tissue, and walked toward the entrance. "Uly—" The words died in her throat.
Standing outside wasn't Amber, but Oscar.
Speak of the devil—they'd just been discussing him.
Aurelia recovered quickly, smiling warmly. "Oscar! What a surprise. Please, come in!"
Gone was Oscar's usual arrogance, replaced by the sheepish expression of a chastened child. He glanced at Ulysses before looking away, speaking hesitantly. "I've been kicked out again. Could I possibly stay here for a few days?"
Ulysses remained in the doorway, his face stern. "This isn't a hotel, Oscar. What exactly are your intentions?"
Oscar's expression crumpled with misery. "Please don't hold a grudge, Ulysses. Look how pathetic I am now. That woman was just some escort I hired from a club to play pretend, but my father saw right through it. Now he's threatening to disown me—won't even let me use the Moore name anymore."
Ulysses hesitated, then finally stepped aside. He didn't invite Oscar in, but he left the doorway open. "Tell me you didn't let that woman take advantage of you."
Oscar shook his head. It was a long story, and he'd come dangerously close to being exploited. He'd never again be so reckless with strangers.
This time, his remorse was genuine.
"Ulysses, please don't stay angry with me. I came to apologize. I'm sorry—I was completely wrong!"
Ulysses had been furious for so long that forgiveness wouldn't come easily. His voice remained cold. "Wrong about what, exactly?"
Oscar had wrestled with this conversation during his long walk over, anticipating this very question. "I shouldn't have lied—to you, to my father. It didn't solve anything; it only made everything worse. I should have found a way to talk to him honestly, to help him accept the truth."
Seeing the genuine remorse in Oscar's eyes, Ulysses felt his resolve soften.
"Come inside."
He was used to rejection by now. It wasn't just Oscar's father who disapproved—his own family would react the same way if they knew. They simply hadn't been discovered yet.
This whole situation was impossibly complicated. He couldn't really blame Oscar.
Oscar entered like a stray child abandoned by his parents, immediately downing a large glass of water—he was desperately thirsty. Then he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and began devouring it.
Ulysses tapped him on the head and took the apple away to peel it properly.
Aurelia went to the kitchen and returned with a plate of sliced watermelon. "Oscar, how did you get here? Haven't you eaten today?"
Oscar was truly a fallen prince now. He turned his pockets inside out—completely empty.
"I walked. Took me three hours. Look, I don't have a penny to my name—couldn't even afford bus fare. My father's really done it this time. He's frozen all my accounts and cut off every escape route."
Ulysses shot him a sideways glance. "Couldn't you have called? Is your phone disconnected too?"
Oscar hung his head, looking utterly defeated. "No, it still works."
He'd considered calling Ulysses for a ride, but remembering his recent foolish behavior, he'd felt too ashamed. He'd assumed Ulysses would never speak to him again. After wandering the streets aimlessly with nowhere to go, he'd finally worked up the courage to try his luck here, hoping Ulysses might still be willing to take him in.
He'd chosen the right person to trust.
Ulysses handed him the peeled apple. "What would you like to eat? I could make you some noodles now, and we're having hot pot for dinner."
Oscar clutched the apple, devouring it ravenously while nodding eagerly.
Another knock came at the door. Aurelia stood up. "That should be Amber now. I'll get it."
Amber entered carrying a bag of vegetables. Following their usual tradition of barbecuing during these gatherings, she'd stopped at the supermarket near the complex to pick up some ingredients.
Aurelia took the bag and looked Amber up and down appraisingly. "You're definitely showing now. How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?"
Amber changed into slippers and rubbed her small bump. "Not too bad. I can't handle car rides—they make me violently sick—but driving myself is fine. Overall, this little one hasn't given me too much trouble."
"Is your husband still working those long hours? Do you have help at home?"
"Yes, my mother-in-law moved in, so I finally have a hot meal waiting when I get home. You don't need to worry about me."
"That's wonderful. Just remember to take care of yourself. Take time off when you need it—you and the baby are what matter most."
Amber smiled. "I know, I know. You forget what I do for a living—I can monitor my own pregnancy. I'll take good care of myself. But what about you? Every time I see you, you seem to have lost more weight."
Aurelia sighed. "There's been a lot going on at home. I'm a natural worrier."
Her phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Seeing Joe's name, she answered immediately. "Joe, what's wrong?"
A heavy sigh came through the phone. "The compatibility test failed. You and Burry aren't a match."
The words hit Aurelia like a thunderbolt. "How is that possible? We're twins. Joe, could there be a mistake?"
"We sent samples to two different facilities specifically to avoid errors. Both results were identical. None of our family members are compatible."
Aurelia stood frozen, having never considered the possibility of failure.
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