Chapter 533 Is There Something Else You're Hiding From Me?
Beatrice's face lit up with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, Aurelia."
Aurelia merely curved her lips in response, saying nothing more.
Turning to the children, Beatrice asked eagerly, "Jacob, Dorothy, would you like to come out and play with me? We could go to an amusement park, or maybe a children's arcade? How about the zoo?"
The two children hesitated, still wary of this grandmother who had appeared so suddenly in their lives. Their first impression of her had been decidedly negative—they'd cast her as the villain who had hurt Aurelia. Yet just last night, both Nathaniel and Aurelia had explained that this woman sitting across from them was indeed their grandmother, and that she loved them dearly.
As the silence stretched on, Beatrice waited with growing awkwardness for their response.
Ashley stepped in to break the tension. "How about I take you to the mall to play the claw machines? After that, we can swing by Nathaniel's office and pick up those robots."
The children's eyes immediately brightened. "Yes!" they chorused enthusiastically.
And just like that, the plan was set.
Nathaniel took a few more bites before setting down his spoon. "None of you have much experience with children. You need to be extremely careful out there—never let them out of your sight. Child traffickers are everywhere these days, and their methods are getting more sophisticated."
Beatrice nodded earnestly, her words tumbling over each other in reassurance. "Of course. I raised you and your sister—I know how to handle children. I'd lose myself before I'd ever lose Jacob and Dorothy."
Still unconvinced, Nathaniel made a quick phone call as they prepared to leave, arranging for two bodyguards to accompany them.
Once the group departed, the villa fell into sudden quiet. Betty, noticing Nathaniel and Aurelia alone in the living room, hurriedly finished her tasks and retreated to her quarters, leaving the vast house to just the two of them.
Aurelia had just retrieved the medical kit and was about to tend to Nathaniel's knee when Zack entered from outside.
"Mr. Heilbronn..." Zack had been Nathaniel's constant shadow these past days. Yesterday's dismissal had left him on edge, uncertain about how things stood.
Nathaniel looked up at him. "You don't need to babysit me anymore. Go handle the company matters."
Unable to gauge Nathaniel's meaning and unsure how much Aurelia knew, Zack didn't dare speak carelessly. He pointed to his chest and mouthed silently, "Does Mrs. Heilbronn know?"
Nathaniel nodded.
"What about... the rest?"
Before he could school his expression, Aurelia turned around, catching their secretive exchange. "What are you two plotting over there?"
Zack jumped, unconsciously touching his nose.
Not wanting to put the assistant in an uncomfortable position, Aurelia turned her penetrating gaze back to Nathaniel. "Are you hiding something else from me?"
"Nothing else," Nathaniel replied with practiced ease.
Zack, standing by the door, broke into a cold sweat.
After a moment's consideration, Aurelia accepted Nathaniel's words. He had nearly lost his life—she couldn't imagine what could be more serious than that, something worth concealing.
Kneeling beside Nathaniel, Aurelia began changing his bandages as the family doctor had instructed over the phone, carefully unwinding the gauze layer by layer.
Seeing Aurelia absorbed in her task and no longer questioning, Zack approached cautiously. "Mr. Heilbronn, the acquisition is nearly ready. Since your mobility is limited, should I arrange for the Coral Bay team to fly here?"
"No need," Nathaniel replied. "I'll return to Coral Bay in two days. Proceed with the original schedule."
Zack looked momentarily surprised before understanding dawned. "Should I... continue looking after you these next few days?"
"No. When I return to Coral Bay in two days, you should head back and make arrangements."
Zack suppressed a smile. "Should I leave now?"
Nathaniel didn't answer, merely gave him a look that clearly said he was being unnecessarily verbose.
Zack practically wanted to sprout wings and fly away. After days of playing nursemaid, even his wife had started complaining. Freedom at last.
Back in his car, Zack texted Nathaniel: [Did you come clean to Mrs. Heilbronn about everything?]
The reply came quickly: [She knows about the shooting. Nothing else. Keep your mouth shut!]
That afternoon, Nathaniel suggested they visit the place Reed had given Aurelia the key to. Aurelia drove while Nathaniel navigated.
The house sat in an affluent neighborhood near a park. They drove directly into the underground garage and took the elevator to the front door.
Aurelia pulled out the key Reed had given her. What had seemed like a simple gesture then now felt incredibly precious.
She inserted the key and opened the door.
The interior was decorated in traditional style, filled with the rich scent of old books and scholarly pursuits. Antique pieces adorned the living room—objects that Aurelia's untrained eye nonetheless recognized as extraordinary.
Nathaniel had only been here once before, during the final inspection after renovation. Since then, it had become Reed's private sanctuary, forbidden to all members of the Semona Family—especially Matthew.
As Nathaniel surveyed the rooms, he understood why Reed had banned Matthew's visits. The collection of antiques, paintings, and tea sets that filled every corner would have made Matthew's modest acquisitions look like amateur hour. Had Matthew known about this treasure trove, would any of it have survived his covetous hands?
Now, according to Reed's will, everything would go to Jacob and Dorothy. The favoritism was staggering.
They made their way to the study, where Nathaniel explained the paintings and calligraphy he recognized—all authentic works by masters. The pieces he couldn't identify would require research, but knowing Reed, nothing here was a reproduction.
Reed had possessed impeccable taste and the means to indulge it. This house represented a lifetime of careful collecting.
Thinking of Reed brought a familiar ache to Nathaniel's chest, a knot of guilt that refused to loosen. Only he knew the true circumstances of Reed's death—how the old man should have had years more to enjoy life, not departed so prematurely.
"Aurelia..."
She looked up, seeing the struggle in his expression. "What is it?"
Nathaniel's throat worked as he swallowed hard. "Grandfather's death... it was because of me."
Aurelia's expression grew grave. "But Grandfather was ill..."
"No." Nathaniel exhaled slowly, his gaze falling on the framed photograph on the desk—Reed and Penelope in their youth. "That night after we left the Semona mansion, Grandfather said some strange things to me. The next morning, I received word that Chelsea had disappeared."
Aurelia stared at him in shock. "You mean..."
Rather than answer directly, Nathaniel continued, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't dare ask what happened that night. By the time I returned home, Grandfather had already collapsed. He was deeply religious, Aurelia—he never harmed so much as an insect."
His voice broke as tears gathered in his eyes. "He abandoned his faith for our sake."
The weight of responsibility crashed over Aurelia. "So Grandfather acted because of what my grandmother said...?"
Nathaniel's silence was answer enough. In his eyes, she found the confirmation that shattered her heart.
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