Chapter 534 Will You Abandon Me?
Aurelia's chest tightened with an ache she couldn't put into words. Reed had abandoned the faith he'd cherished his entire life—all for their happiness, all to keep their family whole.
She sniffled, the truth hitting her like a physical blow. It had been so long since these events unfolded, and only now did she understand. Looking back at Reed's strange behavior during those final days, everything suddenly made terrible sense. He had already made peace with joining Penelope in heaven, which explained why he couldn't eat, why he seemed to be slowly fading away.
She knew that feeling all too well—when someone has lost the will to live, no doctor or medicine in the world can truly help them.
"Nathaniel, I'm so sorry..." Her voice broke with emotion. "I failed your grandfather. I should never have brought you back to the Semona Family without speaking to my grandmother first. She's just... she's always been so controlling..."
Nathaniel remained silent for a moment before responding quietly, "It's not your fault. I'm the one who failed him. Everything he did was for me, and I've never been anything but trouble for him. This was my problem to solve."
Aurelia's tears flowed freely now. "If my grandmother hadn't forced his hand, he never would have done those things. He was the kindest soul—he'd never even killed a chicken, spent his whole life doing good. I destroyed everything he believed in."
They sat there in Reed's study, each trying to shoulder the blame, both overwhelmed by grief and guilt.
Nathaniel immediately regretted telling her the truth. Seeing Reed's photograph had broken down his defenses, but he should have known this would be her reaction. This knowledge would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"Aurelia, I've told you before—this has nothing to do with you."
But she sat there with a hollow expression, murmuring repeatedly, "I killed him. I killed your grandfather..."
Never before had they cried together like this, holding each other as their hearts broke.
When they finally composed themselves, Nathaniel noticed an envelope on the desk. Opening it, he found Reed's firm handwriting—one sheet contained an inventory of all the antiques and paintings in the house, the ink suggesting it had been written long ago.
The second sheet was a recent letter from Reed: []
[Nathaniel and Aurelia,
If you're reading this, I'm most likely no longer with you. Please don't grieve for me—reuniting with Penelope in heaven is a blessing, not a tragedy.
Cherish each other always. Build a beautiful life together and raise those two precious children with all the love in your hearts.
My only regret is that I never gave you the grand wedding you deserved. But seeing those two adorable little ones you've brought into this world, I find peace with that too.
Live well. Don't mourn for me.]
They folded the letter with tears still fresh in their eyes.
Aurelia helped Nathaniel into a chair, her voice thick with emotion as she said, "Nathaniel, for the rest of our lives, I'll take care of you."
Nathaniel managed a weak smile. "Aurelia, if someday you discover I'm not the same person you married... would you still want me?"
His sudden question left her bewildered. What did he mean, not the same person? He was right here in front of her—what could he possibly become?
Wiping her eyes, she answered simply, "Always."
After tidying up the house, they returned to Bloom Villa just as Beatrice's car pulled into the driveway.
Jacob and Dorothy had clearly had a wonderful day, returning with arms full of treasures. Dorothy clutched a bag stuffed with claw machine prizes, while Jacob had indeed brought home one of Nathaniel's company robots—this one even more advanced than the previous model.
Seeing the children's excitement lifted Nathaniel's spirits somewhat. Perhaps his trouble-making mother was finally learning to be a proper grandmother instead of a source of chaos.
"Daddy, I brought the robot home!" Jacob called from the trunk. "The man at your office said I could have it!"
Beatrice smiled indulgently. "You daddy's company will belong to you two someday anyway. You could take his entire desk if you wanted."
Nathaniel rubbed his temples. "Mom, Ashley, please tell me you didn't cause a scene at the office."
"What scene?" Beatrice protested. "What's wrong with showing the children their father's company? These kids are so bright—I think we should start their business education early. They can take over when they're older. Half your employees didn't even recognize us."
Nathaniel frowned. "Mom, they're in preschool. I didn't start learning about the company until sixth grade. This is way too early."
Beatrice shrugged dismissively. "Can you really compare yourself to my grandsons? When you were their age, you weren't half as clever."
Ashley barely contained her laughter. "I have to agree—Jacob and Dorothy do seem brighter than Nathaniel was at that age."
Nathaniel stood there with his hands on his hips, completely exasperated. How had he become less impressive than two preschoolers?
The bodyguards helped carry the day's spoils inside as the aroma of dinner drifted from the kitchen.
Aurelia didn't engage much with Beatrice and Ashley, but as they prepared to leave, she asked Nathaniel, "Shouldn't they stay for dinner?"
Nathaniel paused, surprised, then wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Aurelia, thank you."
He wanted to say so much more, but those words were all he could manage.
Aurelia gave him a pointed look. "It's dinner time and rush hour. The drive back to Heilbronn Villa will take forever in this traffic."
His heart melted at her thoughtfulness. He pressed a kiss to her hair. "You're absolutely right. Let me call them back."
Aurelia continued serving dinner as he limped after them to the door.
The meal was far more harmonious than breakfast had been. Beatrice carefully monitored the atmosphere, avoiding any inappropriate comments. She focused entirely on peeling shrimp for the children and encouraging them to eat their vegetables. It was clear she had genuinely decided to step back from interfering in Nathaniel's marriage.
Two days passed in a blur.
The morning of their departure to Coral Bay arrived, with Zack having already arranged their flights.
Aurelia packed for the family of four, but when she reached for Nathaniel's suitcase, he firmly refused her help, insisting he had already organized everything and just needed to grab it and go.
She didn't press the issue. That evening, after helping him wash up, they settled into bed together.
Exhausted from a day of packing, Aurelia fell asleep quickly after just a few minutes of conversation.
Nathaniel lay rigid beside her, staring into the darkness that somehow felt more comforting than the light. He'd been feeling strange all evening—that terrible sensation creeping back. As expected, it was returning, but at least he'd managed to wait until she was asleep.
Carefully lifting the covers, he slipped out of bed and made his way to the second-floor study, locking the door behind him before sliding down against it to sit on the floor.
Cold sweat covered his body, his heart racing so fast his mind couldn't keep up. Hallucinations began dancing at the edges of his vision.
Nathaniel clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms until they broke the skin, using the pain to anchor himself to reality and maintain some semblance of control.
He was having another episode.
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