Chapter 543 Dreaming of a Grand Wedding
Nathaniel was practically bouncing with excitement as they left the hospital, immediately suggesting they visit a maternity and baby store together.
Wandering through the aisles filled with delicate baby items, he found himself picturing a tiny infant cradled in his arms during feeding time, his heart melting at the very thought.
That evening, he reserved an entire upscale restaurant with an elegant ambiance and brought Jacob and Dorothy to join their celebration.
The children had no idea what special occasion they were celebrating, but they could sense the joyful energy radiating between Nathaniel and Aurelia. Happiness, it seemed, was contagious—especially in moments like these.
As dinner wound down, Nathaniel finally set down his fork and made his announcement with ceremonial gravity. "Jacob, Dorothy, today your mother and I got married. From now on, we'll always be together as a family."
Dorothy couldn't contain her excitement. "So Daddy finally won Mommy over? Does this mean we don't have to go back to Uncle Joe's house and can live with Dad all the time now?"
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow playfully. "You don't like staying at Joe's?"
"It's not that I don't like it—I just prefer living with Daddy."
Jacob beamed with happiness for Nathaniel and Aurelia. "Does this mean I should move all my toys back from Uncle Joe's place?"
Nathaniel chuckled warmly. "We can always buy new toys. Just tell me what you want, and we'll get it!"
He was already contemplating whether they should move to a larger house—this spacious penthouse might not provide enough room for three children to play, and there would be so many new things to accommodate.
After all this conversation, they still hadn't mentioned the baby. Many families discuss having a second child with their existing children first, but this pregnancy had come as a surprise to everyone.
Nathaniel carefully chose his words before speaking, "Jacob, Dorothy, there's something else I need to tell you today. Our family is going to have a new little friend to play with you—a baby brother or sister. Will you help take care of them?"
His voice carried a note of uncertainty, and he quickly added, "Of course, your mother and I will love you just the same. Having a new baby won't change how much we care about you—you'll just have new roles as big brother and big sister."
Jacob scoffed with the air of someone far older than his years. "I'm already a big brother. Another little one won't hurt—taking care of one is the same as taking care of two. It might be more work, but that's what big brothers are for!"
Dorothy clapped her hands in delight. "Finally, someone in the family will be younger than me! Mommy, I'm going to be a big sister? That's amazing!"
Seeing both children's positive reactions, Nathaniel felt a wave of relief wash over him. They genuinely welcomed the idea of a new sibling.
Aurelia smiled at Dorothy's enthusiasm. "There's a tiny baby growing in my belly right now. It's so small it doesn't even have little hands and feet yet. The baby will probably meet you sometime next year."
Dorothy's curiosity was insatiable. "Mommy, were Jacob and I that tiny when we were in your belly too?"
"Everyone starts out that tiny in their mom's tummy. You grow bigger as you get all the food and care you need in there."
"Then I'll give my room to the little sister and sleep in the smaller room."
Within minutes, Dorothy had completely transformed into a mature big sister.
Nathaniel's heart ached with tenderness. "You don't need to do that. I'll buy us a bigger house where all three of you can have large rooms."
"Can we bring the cats from Godfather Imperick's place to live with us too?"
"Absolutely."
Dorothy threw her arms around Nathaniel's neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Daddy!"
Warmth enveloped Nathaniel's heart completely. With Aurelia and the children by his side, what obstacle in this world couldn't be overcome?
His wife and children were his driving force.
Back home that evening, after Aurelia had settled the children for the night, she returned to their bedroom to find Nathaniel preparing a basin of warm water for her feet.
Aurelia leaned back against the sofa, savoring the moment. "I can manage this myself—being pregnant doesn't mean I'm helpless."
Nathaniel gently grasped her delicate ankle, refusing to let go. "We promised to care for each other in life. Washing your feet is nothing compared to that. Besides, didn't you help me when I couldn't manage on my own?"
He believed this was how marriage should be—a lifetime of mutual care, tolerance, and being each other's anchor.
Aurelia surrendered to his ministrations.
"Aurelia, let's have a grand wedding. We'll invite all our relatives, friends, and business partners—everyone should come to bless us and witness our happiness."
Aurelia smiled softly, studying his eyes and remembering his former attitude. He used to be the person who cared least about others' opinions and despised customs and elaborate ceremonies.
Back at the Bloom Villa, he'd once said that weddings were just for show, meaningless spectacles. It was better to focus on living well together. He'd rather spend that time closing another deal—money in hand was what truly mattered.
"What made you want a wedding?"
Nathaniel paused, momentarily taken aback. Beneath his CEO exterior, he was just an ordinary man who wanted to show off this happiness, to have everyone witness and bless his marriage to the woman he loved most.
In his heart, he needed to give her a proper, magnificent wedding.
"Doesn't everyone want a wedding when they get married? If you have any ideas, tell me and I'll find someone to help plan it."
"Alright, but can we wait until after the baby is born?" Aurelia caressed her small belly. "I'm carrying this little one now, and I don't want to exhaust myself."
"Whatever you want."
Later, as they lay in bed with Nathaniel spooning her from behind, his large hand gently stroking her abdomen, he felt more at peace than he had in years.
After Nathaniel fell into deep sleep, Aurelia quietly slipped away with her phone, going downstairs to call Zack.
She cut straight to the point. "Zack, what is buprenorphine?"
Zack froze completely on the other end of the line, remembering Nathaniel's instructions to keep this secret from Aurelia. Now he wasn't sure what she already knew, and he didn't dare answer carelessly—one wrong word could end his career.
"Mrs. Heilbronn, I... I... I don't know."
"You don't know, or you don't want to tell me?"
Zack wiped sweat from his forehead. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her—he didn't dare!
"Mrs. Heilbronn, I really don't know."
"As his personal assistant, you don't even know what medication Nathaniel takes? I think your time as his assistant is over."
Zack's mind went completely blank. This phone call felt like a bolt from the blue. He wanted to call Nathaniel to coordinate their stories, but it was clearly too late.
Aurelia already knew everything. She was calling Zack only to understand the full details. "How did he become addicted to drugs?"
Zack's heart sank as he realized Aurelia had laid all her cards on the table. Since she was being so direct, he didn't need to guess what she knew. With the conversation having reached this point, he had no choice but to confess everything.
"Mrs. Heilbronn, Mr. Heilbronn nearly lost his life this time."
He paused before continuing, "When he went to rescue Burry, he was captured by Alex's men who had been lying in wait at the hospital. That bastard injected him with drugs. Mr. Heilbronn has been through hell.
"Please don't blame him. He kept this from you because he was afraid you'd worry, and even more afraid that you and the children would reject him—that you'd see him as tainted. He's struggling with this himself and can't accept what he's become."
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