Ch. 131..140
Always Been Yours Chapter 131
Gregory turned around and looked at Stefania adiamantly. His eyes were still red, and he sniffled. “I don’t want to leave, Grandma.”
Left with no choice, Stefania looked to Nicholas. “Tell him to go home.”
“Leave him be, Mom, Kieran will take you and Dad home. I’ll stay here to take care of him,” Nicholas said.
Kieran noticed the look his brother was giving him, so he said, “Yeah, mom. it’ll be fine if Nicholas is here. And the kidnappers have been caught, so don’t worry about it.”
Stefania couldn’t do anything if Gregory didn’t want to leave, so she just nodded and followed Kieran back home.
Tessa finally opened her eyes at night, and she saw white walls all around her. She blinked a few times, and she realized she was in a hospital.
Gregory had been staring at her all this time. Now that she was awake, he was delighted, and he called out to both men, “Daddy, Mr. Timothy! Miss Tessa is awake!” He climbed up the stool and leaned his head on the bed. “Are you alright, Miss Tessa? Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me. I can blow on the wound for you.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine,” she answered weakly. The anesthetic had worn off, and she could feel her wound clearly. It was painful, but she couldn’t show it to the boy, who was concerned for her. She didn’t want a child to be worried about her.
“Do you want to eat anything, Miss Tessa? I’ll get Daddy to buy it for you,” the boy said.
Tessa forced a smile. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry yet.”
She still looked lethargic after she woke up, so Gregory was worried, and he teared up.
“Are you alright, sis?”
“How do you feel?”
The men asked her at the same time, and they looked at each other, but they said nothing. Then, they looked at Tessa with worry in their eyes.
“I’m fine,” Tessa said. She felt like she had been lying down for a long time, so she tried to sit up, but the moment she moved, she felt the wound on her shoulder tearing apart, so she gasped. It was a simple movement, but she was already sweating from it.
“Don’t move. You can’t move too much with that kind of injury.” Timothy quickly helped her lay back down. Then, he adjusted her position so she wouldn’t press down on her wound.
Both Timothy and Tessa were sweating when they were done.
He’s being so careful. Tessa wanted to joke and say he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but the pain on her shoulder felt real, so she asked, “What happened to me?”
“The doctor said your shoulder bone cracked, so you have to rest and try not to pull on the wound.” He paused for a moment before telling her about the injury, but he didn’t tell her that the doctor said she couldn’t play the violin for now.
Tessa’s heart sank, and she immediately knew what he was getting at. I can’t practise now, so that means I can’t join next month’s performance as assistant concertmaster.
Always Been Yours Chapter 132
She blanched, for that was bad news indeed.
Timothy sighed. He knew he couldn’t hide it from her. Even if he didn’t say it, she would reach that conclusion eventually. I can’t do much. She can’t heal up immediately and perform onstage right away. He paused for a moment and pretended to look relaxed. “You’re really fortunate, Tessa. It’s just your
shoulder. You’ll be fine in no time. The doctor said you would have been in danger if the perp hit your artery.”
She nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, I am.” She might be smiling, but she felt sad. However, she couldn’t worry them, for they were already concerned about her wound. She looked at Gregory. “Are you alright, Gregory? Did they hurt you before I came?”
“I’m okay. They told me to be quiet, so I was, and they didn’t do anything to me.” He shook his head.
At least they didn’t hurt him and I managed to get there in time. She heaved a sigh of relief. “Good to hear.” She had been worried the whole day. If Gregory was hurt, she would never be able to forgive herself even if she was hurt.
“I’m fine, Miss Tessa. Heal up soon. I’m waiting for you to come home.” He looked at her, worried.
Since Gregory was looking lively, Tessa felt her pain subside a little. They made some small talk, but Tessa was tired not long after that, as her wound was serious. “I’m tired. I need to sleep. You’ve been out the whole day, Tim. Go back to school.”
Timothy had always listened to her, but this time, he shook his head. “I’ll stay here with you. I won’t leave no matter what you say, so stop convincing me. Get some rest if you feel tired.”
Tessa was easily exhausted for the time being, so she couldn’t argue with Timothy and just let him do what he wanted. A while later, she drifted to sleep.
Thanks to the Sawyers, Tessa was staying in the most luxurious single ward. There was a couch and another bed beside Tessa’s. It seemed more like home than a ward, and that was thanks to the Sawyers. Timothy didn’t want to take the other bed, so he slept on the couch.
Since Gregory was shocked and refused to leave Tessa no matter what, he laid his head on her bed and stayed there. He wanted to hug Tessa, but since his father said that might make Tessa’s bad condition worse, all he could do was sit on the stool and stare at Tessa. Gregory had gone through a lot in the day and cried for the whole afternoon, so he was already tired. He was only a child after all, so he slept not long after.
Nicholas looked at the sleeping boy, and he sighed. He took the boy and put him on the other bed. The boy was still sniffling.
Nicholas didn’t sleep. Because of the kidnapping incident, he had left some work aside, so he had to go through some files now. However, he would glance at Tessa and his son from time to time. All of a sudden, he heard someone sobbing quietly, so he paused and looked at Tessa curiously. Her blanket was trembling, and her head was bobbing. Oh, she’s crying.
Tessa didn’t know Nicholas had noticed her. Indeed, she was crying silently under the blanket. Everyone knew she couldn’t perform this time, but she knew that that wasn’t the only thing she lost.
There were a lot of people in the orchestra, and a lot of them were more experienced than she was. Missing a performance or two was enough to warrant a performer change. It was common in the orchestra. Moreover, she was just an inexperienced newbie who had nothing in her portfolio to back her up. Even though she had solid basics, the possibility of her getting promoted was slim to none. She wanted to be seen, so she had been practising as hard as she could in the orchestra and tried her best to be the top performer among the newbies. Thanks to her effort, Trevor noticed her.
Because of her unbelievable talent and hard work, Trevor promoted her to assistant concertmaster. It was a never-seen-before act, but her path after that promotion was rocky, and because of that promotion, she was inevitably the object of a lot of people’s envy.
Always Been Yours Chapter 133
It was her maiden performance after her promotion, but she couldn’t show up because of her injury. She knew recovery would be a long process, and she would lose a lot of chances to perform. Maybe someone will have taken over after I go back. If that happened, it would be hard for her to take her position back after she made her return. Now I’m further away from the stage I dream of.
She only pretended to be calm after she knew about her injury so she wouldn’t worry Timothy. However, when she was left alone to ponder about her situation, she was overwhelmed by sadness. She wanted to cry her heart out, but she was worried she might wake everyone up, so all she could do was hide under her blanket and shed her tears quietly. Because she didn’t want to pressure her wound,
she had turned her back to the other bed, so she didn’t know that Nicholas was awake.
Nicholas was startled that Tessa was wallowing in her sadness. But after thinking about what Timothy said and combining that with Tessa’s reaction after she found out about her wound’s severity, he knew why she was so sad. Nicholas was a smart man after all. She had gone through a lot today and had been holding it down, so it was natural that she had to vent it all out to heal. Since she’s crying quietly while everyone’s asleep, that means she doesn’t want everyone to worry.
Hence, Nicholas didn’t say anything. All he did was stare at Tessa, who was still crying silently.
After Tessa woke up the next morning, she chatted with Timothy like nothing had happened.
Gregory was awake as well, and he looked happy that Tessa was getting better. “Are you feeling better today, Miss Tessa?”
Tessa nodded. “Yes. Thanks for the concern, Greg.”
Gregory was happy to hear that. “Great. I asked the doctor last night. He said you’ll heal up in no time.”
Tessa nodded. “You’re a good boy.”
Since she was keeping it to herself, Nicholas pretended nothing had happened as well. He told Edward to bring breakfast over for Gregory and the Reinhart siblings. After they had breakfast, he said, “I’ll go home to get changed. Call me if you need anything. I’ll come back shortly.”
Tessa disagreed. “You don’t have to do that, Mr. Sawyer. I’m feeling better now. You have a lot of work to do, so please go to your company. You don’t have to stay with me.” She paused for a moment. “And I was the one who caused this, so I was supposed to save Gregory. We’re even now.” .
Gregory knew what she was getting at, so he hugged Tessa. “No, Miss Tessa. It’s not even. You got hurt because you tried to save me. It’s only right that we take care of you.” He looked at his father imploringly. Say something, Daddy. She’s chasing you away now. Does that mean she doesn’t want me too? I can’t let that happen.
Nicholas nodded. “You’re not to blame. Gregory was the one who insisted on coming with you. You did not make the offer, and the kidnappers are my family’s enemies. That has nothing to do with you as well. Even if you hadn’t taken him along, they would still have found a way to kidnap him. In any case, you saved Greg.”
Tessa was stunned, and she was at a loss for words. But I did lose Gregory while he was under my care. I can’t just shirk my responsibility.
Nicholas looked at the boy. “Are you coming home with me?”
“No. I want to stay with Miss Tessa. You can go home if you want to, Daddy, but I’m staying.” Gregory couldn’t tug on Tessa, so he held the edge of her bed. He didn’t want to be taken home, and he looked at his father adamantly.
Always Been Yours Chapter 134
Feeling helpless against Gregory, Nicholas took a glance at him. However, he eventually said nothing much. “We’re in the hospital. Don’t make too much noise.”
Upon hearing that, Gregory nodded happily. “I’ll behave!”
Following Nicholas’ departure, Tessa turned to look at her younger brother. “Tim, you should head back to the university. I’m really fine.”
After carefully tucking Tessa into the blanket, only then did Timothy raise his head and look at Tessa.
“Young Master Gregory is still young. Who will take care of you after I leave? I think I’ll just wait here until President Sawyer is back. Once he’s back, I’ll go back to the university.”
“Mr. Timothy, that’s not true. I-I can take good care of Miss Tessa!” Gregory straightened up the blanket for Tessa, unwilling to show his weakness.
Both Tessa and Timothy did not know whether to laugh or cry after they saw Gregory behaving in such a manner.
“Young Master Gregory, you’re great, but that’s not what I meant. I’m just worried about your Miss Tessa. She’ll need help if she needs to do something. Am I right?” Timothy smiled.
Upon hearing that, Gregory felt a little troubled. “T-Then, Mr. Timothy, you should stay and wait until my daddy comes back.” If Miss Tessa needs help to do something, I am really of little help.
After letting out a laugh, Tessa still pulled a long face and said, “No, Tim. You should listen to me and go back to the university. Don’t set aside your studies. If not, I’ll ignore you no matter what. Besides, this is the hospital. Doctors and nurses are constantly walking up and down the hallway. What more is there for me to be worried about if I ever need any help? Right now, your time is precious, so don’t waste it by staying here. It’s not too late to come over after your class.”
Seeing Tessa was being so strong-headed about this matter, Timothy could only nod his head. “Well then, Tess, if you face any problem, make sure to give me a call.”
Tessa nodded. “Sure, I will.”
“By the way, is there anything you want to eat? I’ll fix it up for you shortly after my class,” Timothy uttered.
Upon hearing that, Tessa smiled. “As long as it’s made by you, I’ll take anything. Even simple cheese omelet, I’d still think it’s delicious. So, just cook anything you feel like cooking for me.”
“Sure thing.” Timothy nodded. After that, he simply freshened up and left the ward.
The once rather lively ward now only left both Tessa and Gregory.
Looking left and right, Gregory eventually fixed his gaze on the sofa. Then, he slid down the stool located at the head of Tessa’s bed and ran next to the sofa.
Rather confused by Gregory’s action, Tessa looked at him and saw him standing on tiptoes. With slight difficulty, Gregory took up the kettle and filled the cup with water.
Next, Gregory walked carefully to the side of her hospital bed, holding the cup of water. His big eyes shone brightly. “Miss Tessa, have some water.”
Tessa was stunned for a moment but instantly smiled. Like a ball of threaded wool in the winter months, Greg really melts the coldness and warms up my heart.
Still smiling, Tessa said, “Sweetheart, you are so well-behaved and even can take care of others now.”
Then, Tessa saw there were droplets of sweat on Gregory’s nose tip. I guess pouring a cup of water is still a rather difficult task for him. After taking a sip of the water, Tessa added, “Hmm… As expected from the cup of water poured by my sweetheart. It tastes so good.” ,
Pursing his lips, Gregory smiled happily. “Mr. Timothy was wrong. I can take care of others. Isn’t that right, Miss Tessa?”
As she saw Gregory happy smile, Tessa burst into a happy laughter. “Yes, that’s right. You’re the sweetest.” This child is trying to prove his capability, it seems.
Meanwhile, Gregory thought to himself, There’s no sign of toys around here, and Miss Tessa can only lie on the bed. She cannot move or go anywhere, so it must be boring for her. After taking a look around the ward, Gregory suggested, “Do you feel bored, Miss Tessa? How about I tell you some stories?”
Upon hearing that, Tessa looked at Gregory in surprise. “Sure!”
Instantly, Gregory’s eyes lit up. Yay! Miss Tessa wants to listen to my story-telling! Feeling rather delightful, Gregory retold the story he had heard in a serious yet adorable voice.
After Gregory was done with his story-telling, there was a knock at the door. Immediately afterward, a middle-aged guy walked in with a fruit basket. “Tessa, how are you feeling now?”
The guy was the orchestra manager, Trevor. Upon hearing Trevor’s voice, Tessa looked at him and smiled. “Much better.”
Last night, Trevor had heard the news about Tessa injuring her shoulder and hand and was in constant worry about her injuries. So, he rushed over to the hospital early in the morning.
Always Been Yours Chapter 135
Before visiting Tessa in her ward, Trevor had gone to the doctor’s office and asked about her condition.
Minor bone fracture… The thought of these words were enough to make Trevor’s mood become rather heavy.
Now, after seeing the thick layer of gauze bandage on Tessa’s shoulder, Trevor seemed pretty upset. “You should rest and take care of yourself during this period.”
As she knew what Trevor meant, Tessa felt her heart jolt, and her smile became slightly disinclined.
“I am distressed by your injury and personally feel bad for you. I know how hard you’ve worked for the performance, but Tessa, there’s not much time left until our day of performance, you know? Not only aml a member of the orchestra, but I’m also the orchestra manager. The fate of the orchestra rests in the palm of my hand, and I’m responsible to decide on what’s good for the orchestra. Hence, you may probably need to give up the position of assistant concertmaster. Don’t worry. I’ll find a suitable person to replace you.”
Although she had already expected this the moment she knew of her injury, it was still difficult for Tessa to swallow the news now that she heard it with her own ears. There was a sense of anger lingering in her heart, and she felt terribly suffocated.
No, I’m really unwilling to hand over this chance. It took me tremendous effort and time to climb up to this position from the bottom as a mere substitute. And now, all my previous efforts have gone to waste because of my injury.
No doubt, it was rather hard for Tessa to accept the fate
Before Tessa knew it, her eyes turned red, and her voice trembled. “Mr. Oswald, c-can you give me a chance? I-I think I can do it. I’m sure this injury won’t affect my performance.”
Upon hearing that, Trevor had no choice but to reprimand Tessa, “Are you kidding me!? With this injury? Even if I ignored the risk of possible mistakes during the performance, and even if you executed your performance perfectly and achieved success momentarily, what about your future? This is bone fracture that we’re talking about, and not some other minor injuries like ligament strains. It’s a bone fracture! If you don’t tend to your injury, no one can say whether you’ll be able to recover in the future or how much you will recover. Are you really willing to ruin your whole life because of one performance? Do you think it’s worth it?”
After lashing out, Trevor stayed silent. He knew his words were a bit harsh, and it was inappropriate for him to say such harsh words to an injured patient. However, he had to slap Tessa back to her senses with his words.
Tessa had always been an outstanding member among the younger generations in the orchestra. She was smart and hardworking, and there would be a time in the future where she would shine.
Because he valued her very much, Trevor needed to be responsible for Tessa, and even more for the entire orchestra.
If Tessa was really allowed to perform alongside the other musicians, or even perform as an assistant concertmaster, that would not only be a fatal risk to the orchestra but would also potentially send Tessa to the rock bottom if something went wrong. By then, it would be difficult for Tessa to reestablish herself again.
Regardless, it was impossible for Trevor to take such a risk and promise Tessa to let her perform with an injury.
Undeniably, Tessa herself understood these facts. She knew that Trevor was thinking about the orchestra and her future, but she felt extremely afflictive deep within her heart.
I don’t want to ruin my life because of my injury. But, I really am unwilling to let go of this opportunity. It’s my first time to participate in such a large-scale performance as an assistant concertmaster. My talent can potentially be discovered by more people. Now, that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is about to slip out of my hand. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have to wait and how much more I’ll have to endure to achieve another opportunity like this.
Once again, Tessa’s so-called day to shine bright on stage became a distant prospect.
Knowing that this was not a yard sale, Tessa sighed as she knew she could not bargain her way into this. The decision was final. After all, she was injured to this extent, so there was nothing that she could do to turn the table.
Upon realizing that, Tessa reluctantly quirked up the corners of her mouth and said to Trevor, “I understand. Thanks, Mr. Oswald, for enlightening me.”
Seeing that Tessa had slightly calmed down, Trevor breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t you be all sad now. You’re only in your twenties. Age-wise, you’re still young, and you’re talented too. So, you don’t have to rush for success.”
As a matter of fact, it was not easy for Trevor to make this decision. As part of the orchestra, Tessa was a budding violinist, but now…
“Mr. Oswald, I understand.” Tessa nodded.
“Well, that’s settled. I’ll get going first because there’s still something I need to attend to in the orchestra. You can consider this as a break from the orchestra. Don’t pressure yourself too much, take adequate rest, and take care of your injuries. I’ll see you again in the orchestra.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 136
Trevor gave Tessa a gentle pat and comforted her.
“Thanks, Mr. Oswald, for coming over to visit me today. Be careful when you’re on the road.” Tessa nodded and thanked him,
Nodding back at Tessa, Trevor then got up and left.
As soon as Trevor opened the door, a tall figure in front startled him, and he nearly screamed.
That tall figure was Nicholas. As he stood at the door, he nodded at Trevor and made a ‘shh’ gesture.
Understanding Nicholas’ gesture, Trevor took another glance inside the ward and saw that Tessa and Gregory weren’t aware. So, he immediately closed the door and greeted Nicholas, “Good day, President Sawyer.”
Once more, Nicholas nodded. Then, he turned his body sideways, allowing Trevor to go first.
After taking two steps, Trevor stopped. Later, he turned his head back to look at Nicholas, hesitating. “President Sawyer…”
“Speak,” Nicholas ordered.
All of a sudden, Trevor was clueless on where to start his sentences, and he went silent for a while.
Upon seeing that, Nicholas simply frowned and did not rush Trevor.
After a while, Trevor said, “President Sawyer, I have a presumptuous request. I hope you can help me encourage and enlighten Tessa. I know her. She’s a girl who practices very seriously on a daily basis. While others pour in their 100 percent, she pours in her 120 percent. I know because I have noticed her effort. We all feel very sorry that this happened. This would have been her first orchestra performance as an assistant concertmaster, and not to mention, it’s a large-scale event. Now that she can’t participate in it, I fear it will hit her hard. Tessa has always taken things too seriously. I’m afraid she won’t be able to regain herself for a while…”
Upon hearing Trevor’s words, Nicholas remembered Tessa was crying secretly under the blanket by herself last night. Therefore, he understood what Trevor meant.
Accepting Trevor’s request, Nicholas nodded slightly. “Sure, I’ll help you.”
“Then, I shall leave her in your care. There are some other matters that I need to attend to in the orchestra, so I’ll take my leave first.” Trevor bowed to Nicholas, feeling grateful.
Not knowing the situation outside, Tessa sat on the bed and recalled her conversations with Trevor. She was still somewhat unwilling to accept what was going on.
The anger in Tessa’s heart stuffed up, making her a little overwhelmed. Right now, she had no idea what she was going to do in the future.
Seeing that Tessa was in a trance, Gregory became worried too. He understood most of the matters discussed by Nicholas and Tessa. Also, Gregory knew that Tessa probably could not play the violin anymore. Realizing that fact, he became upset.
“Miss Tessa, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been playful and disobediently ran out of the orchestra, then you wouldn’t have come to find me, and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” Gregory’s eyes turned red as he said that, and he looked like he was about to cry.
Upon seeing this, Tessa felt her heart soften. Not bothering much about her own grief, she raised her uninjured arm and touched the top of Gregory’s head.
“Oh, silly boy. You have nothing to do with this, so you don’t have to apologize. I saved you out of my own will, and I don’t regret it at all. Despite knowing things would turn out this way, I’d still save you if given another chance. I would rather injure myself than see something bad happen to you. Don’t worry. I’m strong, and I’ll be fine after resting for a few more days. Soon, I will be able to hold you in my arms again.”
Meanwhile, outside the ward, Nicholas was about to open the door but stopped after he heard that. For some reason, Tessa’s words tugged at his heartstrings.
“Okay, Sweetheart. I’m really fine. I didn’t cry, so why are you crying? There, there, my cry baby. Don’t cry anymore. If you cry again, then I’ll cry too.”
Looking at the crying Gregory, Tessa felt slightly helpless for a while, yet she did not know whether to laugh or cry:
This child is superbly adorable. His original doll-like appearance is even more adorable now with his teary eyes looking dewy. He just makes me want to pinch his cheeks.
In fact, Tessa really did so. With her delicate fingers, she pinched Gregory’s face.
Feeling Tessa pinch him, Gregory was stunned for a moment. He forgot to cry and just let Tessa pinch and rub his face in a daze.
Tessa looked at him and could not help but chuckle.
Although he did not know what Tessa was laughing about, Gregory stopped crying after he saw Tessa chuckling. Then, he obediently wiped his tears away and giggled happily.
At this moment, the door of the ward was pushed open. In came Nicholas, who had changed into a tailor-fitted suit.
Always Been Yours Chapter 137
“Daddy!” Gregory rushed forward with a smile and hugged Nicholas’ thigh.
As she could not believe that Nicholas actually showed up in her ward, Tessa did not quite know what to say. So, she could only say prosaically, “I’m really fine here. You didn’t have to specially come here to visit me.”
However, Nicholas merely took a glance at Tessa and did not answer. Then, he casually put the bag, which contained various imported fruits, in his hand on the table and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Seeing that Nicholas did not take her words seriously, Tessa did not feel angry at all. Instead, she felt rather helpless. “I don’t want to eat anything.”
“This won’t do. Miss Tessa, have some fruit. Grandma said that eating fruit is good for your health. Besides, you said it yourself that you want to get better soon,” Gregory said as he gave Tessa a disapproving look.
Tessa was stunned for a moment. Am I actually being refuted by my Sweetheart?
Shortly after, Tessa smiled and said, “Well then, I’ll listen to you and have some fruit.”
Upon hearing that, Nicholas sat down with an apple in one hand and a fruit knife in the other.
Tessa always felt that a person like Nicholas would never get his hands dirty with chores and definitely didn’t know how to do them. She had always thought that with a mere wave of his hand, someone would arrange everything for Nicholas whenever he wanted to eat or drink something.
However, at this moment, Nicholas completely subverted Tessa’s cognition of him.
It was nothing like Tessa had imagined. Nicholas’ fingers were very nimble, and the action of him peeling apples looked very skillful. There were no holes on the apple, and the skin peeled was not choppy at all. His slender fingers moved in an unhurried manner. Yet, it was a little unclear whether it was the apple or the knife that was moving.
Tessa could only see the extremely thin peel grow longer and longer. Shortly after, a perfectly peeled apple appeared.
Unexpectedly, there was no sense of peculiarity for someone as noble as Nicholas to peel an apple while wearing a suit. Besides, Tessa thought Nicholas was inexplicably good-looking while peeling the apple.
At that moment, Tessa suddenly felt that it was worth it for her to sustain this injury, seeing that she could witness such a scene once in her lifetime.
While Tessa was entertaining herself for a while, Nicholas had already pulled out and set up the dining table in front of her. Then, he put the fruit plate with apple pieces on top of the table.
“Thanks.”
After thanking Nicholas, Tessa helped herself and started digging in. She directly took one piece and ate it. When she noticed Gregory was staring at her, she fed him another piece of apple.
Gregory’s eyes were shining bright, and he was a little joyful. And so, he followed Tessa’s example, eating a piece by himself and feeding Tessa a piece.
In a few minutes, the fruits on the plate were all gone.
Nicholas’ usual sharp gazes gradually softened as he watched the interaction between Tessa and
Gregory
At noon, Timothy came over to the hospital, carrying a large insulated container.
“Tess, are you hungry? I have prepared your favorite food for you.”
As he said that, Timothy placed the dishes on Tessa’s table one by one.
Just by looking at it, one could tell that it was not the same grade as the takeaway from the hospital canteen. Not only did the color of the food look nice, it was also aromatic. One glance at the food was all it took to unlock one’s appetite.
Seeing as she had eaten apples earlier, she should not feel hungry. However, upon looking at Timothy’s food now, Tessa actually felt somewhat hungry again. So, she smiled. “Yeah, I’m hungry.”
“Told you to let me stay here. If I stay here, at least you could have your dinner earlier,” Timothy
grumbled. He was still grudging about Tessa urging him to class.
At once, Tessa asked, “Then, will you stop attending your classes?”
“… I can make up for them later.” Timothy smiled, feeling embarrassed.
Then, Timothy took out four sets of utensils and set them up one by one.
“If you don’t mind, President Sawyer and Young Master Gregory, you can try my cooking. Although it’s not as good as the master chef of the Sawyers, it should be edible.”
Accepting Timothy’s offer, Nicholas nodded. “Thank you.”
Upon hearing Timothy’s offer, Gregory nodded vigorously as he could not wait any longer. “Thank you, Mr. Timothy! Looking at this meal, I think it is perfect in color, flavor, and aroma. It must be scrummy!”
After finishing his words, Gregory moved the small stool very consciously. He sat on the side and waited for Nicholas to serve him the dish.
Always Been Yours Chapter 138
The moment Gregory gorged on a piece of pork ribs, his eyes lit up. “Mr. Timothy, this tastes amazing! These ribs taste divine and are exactly like the one made at home by the chef!”
Upon hearing that, Timothy smiled at Gregory and said, “Young Master Gregory, your flattery is not suitable for a humble servant like me. Surely, I could not be compared to a five-star chef. Help yourself to some more of those ribs since you find it delectable.”
Gregory nodded vigorously and continued to eat. “I’m not sprouting nonsense here. Mr. Timothy, your cooking is truly delicious; these ribs can even bring the dead back to life!”
Upon hearing Gregory’s comment about the food, the adults burst into laughter.
After everyone enjoyed their meal, Timothy cleaned up the tableware and sat down immediately, not wanting to return to the university one bit.
Feeling slightly amused, Tessa glanced at the time. “Tim, don’t you still have classes in the afternoon?”
“Tess, don’t speed me up. I didn’t say I wouldn’t return to my classes. I’m merely hoping to spend some time with you. That’s all.”
Seeing he was busted, Timothy scratched his head with slight embarrassment.
After sitting for a while, though reluctant, Timothy was silently urged by Tessa to return to his classes. “I’ll be back soon.”
Tessa laughed yet slightly scolded, “You’d better hurry up and return to your classes instead of waddling like a child in the playground.”
Contented with the food and drink she had, Tessa felt more awake and spirited than when she woke up this morning.
After entertaining Gregory for a short while, Tessa felt a burning sensation of pain coming from her back.
Tessa managed to endure it for a while. However, the pain didn’t subside in the slightest. In fact, it was the opposite. The pain intensified, resulting in her forehead gleaming with sweat a little.
I suppose it’s about time to apply the medicine and change the dressing.
Fortunately for Tessa, the nurse left the medicine in the ward and noted to her that if the wound started to hurt, she should seek assistance from her family to apply medication or let the nurse do it when it was time to change the wound dressing.
Unfortunately, in her current situation, it was nearly impossible for her to wait for the nurse to arrive. There was only Nicholas available at the moment, but Tessa felt embarrassed to ask him for assistance.
The only solution to Tessa in dealing with the crisis was clear. Left with no choice, she took the medicine and went into the bathroom, thinking she could apply the medicine on her wound first to at least combat the pain she was feeling now.
Upon locking herself up in the bathroom, Tessa took off the hospital robe to only the crook of her hand. After removing the gauze, to her horror, she found that her back was painted and drenched in blood.
This was her very first time confronting her wounds, so Tessa took a deep breath of cold air to calm down. Her hands could not reach the wound, but at the same time, she could not delay the medication she so badly needed any longer. Thus, she took a Q-tip, dipped it into the medicinal liquid, and moved it
in the direction of her wound.
However, the location of the wound made it very tricky for her to treat on her own. After spending so much time, all Tessa had was a sore arm instead of getting the job done.
Seeing this was going nowhere, Tessa took a short break. Then, she gritted her teeth for another attempt, yet she still could not reach it.
After several more attempts, some sweats dripped from the tip of her nose:
Right outside the door, Nicholas saw that Tessa had been in the bathroom longer than usual. He was a little puzzled, so he knocked on the door. “Is everything okay in there? Do you need any assistance?”
Despite being in an excruciating amount of pain, Tessa refused to let slip and worry anybody else. So, she gritted her teeth and said, “I’m fine. I will be out in a jiffy.”
After giving Nicholas an answer, she continued trying again. However, she was still unable to reach the wound on her own.
Nicholas waited outside the door for more than ten minutes yet still caught no sight of Tessa coming out. Thus, he decided not to ask any more questions and just barged through the door and welcomed himself in.
At once, Nicholas saw Tessa’s back facing the door; her clothes were half removed, displaying her whole back.
The sphenoid bone of the butterfly on her back was prepossessing and apparent. Also, the lifelike butterfly tattoo that appeared as if it was fluttering away looked even more delicate and charming at this moment. It was hard for one to take their eyes off such a beautiful tattoo. The blood of the wound on the pale white skin of her back created an extremely striking contrast to the sight. It was beautiful beyond words. Not to mention, the curves of her backside were perfectly beautiful. The strong collision yet harmonious merge between these sights dazzled Nicholas, and he was momentarily speechless out of astonishment.
Shocked by the sudden door opening sound, Tessa once again strained her injury, and the burning sensation of pain came back once more.
“Argh!”
Tears welled up and threatened to fall from Tessa’s eyes due to her immense pain.
Seeing that it was only Nicholas, Tessa was slightly flustered. She did not know where to hide her hand that was holding onto a piece of Q-tip. Hence, she could only stay stupefied in place, not knowing what she was going to do the next moment.
The moment Nicholas heard Tessa cry in pain, he snapped back to his senses. Once he saw the Q-tip in Tessa’s hand, he immediately took the hint on her shenanigan in the bathroom.
Always Been Yours Chapter 139
Calmly retracting his gaze, Nicholas asked, “Are you hiding here by yourself and attending to your injury?”
Although Nicholas had calmed down, Tessa had not. She hurriedly put on her clothes, turned her head around, and looked at Nicholas. “Go out first.”
Taking a glance at the bloody wound after the gauze was removed, Nicholas uttered coldly, “If I head out, do you plan on applying the medicines all on your own without any assistance? How long are you planning to take to apply the medicine? Until the sky and earth desolate?”
“Turn around.” Nicholas held Tessa down and forced her to face him in seemingly rude gestures. However, he was careful so as not to touch her wound again.
Once again, Nicholas pulled Tessa’s clothes down to the crook of her hand, just enough to reveal the horrifying open wound on her back.
Tessa was in a state of shock. “….”
“If you do not wish to get injured twice, be wise and stay still.” Nicholas’ ice cold voice hovered above her head.
Before tending the wound, Nicholas made sure to wash and sanitize his hand. Then, he took the medicinal liquid that Tessa placed aside, and by the looks of things, it seemed like Nicholas wanted to apply the medicine for Tessa personally.
Blushed with embarrassment at such thoughts, Tessa stuttered, “Y-You don’t have to resort to doing it yourself. Just summon the nurse for me, and let the nurse assist me instead.”
“Stop talking.” Nicholas had no intention of heeding her suggestion.
Shortly after, the hand that was rubbed with the medicinal liquid came into contact with her wound.
The icy cold mint feeling came, soothing the burning hot wound, and Tessa instantly kept silent. She stopped putting up a fight, her face crimson red.
Suddenly, Nicholas saw the scar on Tessa’s lower back and paused.
That scar…
Could Tessa be who I think she is?
When they were at his house before, he wanted to confirm it. However, her reaction was a bit too much to handle at that time, so the confirmation of her identity was not successful.
Now… it’s a good chance for me to find out.
Uncontrollably, Nicholas reached out his hand and touched her scar.
Due to Tessa feeling that the burning pain on her back was getting much better, she was not aware of the shift in movements of the person behind her.
The moment the fingers came into contact with and sneaked around the back of her waist, Tessa was startled. She immediately grabbed the hand on her back and questioned, “What are you doing!?”
Nicholas’ hand touched the scar on Tessa’s waist. His pupils suddenly dilated. This scar… The touch, feel, and even the shape of her scar were seemingly similar to the one on the woman back then.
Even so, there seemed to be a slight difference.
Staring at the scar, Nicholas’ gaze became deep in trance with a mixture of suspicion.
Could it truly be her?
However, Nicholas dared not to directly ask the question that could probably confirm his suspicion. He wanted to take a deeper look to confirm his suspicion at least, so his hand touched Tessa’s scar once again.
At this moment, Tessa was alarmed. She immediately turned around and grabbed his hand.
Due to her sudden aggressive movement, Tessa accidentally ripped open her wound once again. In that instant, she felt the burning pain from the wound that had calmed down from medication earlier. The pain made her gasp loudly.
She gritted her teeth and looked at Nicholas. “What the hell are you doing!?”
Angered, Nicholas immediately withdrew his hand and blurted, “You’re still in the midst of having medicine applied to your wound. Why are you even struggling? Do you honestly think the wound would heal instantly with the snap of a finger?”
Unsure if it was because of pain or anger, Tessa’s eyes started to well up with tears. She put her guard up against Nicholas and took a step back. “It’s your fault. What were you doing apart from applying the medicine on my wound? I think you’re very clear of your motive. Isn’t that right, you hooligan?”
On the other hand, Nicholas was also angered to the point he started laughing.
For the very first time in so many years, someone even dared to utter that to him.
Me? Behaving like a hooligan? Do I look like a guy who would act like a hooligan?
Does she even know just exactly how many women are after me? Yet, I don’t even bat an eyelash at them. So, why would I inflict thuggish behavior on her?
Surely, if it wasn’t to ensure she was the woman in my memory, I would not even think of touching her one bit.
Nicholas said coldly, “Don’t get your head clouded just yet. I am not at all interested in you.”
With a look of disbelief, Tessa gritted her teeth and cautiously stepped back again. “Is that so? Then, do you care to explain your actions earlier? Can you confess truthfully that you did not touch me elsewhere other than just the wound?”
Hearing Tessa questioning his motive like this, Nicholas could not help but sneer sharply. “I have no such intention. Besides, you are a half-disabled patient, so it is impossible for me to even have any sexual intentions toward you.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 140
“It’s just that I saw the scar on your back and felt like touching it to see how it felt. Don’t think any more than that.”
Upon hearing that, Tessa looked at him suspiciously. Judging from his righteous and dignified appearance, Nicholas doesn’t seem to be such a man. There’s no flaw in his speech, and he doesn’t look guilty either. Perhaps, it was me who misunderstood him.
But, what was he doing though, touching my scar? He’s acting strange indeed.
With an impatient tone, Nicholas urged, “Do you still wish to apply the medicine? If you do, turn around.”
As she could not think of a possible reason for Nicholas’ action earlier, Tessa was slightly dispirited. Since he has said so, I think Nicholas will be more mindful so as to not simply touch me again.
Hesitantly, Tessa spun around and allowed Nicholas to continue tending to her wounds.
Behind her, where Tessa could not see, Nicholas’ gaze turned deep as his deep eyes stared at the back of her head.
Though Nicholas did test Tessa once or twice, it did not bring any substantial results at all. Instead, the answers confused him even more.
Precisely five years ago, Nicholas clearly saw a butterfly-shaped tattoo on that woman, but she claimed that she got the tattoo three or four years ago.
Still, it was hard for Nicholas to ignore how similarly the scar was located and how it felt.
So, is Tessa the woman stored in my memory?
There were dozens of doubtful thoughts dancing around Nicholas’ heart, but there were no immediate answers to be given to him at the moment. This gave him an unsettling feeling.
Both parties had unsettling doubts buried in their hearts, yet none of them dared to utter a single word. In the silence of the bathroom, there was only the sound of Nicholas applying the medicine and tending to Tessa’s wound.
Soon enough, Tessa’s wound was painted with medicine.
After getting dressed, the two returned to the ward together.
Gregory was getting a little impatient from all the waiting. Upon seeing both Nicholas and Tessa
coming out from the bathroom, he rushed forward and clung onto Tessa’s leg. “Miss Tessa, what happened to you earlier? Why were you gone for so long? Daddy too. Why did Daddy disappear for so long?”
Flashing back to the scene where both of them were in the bathroom, Tessa blushed like a tomato as she was not certain on how to answer Gregory’s question. She could only glance at Nicholas with some embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Nicholas showed a meaningful smile and said calmly, “I was applying some medicine on your Miss Tessa’s wound.”
Hearing the word ‘medicine’, Gregory looked at Tessa worriedly. “Miss Tessa, are you still in pain? Do you want me to give you a helping hand?”
As he spoke, he climbed onto Tessa’s hospital bed, lay his head on her shoulders, and huffed softly.
“I’m fine. Thank you, Sweetheart.”
Once again, Tessa was struck by Gregory’s thoughtfulness and had forgotten about the embarrassing moment earlier.
After disturbing Tessa for a while, Gregory lay beside her and fell asleep.
A knock on the door interrupted the moment.
Edward walked in. “President Sawyer, this is the document meant to be reviewed and processed today.”
Taking the document, Nicholas just nodded. “Anything else?”
“Except Lionel, all the other kidnappers had spat out the truth and admitted their guilt. They said that they were instructed by Lionel. They did it because they thought that since it involved the son of a rich family, the family of the kidnapped child wouldn’t publicize the issue so as to not disturb the stability of their stock market and image of the company. More importantly, they thought the family would certainly not dare to contact the police at all. They also mentioned that although they kidnapped Young Master Gregory, they didn’t cause him any substantial harm. So, they’re hoping you will forgive them and let this slide.”
In an instant, Nicholas’ facial expression turned cold. “Tell them they can dream on.”
I really am not afraid that this incident would affect the Sawyer Group’s stock market. In my eyes, Greg’s safety is far more important than anything else. And if these kidnappers dare to lay their hands on even a single hair on Greg, I will never let them go.
At once, Edward felt that the surrounding air in the room seemed to be condensed. He had worked for Nicholas for so many years, so he naturally knew what was in Nicholas’ mind. This time, it’s very fortunate that Young Master Gregory was not injured.
Yeah, sure, these kidnappers tried to make it sound nicer than how it was. They did not harm Young Master Gregory? How about the psychological effect of the kidnapping inflicted on Young Master Gregory? If Tessa hadn’t arrived at the right moment, who could have imagined the level of harmful impact the bat could have brought to Young Master Gregory’s tiny body!
Swallowing his saliva, Edward then added, “As for Lionel, Detective Lawrence said it’s inevitable that he will subsequently face imprisonment as the evidence against him was solid.”
Upon hearing that, Nicholas nodded.
After explaining the company’s affairs, Edward left.