Ch. 201..210
Always Been Yours Chapter 201
Kieran initially wanted to obtain confirmation from Nicholas. After waiting for a while, he saw that Nicholas didn’t even bother to look in his direction once. He became bored of waiting and bluntly asked, “How are things going between you and Tessa recently?”
The relationship between those two had always been a puzzle. He had long wanted to know what was going on. It was just that he was constantly blocked from the truth. The feeling of not knowing the full story drove him crazy.
Having observed them all night today, Kieran couldn’t shake the feeling that the relationship between them was becoming stranger by the minute.
He didn’t believe there wasn’t anything going on between them because he clearly saw how his brother had quietly cleared all the obstacles in her way without her knowing and even obtained a ticket for her just because it was one of her interests.
But, if he were to say that there was something going on between them… Aside from speaking a few words to each other at the beginning, they had not said another word between them for the entire night. They didn’t even look at each other.
Isn’t the story between Nicholas and Tessa a little too complicated? Or, is their relationship concealed so deeply in order to deliberately mislead others? This was the first time in his life where Kieran could not get the true story behind the juicy gossip. Therefore, this piece of gossip that had no conclusion made him feel very depressed.
He had asked this question at the risk of being kicked out of his brother’s car. Even so, he received neither the ruthless command to get lost nor an answer to his question. Feeling puzzled, he lifted his head and glanced at Nicholas only to see the latter staring at the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes. There was a dangerous look in those eyes.
Putting away the complaints in his heart, Kieran glanced at the rearview mirror as his expression immediately changed drastically. That was because there was a car following behind them. No matter how they changed lanes, the car was always following behind them at a constant speed!
Inside the Sawyer Residence, Remus brewed a pot of tea in the living room after dinner.
He serenely used the wooden spoon made out of redwood to scoop out the tea leaves and placed them in the teapot. Next, he drenched the leaves in boiling water from a kettle by the side. The steam immediately rose into the air, along with the fragrance of tea. Ever since he retired from the industry, his mental state had gradually calmed down. At this moment, his figure wrapped in the steam made his leisurely atmosphere stand out even more.
He carefully took his tea cup with three fingers in a refined manner and took a small sip. Only then did he look at the person who came to visit him and quietly asked, “What happened?”
One should not be fooled by his serene appearance, seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs. He was the highly revered Remus Sawyer. Even if he no longer managed the business, nobody would dare to take his words lightly, much less disrespect him.
Andrew bowed slightly and responded respectfully, “Timothy Reinhart’s documents have been approved today. According to the report from the men shadowing Master Nicholas, Master Nicholas, Master Kieran, and Young Master Gregory have just finished having dinner with the siblings. As there was no way to enter the private room, we do not have any information on the specifics of their conversation for the time being. Judging by the speed the documents are being released, I’m afraid Master Nicholas is aware that you are secretly intervening in this matter. The organization probably believes that it was done under your orders. That’s why they allowed Timothy’s documents to pass through so easily. After all, nobody else is capable of doing this aside from the Sawyer Group.”
Remus was not surprised by what he heard. Calmly continuing to sip his tea, he gently said, “Since he already knows, then there is no need to be so secretive. Let it be known that any company that dares to do business with Timothy Reinhart will be making enemies of the Sawyer Group.”
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“Alright, Old Master Sawyer.” Andrew accepted the order and thought to himself, Looks like Old Master Sawyer is seriously planning to make a move now. I’m afraid there won’t be a place for those siblings in Brentwood City.
“Tess, I’m off to work now!”
Ever since Timothy’s company registration documents were completed, he became energetic and spirited. All his depression had been tossed aside without a second thought. He was filled with confidence and quickly threw himself into the various establishment and organizational works.
At this moment, his entire mind was filled with work, work, and more work! Even if he was so busy that his eyes were spinning, he was extremely happy. He left with a smile on his face and returned with a smile on his face, every single day.
Tessa couldn’t help curling her lips into a smile upon seeing him like this. “You’re just like a child. It’s okay to work, but don’t overwork yourself.”
“I’m fine, Tess. I’m doing just fine.” He smiled brightly, then energetically added, “I’ve been recruiting people and building my team for the past two days. It won’t be long before my team is ready to go. Once we create and launch ‘Celestial Eye, our name will begin to spread everywhere. In the future, we will never need to worry about sourcing capital again.”
“I know you can do it, considering how talented you are.” She looked at his thin but extremely lively face and couldn’t help reaching out a hand to stroke his head.
“I’ll get going. Henry is waiting for me.”
“Go on.”
Soon, Timothy left home to begin a brand new but hectic day.
Not long after he left, Tessa decided to go to the hospital for a check-up. Before she could leave, she heard the doorbell ringing.
She opened the door to see two figures standing at the door-one large and one small. The large one was Nicholas and the small one was Gregory. Thus, she couldnt help being taken aback for a moment. Why are these two here?
The soft and cuddly Gregory was very happy to see her and immediately hugged her leg. He shouted in a sweet voice, “Miss Tessa!”
She came back to her senses and asked somewhat suspiciously, “Why are you here?”
“Miss Tessa, didn’t you say you wanted to go for a check-up? Mr. Timothy is so busy, so I was certain you wouldn’t allow him to accompany you. But, I was worried about you and couldn’t help coming here to accompany you to the hospital.”
He looked at her joyously with an expression that seemed to be begging for compliments. I’m already here; there’s no way Miss Tessa can chase me away! I can stay with her all day long again today. I’m so happy!
What surprised him the most was his father’s reaction. I was afraid Daddy would reprimand me when I told him about my plan this morning. Unexpectedly, not only did Daddy not scold me, but he also agreed to come along with me!
Gregory’s words hit the nail right on the head. Timothy had indeed offered to accompany Tessa to the hospital only for her to reject his offer.
Tessa looked at Gregory’s flushed face and sweet smile, feeling rather complicated inside. She thought she would never see this little guy again. However, it was not just a child who was going to be accompanying her. An extremely busy big boss would also be coming along as well. This line-up seemed a little overwhelming.
Seeing that she was taking very long to respond, Nicholas said, “You were injured because of Greg, so it’s only natural for us to accompany you for your check-up.”
Upon hearing those words, she didn’t say anything else. She simply nodded lightly. picked up the bag she had prepared earlier, and followed the father-and-son pair out of the apartment.
When the three of them arrived at the hospital, they went straight to the attending physician who treated Tessa previously.
As it was only a check-up, it was a much simpler procedure compared to the previous examination when Tessa was first injured. It didn’t take long before the doctor returned with her radiograph.
He pointed at a spot on the radiograph where her original bone fracture was located and said, “The wound is healing very well. It’s very surprising to see that the wound has not worsened when you went home to recuperate this time.”
Tessa said nothing and only lowered her head in embarrassment when she heard those words. The last time she went home for recuperation, it was not long before she was sent back to the hospital again. Therefore, she couldn’t help feeling extremely embarrassed when the doctor brought up the past again.
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“Keep this up and you will recover soon,” the doctor laughingly said when he saw
Tessa’s reaction.
“Then, can 1-” Tessa spoke up impatiently. She wanted to ask about playing the violin. Unfortunately, the doctor interrupted her before she could even finish her question.
The doctor said, “Don’t think that you can start playing the violin again just because you’re much better now. As they say, broken bones take a hundred days to heal. You should also take more care when it comes to a bone fracture like yours. You will need to recuperate quietly for at least a month or so before you can touch that precious violin of yours.”
Upon hearing those words, the light in her eyes vanished instantly. A month… I can afford to wait, but the orchestra can’t… There’re only a few more days left before the orchestra leaves to perform abroad, yet there’s no way I can go on stage in my current condition. In the end, will I just end up as a spectator again?
The look on her face did not escape Nicholas’ notice. He was well-aware of her unfulfilled wishes. Nevertheless, what could he do even if he knew? There were many things he could help her with, the only exception being matters involving her body. Unfortunately, there was no other method to solve this problem aside from slowly recuperating from her injuries.
Compared to her health, everything else was not as important. He did not wish for her to destroy herself for the sake of the performance this time. That was why he didn’t encourage her to return to the orchestra and the stage where she belonged.
Likewise, Gregory noticed the changes in her mood and quickly comforted her. “Miss Tessa, it will be okay. You are so talented. There will be many, many more opportunities in the future.”
Knowing that Gregory was worried about her, she forced her lips to curve into a smile. “I know.”
It was almost lunch time by the time Tessa was done with her check-up. Since these two had come along to accompany her for her check-up, she could not just leave without doing anything in return. Hence, she suggested, “President Sawyer, Greg, why don’t I treat the two of you to lunch as a thank you for accompanying me for my check-up?”
Naturally, Gregory was elated to hear those words and immediately nodded in agreement. “Sure!”
It was probably thanks to Tessa’s company that his lunch tasted especially delicious today. He ate quickly without needing anybody to persuade him to eat, let alone worry about him.
She was thinking about going home after lunch. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she was interrupted by the urgent ringing of a phone before she could say anything
Nicholas answered the call and frowned deeply while listening to the report from Edward.
She could tell that he seemed to be having an emergency when he finally ended the call. Thus, she asked, “Is everything okay, President Sawyer?”
His expression was gloomy. “A problem came up with the project in the neighboring city, and I need to go there and solve this issue immediately. I might not be able to send Greg back in time.”
Gregory’s eyes immediately lit up at those words. He quickly piped up before she could even utter a word. “It’s okay. Daddy, you can go. I’ll just stay with Miss Tessa. You can come and pick me up from her house once you’re done with work tonight.”
Although he had made the decision to stay with her on his own, she didn’t mind at all. It was a rare opportunity for them to be together alone, so naturally, she would not refuse.
She nodded. “Leave Greg to me. You don’t need to worry, President Sawyer.”
“Thanks.” Nicholas nodded gratefully. Afterward, he got into his car and left the restaurant.
Once Nicholas was gone, Tessa looked at Gregory. “What should we do now? Do you have a place you want to go? I will bring you there.”
“Anywhere?” He blinked in delight.
She nodded. “Yeah. Where do you want to go?”
“The aquarium!” he replied happily.
It was rare for him to have somewhere that he particularly wanted to go. Besides, it
was not a dangerous place. Hence, she immediately nodded to indicate her agreement to his suggestion. “Sure. Let’s head for the aquarium immediately.”
“Miss Tessa, you’re the best!” He kissed her on the cheek, leaving a saliva mark on her face.
After buying the tickets online, Tessa brought Gregory to the aquarium. It was a working day today. For that reason, not many people were at the aquarium, and they could enter the aquarium without needing to wait.
“Wow! Miss Tessa, it looks so cool inside!” Gregory was greeted by the sight of a water tank that arched over their heads as soon as they entered the aquarium. Moreover, there was a school of fish swimming playfully above their heads. He couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement.
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Similarly, Tessa nodded at the novelty of the sight. This place is really beautiful.
Gregory tugged at the corner of her clothes lightly. When she leaned down, he whispered in a hush voice, “Miss Tessa, this is the first time I’ve been somewhere like this.”
Upon hearing those words, she couldn’t help feeling astonished. However, it made sense when she thought about his family background. Nicholas was such a busy man. He had never even gone to the movie theaters before, what more bringing Gregory out to play at these kinds of places? Thus, she couldn’t help feeling a little sad for the little boy.
She smiled. “What a coincidence. It’s also my first time here.”
When Gregory heard those words, his eyes brightened, and a tinge of red climbed up his ears. He pursed his lips and smiled. “In that case, Miss Tessa, we have to let loose and play to our hearts’ content today!”
She nodded and walked through the ocean tunnel with him. The aquarium was very large and could even be said to have everything. Be it deep-sea fish or coastal fish, anything they could think of could be found here.
He was stunned when he saw a bloom of glowing jellyfish. Pressing himself against the glass, he stared at them curiously. “Miss Tessa, I heard that these kinds of jellyfish are poisonous.”
She nodded. “Little guy, you sure do know a lot.”
Hearing the compliment made him blush in slight embarrassment. “I learned about them while reading my picture books. They were also mentioned in the encyclopedia on the animal world. These jellyfish are really beautiful. The books claim that the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is. However, I don’t believe that. That’s because you are so beautiful, Miss Tessa. But, you’re not dangerous at all.”
It was her first time being complimented by a child, so she couldn’t help blushing furiously at those words. Despite being so young, he is already so honey-tongued, not to mention how good looking he is. I’m sure he will be a master at seducing thousands of girls when he grows up.
“Wow! That’s a coral!” His attention was instantly drawn by another display, and he
ran over excitedly.
She laughed and followed him while taking a lot of pictures of the child at the same time.
Gregory looked very similar to Nicholas in appearance. They both had very delicate features. It was just that this little guy had yet to grow up, so he was much more delicate than his father. For that reason, his gentle appearance made him even more adorable and charming.
Many people had been sneaking glances at him from the moment he entered the aquarium. They secretly complimented on his good looks and couldn’t help being tempted to kidnap him home for themselves.
“Miss Tessa, this place is beautiful. Let’s take a photo here together!” he suggested with a smile.
Tessa had long wanted to take a photo together with him but was too embarrassed to mention it herself. Now that he brought it up himself, she no longer hesitated and immediately nodded in agreement.
There was a click of a shutter, and their picture was taken. The smile on their faces conveyed their overflowing joy that almost spilled out from the screen on the phone.
He was very satisfied. “Miss Tessa, don’t forget to send the photos to me later!”
All of a sudden, an announcement rang out across the aquarium. “Dear guests, the beluga whale performance this afternoon is about to begin. All guests who wish to watch the show are welcomed to enter the venue.”
The little guy looked at her expectantly. “Miss Tessa, can we go?”
“Of course.” She smiled and took his hand, then she headed directly toward the venue of the beluga whale performance.
The beluga whale performance was very entertaining and exciting. By the time the show was over, Gregory’s hands were red from clapping too hard.
The host on the stage smilingly announced, “Did you think the show’s over? We are going to have an interactive session next! We now invite the guest sitting at seat No. 118 to come up to the stage!”
Tessa glanced at Gregory’s seat number, which happened to be the lucky No. 118!
Gregory was elated to see that he had been chosen. Thus, he immediately stood up and walked toward the stage excitedly.
Worried that something might happen to him, she got up and accompanied him for the interactive session.
“Miss Tessa, he is so cold! It’s so nice to touch!” He was very bold and immediately reached out to stroke the beluga whale’s head gently.
Seeming to sense that he had no malicious intentions, the beluga whale affectionately rubbed itself against his palm and even kissed him.
This action immediately made him laugh out loud, and he looked at the beluga whale with crinkled eyes.
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Unknowingly, it was nighttime.
Seeing as Nicholas had yet to come and pick Gregory up, Tessa decided to bring Gregory home with her.
Gregory immediately saw Timothy sitting on the sofa when they walked in through the door following their return to the Regal Gardens. Thus, he immediately greeted Timothy politely. “Hello, Mr. Timothy.”
Timothy was dumbfounded to see Gregory. “Tess, why is Young Master Gregory here?”
Tessa smiled and explained, “President Sawyer and Greg accompanied me for my check-up earlier. After the check-up, President Sawyer had to leave for an emergency and left Greg in my care as a result.”
Timothy did not say anything else after listening to her explanation. Besides, Gregory was extremely likable. Not only was he honey-tongued, but he was also very well-behaved and rarely threw temper tantrums. He was different from all the other boisterous children. Children with these kinds of temperaments were very rare, so how could Timothy not like Gregory?
Thanks to Gregory’s presence, Tessa decided to cook dinner herself. She even made two additional dishes that were his favorites.
“Miss Tessa, your cooking is great!” Gregory said excitedly while patting his tiny stomach in satisfaction. Her cooking skills are comparable to the chefs at home!
He ate cheerfully throughout the meal and even had an extra serving of spaghetti.
After dinner, Timothy went through some documents on his computer. A constant series of clickety-clackety sounds came from his mechanical keyboard. He typed so quickly that it was dazzling just to watch him work.
Gregory couldn’t help being curious and quietly sneaked over to watch Timothy working from behind with a look of admiration in his eyes. “Mr. Timothy, that’s so amazing. Can you teach me?”
Timothy nodded and softly explained the codes he wrote just now.
Gregory listened attentively. When Timothy finished explaining, Gregory clenched
his fists and asked, “Mr. Timothy, can I try?”
Timothy saved his documents before handing the computer to Gregory.
Gregory went through the motions of what Timothy did earlier in his mind. Then. he placed his hand on his shoulder and looked up at Timothy with pursed lips. “Mr. Timothy, please let me know if there are any mistakes.”
Timothy nodded and responded, “Okay.” Afterward, he watched Gregory’s movements seriously.
Gregory worked very quickly, entering the formulas into the computer one by one according to the formulas given by Timothy. His level of competency absolutely shocked Timothy.
I have never seen anybody with such a good memory before, much less a child. This level of intelligence is simply amazing! Timothy couldn’t help laughing. “You really are President Sawyer’s son. Like father, like son. You are amazing, Young Master Gregory!”
Tessa initially thought that Gregory was only fooling around. After all, how could a five-year-old child understand coding? That was why she sat by the side to watch with the mindset of admiring his performance. To her surprise, he memorized the codes that even she could not understand after only reading them once. Moreover, there were no flaws in the codes he wrote.
He really is a little genius! No, that’s not right-he is an all-rounded little genius! When he goes to school in the future, such a smart and clever boy will definitely become the legendary model of others and the darling of the teachers. It is said that a talented child is more likely to be born to the family of a talented person. He has clearly inherited his father’s intelligence.
Thus, she sincerely praised him. “Wow! I didn’t know you were this amazing, Greg!”
“This is not that hard. If you study hard, Miss Tessa, you will definitely understand it too. Do you want me to teach you?” Gregory blinked shyly. He was truly looking forward to the scene where he could write codes together with her on a computer.
“No, thanks. You can continue playing with Mr. Timothy.” She quickly shook her head. She was completely clueless when it came to computer programming. With my utter lack of computer programming skills, there’s no way I can compare with this little guy. It’s embarrassing just to think about it. I cannot let my outstanding image in his head be destroyed!
He seemed a little crestfallen but did not question her. Nodding, he turned back to
Timothy. “Mr. Timothy, can you teach me more? I want to learn.”
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Back at home, Gregory had always wanted to learn when he saw Nicholas working. It was just that his father was always so busy that he felt bad about disturbing him. Besides, he had so much homework that he had no time to play around like this. So this was the perfect opportunity for him to learn. Furthermore, a talented person like Timothy was around to teach him. How could he not grasp the opportunity firmly?
“Sure.” Timothy had always been fond of Gregory. Seeing how much Gregory liked coding and how naturally talented he was, Timothy’s favorable impression toward Gregory immediately soared. He couldn’t wait to teach Gregory all the knowledge he had learned in the past.
He took out another computer so that they each had a laptop to use. After that, he wrote a simple software. Gregory followed his example. There was barely any need for him to correct any minor mistakes that Gregory might have made while entering the codes. Gregory’s memory was so good that he practically copied and pasted everything. It was a perfect replica.
The two of them had a lot of fun together, creating software after software without getting tired of it.
Tessa listened to the sounds of their hands flying swiftly across the keyboard and shook her head helplessly.
Timothy was already crazy enough about programming when he was creating software by himself. It was to the point where he would even forget to eat or sleep. The addition of Gregory only made him even more excited. It looks like he won’t be getting any rest tonight.
Fortunately, what she was worried about did not happen. Gregory was just a child after all, so he could not stay awake after his bedtime. After playing around for a bit, he was so sleepy that his eyes were watering. He looked at Tessa with tears in his eyes and said, “Miss Tessa, I want to sleep.”
“Okay. Let’s go take a bath first. You can sleep after taking a bath.” Tessa shook her head in amusement before she took his hand and headed to the shower.
When Timothy saw the sight of that large hand holding the small hand, a particularly harmonious picture suddenly popped up in his head. He jokingly said, “Tess, if you went out with Young Master Gregory like this, people who didn’t know you would probably think that he was your son.”
His statement also amused her. “If I can give birth to a child as adorable and intelligent as Greg, then I’d probably wake up from laughing in my dreams.”
Gregory felt a little shy when he heard her complimenting him. “If I had a Mommy like you, Miss Tessa, I would also wake up from laughing in my dreams.”
She smiled and stroked his small head. “Let’s go. Time for a shower.”
At this point, he was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. She was the one who washed him throughout the entire process, and he was very well-behaved the entire time. Afraid that he would catch a cold, she quickly finished washing him. She took out a set of her clothes and put them on him. Then, she led the almost sleepwalking child into her room.
It was probably because he played a lot today that he immediately fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.
She looked at the child sleeping soundly on the bed and shook her head in amusement. The current situation between them seemed to have returned to a time in the past. This peaceful time painted a very beautiful picture. However, she remembered something-Greg would need to go home eventually.I wonder whether Nicholas managed to resolve the problem. It’s so late, yet I’ve not received any news from him about coming to pick Greg up. He didn’t forget that he has a son, right? Thinking that, she gave Nicholas a call.
Nicholas answered the phone when he saw Tessa’s number on the caller ID. He straightforwardly said, “Please take care of Greg for a little longer. I’m on the highway right now. I’ll be there in an hour.”
Tessa could tell from his tired voice that he must have worked hard all afternoon, so she did not say anything else. She simply went to the living room after ending the call and waited for his arrival.
One hour passed very slowly. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the doorbell finally rang.
She rubbed her eyes. When she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of him standing at the door with his suit jacket hanging over his shoulders and the collar of his shirt wide open. More importantly, he looked rather exhausted.
She was slightly taken aback. He had always given off an impeccable vibe that gave him an extremely calm and steady atmosphere whenever she saw him. It was rare to see him looking so tired. Today must have been very tiring for him to be in this state.
His voice was slightly hoarse. “Thank you very much for today. I’m here to pick Greg up.”
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Upon hearing those words, Tessa stepped to the side and said, “Why don’t you come inside first? Greg has fallen asleep.”
Nicholas nodded. “Thanks.”
With her consent, he walked into her bedroom and saw Gregory sleeping soundly. Thus, he was in no hurry to bring Gregory home. He walked out of the bedroom and lowered his voice. “Do you have anything to eat? I’ve not eaten anything since lunch, so I’m having some gastric issues.”
She frowned slightly when she heard those words. This man is torturing his stomach again.
During her stay at his home previously, she often saw Andrew preparing some gastric medicine for him. Andrew mentioned that he rarely ate his meals on time, so he had ruined his stomach. He sure doesn’t take care of himself when he’s busy.
Fortunately, she had some gastric medicine at home. Quickly taking out the medicine box, she found the gastric medicine and poured him a glass of water. At the same time, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Regardless of how important work is, is it more important than your health?”
He didn’t look disgruntled despite being criticized. However, his gastric issues caused his lips to turn pale and his expression to become unsightly. He leaned back against the sofa after taking the medicine and closed his eyes to rest.
Looking at him in this state, she couldn’t help having complicated feelings. It was way past dinner timer. Besides, greasy meals did not suit those with gastric issues. It was better if he had something light and bland instead.
“Are you okay with noodles?” she asked softly.
“Yeah, thanks.” He nodded.
She went straight to the kitchen and cooked a simple bowl of noodles for him.
When Gregory went to sleep, Timothy returned to his room and prepared to work. Although it had been fun to play with Gregory for a few hours, it did not change the fact that he still had work to do. He was writing the codes for a brand-new software when he heard some noises coming from the outside all of a sudden. It sounded like they had guests, so he came out to investigate.
He was surprised to see Nicholas lying on the sofa. “President Sawyer? Why are you here?”
Nicholas opened his eyes and massaged his temples, looking like he was feeling unwell. Only then did he answer the question. “I came to pick Greg up. Thank you for helping to take care of my child today.”
Timothy waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Young Master Gregory is very well-behaved. He doesn’t make a fuss, so we like him very much. It’s not a big deal even if he stays here overnight. You didn’t need to come all this way to pick him up. But, why were you so late?”
Nicholas replied, “Something came up in the company. I had just finished dealing with it.”
Judging from Nicholas’ tired face-seemingly in poor health-and the sounds in the kitchen, Timothy guessed that his sister was probably making something for Nicholas to eat at the moment. So, he said, “In that case, you don’t need to go back after you finish eating. Why don’t you rest here for the night instead? Going back and forth is very tiring after all. Besides, Young Master Gregory is already asleep. There’s no need to wake him up.”
At this time, Tessa walked over with the noodles. “Eat something first.”
She noticed that Nicholas was massaging his knee, whereupon a scene from the past flashed through her mind. She vaguely recalled seeming something similar back at the hospital. At the time, Nicholas explained that he had injured his leg before. As a result, his leg would hurt if he was overly busy or if it was a rainy day.
Andrew would often arrange acupuncture appointments for him in the past, but it was likely that the appointments had been put on hold recently because he was far too busy. His condition must have flared up again today,
She added, “Just stay here tonight. You probably have not received acupuncture in a long time. I will perform acupuncture for you after you eat. You should also take a medicinal bath while you’re at it.”
“Okay,” he replied lightly.
When Timothy looked at the natural interaction between these two people, he couldn’t help feeling that something was strange. How does Tess know that Nicholas needed acupuncture? Not to mention how naturally she offered to help him perform acupuncture! Didn’t she clearly state that she would distance herself from the father-and-son pair and slowly remove herself from their lives? But, it looks like that is not the case.
Before he could ask any of those questions, she interrupted the barrage of questions in his heart. “Tim, can you get me the medicinal herbs and needles, please?”
After being interrupted, he couldn’t bring himself to ask anything anymore despite all the questions in his heart. Hence, he nodded and obediently returned to the bedroom to bring the items she had asked for.
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After Nicholas finished eating his noodles, he went straight to take a medicinal bath. Half an hour later, he came out of the bath and changed into Timothy’s clothes. A faint scent of medical herbs that calmed the nerves and aided sleep lingered around him.
“Come here and lie down,” Tessa immediately said when she noticed that he was out of the bath.
He nodded at those words. Striding over to the sofa, he obediently lay down.
Then, she turned to Timothy. “You lie down too. I’ll perform acupuncture on your legs as well.”
Timothy had been running back and forth recently to settle the company’s affairs, which placed great strain on his legs. As a result, his legs would hurt from time to time. It was just that he never said anything.
However, that did not mean she did not notice. She had always been rather observant. For that reason, she had noticed his condition a long time ago. It was just that he would definitely have refused even if she offered to perform acupuncture on him just because he wanted to prevent her from becoming exhausted.
It just so happened that Nicholas was also here today. There was no difference between performing acupuncture on one person or two, so she figured he would not refuse. As expected, he massaged his legs and immediately nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Tess.”
The two large men lay down next to her, one on each side. They left themselves to her mercy without the slightest hint of complaint.
Because she had helped Timothy with his rehabilitation in the past, she learned the art of acupuncture. The practice accumulated over the years had allowed her skills to mature over time. She located the pressure points, slid the needle in, and then pulled it back out. All the time, her movements were as smooth as flowing water. She did not make any mistakes.
By the time she finished performing acupuncture on both of them, it was very late.
The two men felt the fatigue in their bodies gradually fading away after enduring the acupuncture treatment. The tension of the day finally relaxed and went away. As a result, they both fell deeply asleep as soon as they returned to Timothy’s bedroom.
The next day, Nicholas woke up feeling extremely refreshed. All the discomfort from the day before was gone without a trace.
On the other hand, Gregory woke up and discovered that he was still at Tessa’s house. Not only that, but his beloved Miss Tessa was also sleeping next to him. He was extremely satisfied. The days where I can wake up and see Miss Tessa immediately are the best!
However, he was stunned to see his father. He did not know that his father had arrived last night. Why did Daddy appear at Miss Tessa’s place so early in the morning? Is he here to take me away?No! I haven’t spent enough time with her!
The moment he saw the look in his father’s eyes, he became certain. Daddy is here to pick me up. It looks like I won’t be able to stay here any longer.
Gregory slowly put on his shoes after breakfast and gave his father a pleading look. When Tessa was not paying attention, he whispered, “Daddy, can I not leave?”
Nicholas shook his head.
“But…” Gregory was reluctant to leave, so he wanted to negotiate with Nicholas.
Nicholas coldly said, “Your actions will cause her stress.”
“Alright, then.” Gregory finally nodded and agreed to leave upon hearing that he would cause trouble for Tessa. That time when she had ignored him for a few days had been very torturous. She might hide away again if I keep pestering her. If that happens, I might never see her again even if I wanted to.
Tessa did not remain idle after everybody else in the house had departed. After giving it much thought, she decided to return to the orchestra. Even if I can’t make any violent movements at the moment, it should be fine if I played some gentler pieces.
By the time Tessa arrived at the orchestra, everybody had already begun to enter a state of intense training.
The receptionist at the front desk was slightly astonished to see her there. “Tessa? Why are you here?”
She smiled. “I wanted to come and practice.”
“But, the name list for the performance this time has already been set. Wasn’t it
decided that Queenie will be the assistant concertmaster?” the receptionist asked puzzledly.
She lowered her eyes. “I know. I came to join the practice for the sake of future performances.”
Although she could not participate in the performance this time, it didn’t change the fact that it was painful for her to miss this opportunity. However, Trevor was right she would still have other opportunities in the future. It’s been so long since I last practiced. At this rate, my skills may become rusty, and I might really lose my position. Then, even in the future…
Always Been Yours Chapter 209
That was why Tessa insisted on coming back to train even though she was not fully healed. Even if she just played a gentle piece, it would still help to stabilize her techniques somewhat.
When the receptionist heard those words, an awkward expression appeared on her face. She paused for a moment before saying, “Tessa, the truth is… Queenie is not just serving as the assistant concertmaster for this performance. It has been decided in the orchestra that this position will be hers from now on.”
Tessa was shocked to hear those words. Even though she could understand every single word the receptionist was saying, the words suddenly sounded like a foreign language when strung together in a sentence. Thus, she paused for a while before she raised her head to look at the receptionist in confusion. “The position will be hers from now on? Winnie, what do you mean by that?”
“Tessa… please don’t be so upset. I’m just the receptionist. I don’t know why the orchestra issued that directive either,” the receptionist said softly while patting Tessa on the shoulder.
Knowing that it was useless to question the receptionist any further, Tessa nodded and went to look for Trevor.
Trevor was astonished to see Tessa, and his expression immediately became strange. – He spoke with his guilty conscience weighing down on him. “Tessa? Why aren’t you recuperating at home? Why did you come here?”
She replied, “I came to train. But, I heard that Queenie was officially appointed as the assistant concertmaster. Didn’t you say that she was just a temporary replacement for this performance?”
Upon hearing those words, his expression changed again. He avoided her gaze and did not dare to look her in the eye. Even his manner of speech became hesitant. “Uh… Tessa, please listen to me. It’s not that we don’t want to appoint you. But.”
“But what?” she immediately asked.
He gritted his teeth and answered straightforwardly, “This is the decision of the higher-ups. They claimed that you are not suitable for the orchestra and chose Queenie to take your place. I’m just a lowly employee. I don’t have the power to make such decisions. So… please don’t make things difficult for me.”
She was completely stunned by those words. Does that mean I no longer have a chance? Ne that can’t be. It wasn’t easy for me to climb to that position. Just because I lost my first chance to perform doesn’t mean that I will never have another chance to perform in the future.
She looked at him beggingly. “Mr. Oswald, you know how I am. It’s not like I can’t do anything for the orchestra. Please, give me another chance. Just one more chance.”
He looked at her with a troubled expression. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I really don’t have the power to do anything.”
Even if he put aside the fact that he trained her himself and spoke strictly in terms of talent within the orchestra, she was far more talented than Queenie. He was reluctant to see her leave just based on this point alone. Not only was she young, but she was also more hardworking than most people. Comparatively, she had more potential. She would surely become a remarkable performer in the future. It would be a pity to lose such a promising talent.
He had already planned everything in advance. After this performance, he was going to ask Queenie to step down and return the position to Tessa. However, Remus suddenly came to visit him last night.
The first directive the Sawyer Group issued when they bought over the orchestra was to abandon Tessa Reinhart. Otherwise, the orchestra would cease to exist.
This orchestra was his life. On the other hand, Tessa was simply a junior that he had : high expectations of. He knew where his priorities lay. Therefore, he had no choice but to sacrifice Tessa for the sake of the entire orchestra.
He shook his head and said to her, “Tessa, I’m really sorry. You should go home.”
Trevor thought back to the past. At that time, Nicholas had stood up for her and proclaimed that she was one of his people. He even went so far as to entrust the care of Gregory to her. Furthermore, he didn’t say a single negative word to her when Gregory went missing and personally took care of her in the hospital. Therefore, it was unexpected to see how he suddenly turned on her and became so hostile instead.
Trevor couldn’t help feeling sad for Tessa. Although he was very puzzled as to why the Sawyer Group was targeting her, now was not the time to speak of such matters. Besides, he was afraid that asking about this would only rub salt into her wounds. After all, nobody wanted to be ridiculed for being abandoned after losing their job.
Perhaps, the care that President Sawyer showed her previously was nothing more than a game among the wealthy.
Always Been Yours Chapter 210
The affairs of the Sawyer Family were not something ‘revor could meddle in. Therefore, he kept silent regarding that matter. He planned to comfort Tessa a bit more before asking her to leave. It would not be good for her tò stay here for too
long.
Before he could speak a word, a sharp female voice interrupted him. That person said, “Tessa, you came! Why didn’t you let us know in advance?”
Tessa looked up. It was Queenie!
Although she rarely interacted with Queenie, they worked in the same orchestra, so it was only natural that she was familiar with Queenie’s character. Not wanting to speak to Queenie, she simply nodded indifferently in response.
Unfortunately, Queenie had no intention of letting Tessa off the hook just like that. She had been rehearsing in the training room earlier but came here specifically to laugh at Tessa when she heard that Tessa was here.
She laughed and uttered, “Tessa, to be honest, it’s impossible for you to be the assistant concertmaster with your qualifications. Your violin skills are only mediocre at best, so please don’t disgrace us. Not long ago, I heard that you were bragging about how you obtained this position because you were favored by Mr. Oswald. He feels too bad to say anything, so I will speak for him instead. He doesn’t value you at: all. He simply felt that you worked too hard, and you wouldn’t understand your value unless he gave you a chance to run into a wall.”
“Queenie, stop that.”
After watching how Queenie triumphantly mocked Tessa, the people who came out with Queenie couldn’t bear listening any longer and frowningly interrupted her. Her words were too much. Who among those in the orchestra did not know that Queenie was no match for Tessa, both in terms of behavior or violin skills?
Tessa treated everybody equally, regardless of whether she served as the assistant concertmaster or not. She was so good-natured that it was unbelievable.
On the other hand, Queenie began throwing her weight around as soon as she came to power. She constantly undermined and oppressed the others to establish her position.
The truth was that everybody was dissatisfied with the orchestra’s arrangements. But,
what could they say? If they raised an objection, they would probably be forced to leave together with Tessa. It was not easy for any one of them to come this far, so there was no way they would act so foolishly.
Now that things had come to this, they could neither speak up on Tessa’s behalf nor openly go against Queenie. All they could do was try their best to help Tessa by stopping such unpleasant words from being uttered.
Tessa couldn’t care less at this point. Her heart was overflowing with faint disappointment. Even so, she refused to give up. Since Mr. Oswald can’t speak up for me and it’s the directive of the higher-ups, then I won’t trouble Mr. Oswald. I’ll go straight to the higher-ups. I want to know just who exactly is targeting me.
She said, “Mr. Oswald, I respect your decision. Nevertheless, can you tell me who is behind the acquisition of the orchestra? I want to speak with them myself.”
To her surprise, Trevor’s expression froze when he heard the question.
He had no idea how to tell her. If it was anybody but the Sawyer Group, then he would have had no qualms about telling her. Unfortunately, it just so happened to be the Sawyer Group. It would be a huge shock to her if I told her the truth.
Queenie smiled sweetly. “No way! Tessa, don’t you know the identity of our new owner? Mr. Oswald, didn’t you tell her?”
His expression darkened. He shot a look at her, indicating for her to shut up:
However, she ignored him completely and bluntly said, “Since Mr. Oswald refuses to tell you, then I’ll tell you. Our new owner is the Sawyer Group. So, do you understand now?”
Upon hearing the words ‘Sawyer Group, Tessa immediately froze in shock. She never imagined that the person who wanted to terminate her… would be the Sawyer Group.
That is to say, the directive to replace me and force me to leave the Heavenly Chorus Orchestra was issued by Nicholas? Or, is it somebody else within the Sawyer Family? Or, is it Stefania’s doing? I don’t understand. Why is the Sawyer Family doing this to me? Is it because I deliberately ignored Greg and made him upset? Or, is it because I’ve gotten close to Greg recently? Is it really because of such a minor and insignificant reason? Did the Sawyer Family spare no expense to acquire the orchestra just to drive me away and make me lose my job?