Ch. 81..90
Always Been Yours Chapter 81
In the end, the person who had harmed Gregory turned out to be Stefania’s most trusted best friend Yana!
When Stefania thought of this, her heart surged with rage. Last night, when she returned to her residence, she was full of anger and suspicion. She couldn’t believe that Yana would actually do something to hurt Gregory.
However, the evidence provided by Nicholas was still with her, which was so strong that she had to believe it. Thus, after arriving home, Stefania went to find Yana first, but she happened to meet the latter, rummaging through her room’s contents and looking for something.
Stefania’s face immediately sank, but on the surface, she still asked, without giving her emotions away, “Yana, what have you lost? Do you want me to help you find it together?”
Startled by the unexpected questions, Yana turned around to see Stefania there, so she hastily said, “Oh, there’s no need. It’s just a cosmetic ring. It should have rolled under the bed, so I’ll get it out later.”
“Is that so?” The disappointment in Stefania’s heart intensified, after which she said, “In that case, then let the maids come and help you find it. You are not well. What if you accidentally faint? By the way, you keep saying you have a headache. Have you taken your medicine?”
As soon as she mentioned medicine, Yana felt a chill run down her spine. In a guilty voice, she hurriedly said with a smile, “Yes, I have taken it. Don’t worry.”
Stefania’s tone was somber, and her eyes darkened a little. “It just so happens that I also have a bit of a headache recently. Why don’t you also give me a pill? It’ll make me feel better.”
“That won’t work!” Yana was so frightened that she blurted out.
Stefania’s gaze became deeper. “Why not?”
Yana hurriedly tried to calm down and changed her tone. “Oh, I suppose it will work, but that medicine is a newly developed drug from overseas. I have stayed abroad for a long time, so it’s fine for me to take it, but I’m worried that it may not be very suitable for you. Moreover, I’ve just finished the bottle.”
“Heh.” Stefania’s face suddenly turned cold. Then, she said in an icy voice, “Have you finished the medicine or actually lost it? Are you looking for this bottle?”
After the question, Stefania unhurriedly took out the bottle, and upon seeing it, Yana felt her gaze contract. Her face instantly changed dramatically. In fact, her expression looked as bad as if she had eaten dirt!
Stefania’s gaze was dark while she coldly laughed. “What? Isn’t it this bottle? Why do you look like you are in shock?”
Yana laughed awkwardly before saying, “Yes, this is the bottle. I must have forgotten and left it downstairs somewhere, right? Thank you, Stefania, for finding it for me.”
Then, Yana reached out for the bottle, but before she could take it, Stefania suddenly let go, and the bottle of medicine fell directly to the ground and rolled away.
At that, Yana froze. Her face changing color, she looked at Stefania, then hesitantly said, “Stefania, w what are you doing?”
Stefania looked at her coldly before she snorted angrily. “Do what? Shouldn’t I ask you this? Since your return, I have been treating you and your daughter well, but you tried to poison Greg! Yana, do we owe you something? How dare you treat a child who is only a few years old so viciously?”
Yana’s face turned white after her friend called her out. Instantly, she plunged into fight-or-flight mode and hurriedly denied, “No, I didn’t harm Greg. What are you talking about? Is there some misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding?” Stefania was in a rage, thereafter throwing a piece of paper at Yana before exposing her ruthlessly.
“Nicholas has found out that the medicine you take is the medicine that poisoned Greg! In addition, you were caught on the villa’s surveillance cameras too. Yana, do you dare to deny it all?”
Yana was in a state of confusion. She thought she had done everything right, so she never thought she would be exposed. In a hurry, she shook her head and strongly denied it.
“No, Stefania! Listen to me! That was not what happened!”
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“I didn’t mean to harm Greg. I just didn’t like Tessa, so I wanted to get rid of her, and that’s why I came up with this scheme. Stefania, you should know me well. I don’t have that kind of bad intention toward your family. I originally thought that.”
Slap!
While Yana was still trying to deny it, Stefania did not have the patience to listen any longer and directly slapped her across the face. Anger churned in her heart as she instantly screamed in a fury, “That’s enough! I don’t want to listen to your explanation anymore! For the sake of our past friendship and the fact that Greg is fine, Yana, I won’t deal with you this time. But! From now on, the friendship between our families is severed once and for all! Now, get the hell out of here!”
Yana was so frightened that she hurriedly grabbed Stefania’s hand and kept begging for mercy. “Stefania, I beg you. Will you give me another chance? I’m begging you! We have been friends for so many years; how can our friendship be broken like that?”
Stefania coldly flung off Yana’s hand in disgust. “Yana, since you know that we have been friends for so many years, how dare you harm my grandson? I was crazy to be friends with you! Get out!”
“No, no, I really didn’t mean to do it. Stefania, please forgive me!” Yana continued to beg without giving up, almost falling to her knees. At that moment, just as the two were tussling with each other, Roselle entered the door. Once she saw Stefania, she greeted the latter with a smile, “Mrs. Sawyer, you’re back.”
Stefania’s cold eyes glared straight at her. Only then did Roselle find something wrong. Her face changed, and she hurriedly asked, “Mom, Mrs. Sawyer, you… What’s wrong?”
Stefania didn’t bother beating around the bush and asked furiously instead, “Roselle, let me ask you this! Did you also play a part in drugging Greg?”
Roselle was shocked, and her eyes were like a frightened deer. In a panicked and innocent voice, she said, “Mrs. Sawyer, what are you talking about? I drugged Greg? How is that possible?”
Stefania narrowed her eyes, staring at Roselle. “You really don’t know? Your mother drugged Greg. Do you really not know anything about it?”
“What?” Roselle immediately stared at Yana with wide eyes and looked at her in disbelief. “Mom, you… How could you do such a thing?”
Her acting skill would probably get her an Oscar because she appeared not to know what was going on. In a sad and angry voice, she said, “Mom, Greg is such a small child. How could you harm Greg like this?”
Yana immediately cried out, “Roselle, I didn’t mean to do it! I was blinded by stupidity! I know you’re interested in Nicholas, so when I saw Tessa, I thought she had bad intentions and wanted to seduce Nicholas, so I thought of using some methods to drive her away.”
“Drive this pair of ungrateful mother and daughter out!”
Soon, Stefania came back to reality from her memories. She let out a deep breath, barely suppressing the remaining frustration in her heart, then turned her head to look at Tessa and said with a friendly smile, “Miss Reinhart.”
Tessa nodded politely. “Mrs. Sawyer.”
Stefania’s smile was very relaxed. “Miss Reinhart, have a seat.”
Tessa nodded silently, then moved over to sit down. She was not very restrained, nor was she
enthusiastic. She only maintained the appropriate civility. Stefania liked to drink tea, so at this time, she served Tessa a cup of it. “Miss Reinhart, this tea is not bad. Try it.”
Tessa accepted it flatly. “Thank you.”
After that, she gently picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. As the tea just entered the mouth, its taste was slightly astringent, but it had a long aftertaste. However, that was all she felt, and after drinking it, she put down the cup in her hands and said in a slightly embarrassed way, “I’m an ordinary woman, and I don’t know how to taste tea. All tea tastes the same to me.”
Hearing this, Stefania slightly smiled. Then, in a gentler voice, she said, “Miss Reinhart, you’re candid.”
At this moment, she paused, her gaze becoming apologetic. “Well, Miss Reinhart, I think I should apologize to you for wronging you before.”
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“Apologize?” Tessa was slightly puzzled.
Stefania nodded, “At that time, I was too worried about Greg, so that’s why I blamed you, an outsider, without any evidence. Now that I think about it, it was really unfair to you. But how could I expect that the one who drugged Greg was actually one of our own?!”
With a deep sigh, Stefania’s tone was full of remorse. She had been treating Yana as her best friend for many years, but that person had been scheming against her most precious grandson. She hated herself for not seeing through it and almost harming the little boy!
Tessa, who still did not know everything, could not help but frown in confusion on hearing that. “One of your own?”
“Miss Pretty Lady, it was Mrs. Gingham who harmed me.” Halfway through the conversation, Greg suddenly spoke. The little boy came in with a Rubik’s cube in his hands, after which he moved toward Tessa and widened his dark eyes before interjecting, “The one whom we went together to the airport to pick up.”
Went to the airport to pick up? Aren’t they Roselle and Yana?
Tessa frowned and looked at Stefania. “Why her? Aren’t you and Mrs. Gingham friends? How could she?..”
However, Stefania did not explain. She held back the answer in her heart, thinking that she couldn’t tell Tessa that the reason Yana did this was to get rid of Tessa. Thus, she simply said, “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this. Anyway, this matter has been solved, and the misunderstanding has also been explained clearly. Miss Reinhart, I should’ve right the wrong earlier. I’m really sorry.”
Tessa’s face sank slightly; in fact, there was indeed a thorn in her heart. But if she thought about it from Stefania’s standpoint, at that time, the older woman was worried about Gregory, so it was reasonable for her to suspect an outsider indiscriminately.
Thinking of this, Tessa relaxed and simply said, “It’s fine. It’s all over. Mrs. Sawyer, I also know that you only suspected me because you were worried about Greg. If I were you, I might have thought the same way at that time too. So, it’s okay.”
When she said this, she sounded nonchalant. Stefania, on the contrary, was startled, seemingly not expecting that this matter was actually so easily shrugged off by Tessa. If it were someone else, they might already be asking for some compensation, but Tessa was considerate. At that moment, she had a change of heart toward Tessa. It seems that, indeed, I had thought wrong of this girl before.
Afterward, the two had no words to say to each other, and Tessa sat stiffly for a while. Feeling slightly awkward, she said, “Mrs. Sawyer, I have promised Greg to continue teaching him the violin. If it’s alright with you, then I will start the lesson now.”
Stefania nodded in agreement, so Tessa immediately got up and took Greg’s hand, and the two of them went to the study together. After one lesson, it was already lunchtime. When Tessa came out holding Greg, she found that Nicholas had actually come back. At this moment, he was sitting downstairs on the sofa, talking with Stefania.
“It’s rare to see you back at this hour.” Stefania made a nonchalant comment after seeing him.
Nicholas’ eyes carelessly swept a glance at Tessa and responded, “I left some documents at home, so I came back to get them and accompany Greg for lunch as well.”
Although he said this, he had heard that his mother had come to the house and was worried that Tessa would be given a hard time, so he rushed back home. When Stefania heard this, she did not suspect anything and only nodded before turning to the little boy. “Greg, it’s almost time to eat. Go
wash your hands.”
Next, she landed her gaze on Tessa, and she added kindly, “Miss Reinhart too. Do get ready to eat.”
Tessa hesitated but nodded at last. After that, she took Greg away to wash his hands.
At the dining table, the little boy naturally wanted to sit together with Tessa as if he was reluctant to be far away from her. During the meal, Stefania also passed her dishes from time to time. “Miss Reinhart, have some more.”
“Thank you,” Tessa nodded and answered, then she ate quietly, trying not to make a sound.
Stefania inspected Tessa but found that Tessa was not as vulgar as she thought. At least, this girl’s behavior and demeanor were very decent and elegant, and there seemed to be no bad habits about her that Stefania could nitpick.
However, halfway through the meal, it was suddenly interrupted. Andrew suddenly hurried in to report, “Mrs. Sawyer, Master Nicholas, Miss Gingham is here.”
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As Stefania listened, her face turned cold and serious, and disdain was evident in her eyes. Nicholas’s eyebrows knitted together, betraying the displeasure he felt.
Gregory also pouted his tiny lips, obviously upset. Nicholas was silent for a while, then nodded at the butler. “Let her in.”
The butler nodded in response, and soon Roselle was sashaying through the door. To her surprise, the sight that greeted her was Tessa, Nicholas, and Greg sitting at the dining table, halfway through their meal.
The harmonious atmosphere was very similar to a family reunion…
There was a shadow across the look in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She took two steps forward and greeted them politely in her gentlest voice, “Good day, Mrs. Sawyer. Hi, Nicholas.”
Stefania glared at Roselle, her voice cold. “And what business do you have here?”
Roselle looked haggard as she said in a soft voice, “I’m here to apologize. Ever since I left the main house yesterday, I haven’t slept a wink. I keep feeling guilty when I think about Greg. I know that my mother did all that for my own good, but I can’t get over it no matter what. So, I decided to come and apologize to Nicholas and Greg. Of course, I know that no matter how much I apologized, I would never be able to make up for Greg’s pain, but I still want your forgiveness! Today, right here, I’m kneeling in apology for my mother’s sake as well. Please forgive us!”
With that, Roselle bent her knees and knelt on the floor. Tears began to flow out of her eyes, and she sobbed ever so softly, looking so pitiful and touching the hearts of those who laid eyes on her.
Seeing that, Tessa remained silent, but she had to admit that Roselle honestly had a way with words. Roselle didn’t have to say much to subtly push the blame on her mother, hence presenting herself as innocent.
She also came meekly to apologize in her mother’s stead, and her helpless tears won compassion for her, adding to her constructed image of a thoughtful daughter. Those who understood would know how Roselle’s mind worked. Those who did not, however, would be completely deceived.
Nevertheless, this had nothing to do with Tessa, so she could care less. She just placed more food on Gregory’s plate, then silently ate her own food, pretending not to know anything.
Nicholas’s face was icy cold as he remained silent as well. He lowered his head and ate in silence, then quietly said to Gregory, “Eat up.”
In fact, he refused to spare Roselle even a glance.
The man’s unfazed attitude shocked Roselle so much that she paled. She had come here today to get Nicholas’s understanding and attention by showing how tragic she had been. However, the man didn’t even seem to hear her, so she felt very defeated.
Roselle was a little regretful now. She should’ve known how incompetent her mother was, and she shouldn’t have used such a terrible tactic which benefited no one.
She only had herself to blame, for she was too anxious to chase Tessa away.
But now, Tessa was eating at the table, enjoying the Sawyer Family’s warm welcome. Roselle herself, however, had to be on her knees in humiliation!
The contrast between the two women was so strong that Roselle felt extreme discomfort.
Her chest was filled with rage and indigence, and her watery eyes were tinted with a vicious gleam.
On the other hand, as Stefania looked at Roselle kneeling on the floor pitifully, her heart softened a little.
In the end, she sighed quietly and said, “Get up now, Roselle. Even kneeling won’t erase the fact that your mother had caused harm to Greg. However, since you weren’t in the know, I won’t blame you for this.”
“Really?”
Hearing that, Roselle was instantly delighted as she got up from the floor and thanked her hurriedly, exclaiming, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Sawyer!”
With that, she bit her red lip and looked nervously at Nicholas. “Nicholas,”
Nicholas didn’t even raise an eyebrow as he interrupted her in his bitter voice. “Your mother has harmed Greg, so even if you came to apologize, I would never forgive you. However, you mustn’t forget one thing. Remember how you pushed the blame on Miss Reinhart despite your conscience? Now, apologize to her. She’s the truly innocent one.”
Hearing that, Roselle was instantly dumbfounded.
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When Roselle looked at Tessa, she felt an insidious rage inside her. Thus, she clenched her fists so tightly that her sharp nails dug into her skin. She had never thought that Nicholas would ask her to apologize to such a wretched woman!
However, she had an image to save, so she still suppressed her disdain as she said apologetically, “Yes, you’re right.”
She took a deep breath to hold down her dissatisfaction, then turned and bowed toward Tessa, saying in a meek voice, “Miss Reinhart, I’m really sorry. My mother had slandered you without thinking, and I’m very sorry for that!”
Tessa gave her a calm look, her attitude cold. “Don’t say that. I’m a normal person of normal background, so I cannot accept your apology.”
In the hospital that day, Yana had mocked Tessa and said that she was a lowly common folk. Now, Tessa had retorted with the very same words.
Instantly, Roselle went pale in the face.
This woman really doesn’t know her place!
Still, she hid those thoughts behind her regretful tone. “I’m sorry, Miss Reinhart. I know you’re not happy about it, but I am truly apologizing to everyone earnestly. I really hope you can forgive my mother for her mistakes!”
Tessa remained unmoved. “Save your apology.”
Tessa wasn’t a saint, and she also knew that this woman might be apologizing on the outside, but on the inside, she still looked down on her.
So, she refused to be nice as she said casually, “After all, President Sawyer had cleared my name for me. I didn’t do it, so I have nothing to hide. As for you, I hope that you and your mother will never hurt Greg again. He’s just an innocent child.”
“Understood.” Hearing the reproach, Roselle hastily smiled in apology. “But of course, I will never hurt Greg. I even wish I was his mother.”
Unexpectedly, after Roselle had finished talking, Gregory immediately retorted, “Ew! You’re not my mommy!”
The harsh truth slapped her face so hard she looked awful.
Nicholas could see that the boy didn’t like Roselle at all, so he said, “Since you’ve said your apology, you can go back now.”
The request for her to return was so unanticipated it stunned her. She had wanted to grab the opportunity to stay here after apologizing, but Nicholas had chased her out without any regard for her.
In a situation like that, she couldn’t insist on staying even if she was reluctant. She could only lower her gaze in disappointment as she said quietly, “All right, then. I’m leaving now. See you next time…”
With that, she turned around and went out.
Then, there was an awkward atmosphere surrounding the people in the dining room.
After a brief sigh, Stefania was the first to speak up. “Actually, Roselle is a good girl. She’s gentle and understanding, and she’s also a dutiful daughter. It’s too bad that she has a mother like Yana. It must be hard for her.” .
Hearing that, Tessa remained emotionless, for she had no opinions or comments about Roselle’s character.
There was, however, a certain chill in Nicholas’ eyes. He never believed that Roselle was an innocent bystander.
Roselle was always with her mother, so the older lady couldn’t have done this of her own accord. Moreover, Roselle didn’t look like she was as nice as she had portrayed herself to be.
Nicholas just didn’t want to reveal the truth. His mother was already furious about this incident, so he didn’t want to add to her troubles.
Later in the day, after lunch, Nicholas got ready to go to the company, and he would give Stefania a ride as well.
After the two had left, Tessa finally heaved a long sigh of relief.
With Mrs. Sawyer around, Tessa felt uneasy no matter where she went, and she had to restrain herself from getting too intimate with Gregory.
Now that Mrs. Sawyer was gone, Tessa and Gregory could finally relax.
Meanwhile, after taking her leave, Roselle felt regret and anger, and also a brief panic. She had returned this time with an aim to win Nicholas over, but now everything was ruined.
No!
Roselle shook her head furiously, a determined expression on her face.
I must think of a way to convince Nicholas to believe me! There’s also that Tessa… I’ll completely get rid of that woman, eventually!
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In the afternoon, Tessa gave Gregory lessons as usual. She stopped teaching after two periods and allowed the child some time to digest the lesson on his own.
Music wasn’t something one could learn overnight, and one would need a stable foundation to flourish in the future. The two came out of the study, one after the other, and moved to the hall for a break.
Meanwhile, Andrew served up some delicious desserts. Gregory ate two pieces, then fed Tessa another two. The atmosphere between them was warm and friendly.
After that, the boy fetched his drawing tools and began to draw at the coffee tabte. Tessa wanted to join him, but her phone rang at that moment.
“Hello, is this Miss Reinhart?”
As soon as she picked up, she heard a humble and courteous voice.
“And you are?” Tessa frowned.
“Hello, Miss Reinhart. I am Patrick Kramer, a lawyer from Reinhart Group. I have contacted you today to schedule a meeting with you so that we can discuss some things. I’m wondering if you’d have the time-”
“I don’t. I have nothing to discuss with you.” Tessa interrupted the other coldly, then hung up straight away.
A lawyer from Reinhart Group?Pst!
She didn’t even have to think to know the reason this person contacted her. What else would he talk about other than the stupid issues concerning the Reinhart Family?
Do I look like I’m interested in those foolish issues?
Meanwhile, in the lawyer’s office in Reinhart Group sat an exasperated-looking Partick. He didn’t expect the call to end so quickly and looked at Sophia beside him, sighing. “Miss Sophia, she hung up.”
“What?” Sophia instantly gritted her teeth in anger.
She was filled with rage, which she barely had anywhere to vent. She cursed in a low voice, “That wretched Tessa! She really wants to destroy my parents! What an ingrate!”
This morning, after Silas and Lauren were arrested, Sophia had come to the company to get help.
When Patrick knew of the situation, he immediately rushed to the police station and attempted to bail Silas out. However, the police refused the bail.
He hurriedly gathered more information on the case. When he understood how it all happened, he suggested that Sophia and Tessa should talk it out with each other; hence, the previous call.
However, Patrick hadn’t expected Tessa to hang up, with no regard for them! Despite being a tough case, he still analyzed the situation professionally. “Miss Sophia, the main fault lies with Mr. Reinhart, so he has to take responsibility as well. This incident isn’t as serious as we thought. As long as we can convince Miss Reinhart and her brother to drop the charges, we can work out the rest.”
Sophia was enraged as she said in dissatisfaction, “Are you suggesting reconciliation? Look at her attitude! We can’t even talk properly; how am I supposed to reconcile with her?”
Patrick also found it difficult, but he advised her patiently, explaining, “Maybe we can try another way to convince them.”.
Hearing that, Sophia frowned as she looked at Patrick. “What way?”
Patrick replied, “I suggest you give them something nice. It can be money or something else, just something they’d be satisfied with. Maybe then they will be willing to let Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart go.”
At that, Sophia glared at him furiously and shouted, “You must be kidding! Those two harmed my parents, but I still have to give them something nice? Nonsense!”
Patrick remained patient. “Miss Sophia, you can’t think like that! News of Mr. Reinhart getting arrested is still suppressed; word hasn’t gotten out yet. In the meantime, we have to grab this opportunity to get them out. If not, when people know about it, Reinhart’s already precarious situation will only worsen, maybe even to the point of no return! Please consider the situation!”
As Sophia listened, she was so pissed that she could explode at any moment.
Of course I won’t consider it!That wretched Tessa put my parents in jail, so why should I bow my head to her, much less give her benefits just to save our skin?She can keep dreaming!
I will never, in a million years, give in to Tessa!
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Besides Sophia, Patrick could guess what she was thinking. As he watched her grit her teeth with hatred, he knew she wouldn’t be going down that route.
So, he could only suggest an alternative. “Miss Sophia, if you’re really unwilling to do it, then we can find another way. Well, why don’t you try talking to Sawyer Group and ask them to let Mr. Reinhart off the hook? After all, Sawyer Group is the one behind all this. If they do the talking, the police won’t be so stubborn. It’s useless for us to brainstorm because none of us has the power to affect the Sawyer Group!”
Hearing that, Sophia had her expression turned even darker, and the hatred in her heart only burned fiercer. If she could get in touch with Sawyer Group, she wouldn’t have to ask Tessa in the first place!
Also, the Little Prince of the Sawyer Family is now obsessed with Tessa! Even if she went there, she would only be shown the door!
Sophia thought long and hard about it. In the end, she realized that this whole incident could only be resolved through Tessa.
However, if she begged Tessa, her pride would be mercilessly stepped on by that wretch.
No!I refuse! will never compromise with that wretched Tessa!
Sophia’s expression kept shifting, her mind desperately thinking of ways to get out of this pickle.
Suddenly, a wizened face occurred to her…
Right, Grandma! I can ask Grandma to come back!
When Tessa and her family were chased away, Grandma had a part in it! Now that my parents are in jail, she will do something about it!Then, Tessa and her brother will get what they deserve!
As Sophia thought of the idea, her sour expression turned into joy.
She looked up at Patrick and said, “I have an idea. I’ll ask my grandmother to come over, and then she’ll order those siblings to let my parents go. I don’t believe they’d rebel against her!”
With that, she took out her phone and called Amber Reinhart.
Behind her, Patrick watched as she dialed. Oh, girl! I think this is a horrible decision!.
Patrick had met Amber before. She was an unreasonable woman whose irrationality only worsened with her age, and she was likely on par with Lauren in terms of foolishness.
If Amber got involved in this, Tessa and her brother might become more stubborn and vicious instead!
Patrick had worked as a lawyer in Reinhart for more than ten years. He had a clear picture of all the terrible things Silas did in secret.
Now, with Silas getting into this situation, he more or less deserved it. He had treated the siblings poorly all this while. He never compensated them, but instead, he had done many things to inflict harm on those two.
The whole family had even teamed up to oppress them.
Honestly, Patrick had had enough of their behaviors, so he shook his head with a sigh. He could only watch as Sophia exaggerated Tessa’s and her brother’s faults over the phone.
Around five minutes later, the call finally ended.
There was obvious shrewdness and glee in Sophia’s eyes. “Done! Grandma has agreed to come tomorrow. Mr. Kramer, you can go back now and leave things to me.”
Patrick nodded, albeit hesitating a little. “Then… how do you plan to explain the disappearance of Mr. Reinhart to the company?”
Sophia thought for a while before answering. “Simple. I’ll just tell them that Dad is feeling unwell. It’ll be a temporary facade, and everything will be solved when Dad gets out.”
Patrick nodded in understanding, after which he quickly turned to leave.
At Dynasty Gardens, Tessa was drawing with Gregory after a violin lesson. The two leaned against the coffee table, the boy’s little legs swinging happily. He looked very adorable indeed.
“I’m done!”
Gregory completed his masterpiece and shyly passed it to Tessa.
Tessa took the picture and gave it a look. She beamed, as if in delighted surprise.
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Wow, this kid is talented in art as well!
Even though the picture was a little abstract in nature, it wasn’t unorganized. There was something he wanted to express in his artwork.
The corners of Tessa’s mouth turned up into a grin. “You draw very well. Sweetheart, you could be an artist.”
Hearing her praise, Gregory immediately blushed, his face turning red like an apple. He was getting even cuter by the minute.
Tessa couldn’t help but scoot over and kiss Gregory on the cheek. The boy’s face turned even redder, but in the next moment, he also moved closer and kissed Tessa’s cheek in return.
His innocent eyes were filled with delight. “I love you so much! You’re my favorite person.”
Hearing his childlike voice, Tessa felt as if her heart was filled with honey.
He’s just too sweet!
As the two chatted away, footsteps sounded outside the door. Tessa turned around and caught sight of Nicholas right away. It was already evening, the time when people usually got off work.
Nicholas wore a black shirt, and his coat draped casually over his shoulder. His slender figure stood upright with a certain pride emanating from him. He seemed to have walked out of a picture, blindingly charming and handsome.
As Tessa laid her eyes on this man, she couldn’t help but marvel at him. God really did put in effort when creating him!
It was as if everything beautiful in this world could be found in Nicholas. No matter where he went, his surroundings would simply pale in comparison.
She was stunned for a while, then she averted her gaze and got up from the floor, greeting, “You’re back! I leave Greg to you, then. I’ll be leaving now.”
With that, she was about to take a step when the little child behind her tugged at the hem of her clothes.
She turned around to see the boy’s large watery eyes filled with reluctance. “Won’t you stay for dinner first?”
Tessa’s gaze was gentle as she smiled and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t think I can. I should go back.”
Nicholas casually tossed his coat on the couch, his black pupils trained on her. “You’re going home?”
Tessa nodded. “Yes.”
Nicholas’s voice sounded cold, but there was also a hint of good intention as he said, “I think you’d better not go home right now. Your father and stepmother may be arrested right now, but you mustn’t
forget that your stepsister is still running free. The police called today and told me that Reinhart’s lawyer is trying to bail them out. I think you understand that the man being imprisoned is your father, Even if you’ve cut ties with him, you’re still related to him by blood. There isn’t enough reason for you to get them convicted, so your step-sister might attack a breach in you or your brother. In the worst-case scenario, a second kidnapping might happen, so you have to consider this.”
Hearing that, Tessa hesitated for a moment. However, she really had nowhere else to go at the moment. After thinking it over, she could only say, “It’s okay. If worse comes to worst, I’ll stay with a
neighbor for the time being.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Gregory tugged at her clothes again, saying, “What if you stay here instead? Please? We still have many rooms here. I dont want you to leave…”
Tessa frowned slightly. “But… I’m afraid that’s not appropriate.”
The last time she stayed over, it was because of the rain. This time, she couldn’t give herself a good enough reason to stay,
Gregory was stubborn, however, and he frowned as he insisted on her stay, “Why? You’ve stayed here before.”
Then, he turned to look at Nicholas, his voice softening. “Daddy, let her stay, pretty please?”
Always Been Yours Chapter 89
Nicholas lowered his thoughtful gaze, looking at Gregory’s expectant expression, then Tessa. He nodded and said, “We do have a lot of empty rooms, and it won’t affect much if you stay for the night. You can accompany Greg while you’re at it, too. Sometimes I get busy and overlook his needs, so maybe you can stay and chat with him.”
Tessa hesitated for a while, turning her gaze toward Gregory. The boy’s watery eyes were filled with expectation, and one could hardly bear to refuse him.
She could only sigh helplessly. “All right, then. Thank you very much, President Sawyer.”
Instantly, Gregory was overjoyed by her reply.
Later in the day, the three gathered for dinner. Perhaps because of Tessa’s presence, Gregory had an exceptionally good appetite.
He shouldn’t overeat, regardless. The doctor had told them to take care of his digestive system. Nicholas saw the joy in Gregory’s face, and the coldness in his eyes eased off considerably.
As for Tessa… Nicholas’s eyes turned dark, for he had other reasons for letting her stay, aside from taking care of his son.
Last time, he had to stop halfway through his investigation of her identity, and so many things had
gotten in the way after that, so he couldn’t find a good opportunity to continue.
Now that he had allowed Tessa to stay, he naturally wanted to see if he could have another chance to confirm who she was.
They were soon done with dinner, and Nicholas went to the study to work. Tessa, on the other hand, accompanied Gregory as he played the piano.
The boy seemed to enjoy playing the piano very much, a sweet smile ever-present on his face.
Meanwhile, the butler stood on the sidelines and watched him for a long while. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “I’ve never seen Young Master Gregory so happy before. Miss Reinhart, you’ve really brought him joy!”
Tessa shyly smiled and said, “You flatter me, Andrew. In reality, Greg is the one who brought me joy.”
After that, she helped Gregory bathe again, then told him bedtime stories as she tucked him in. When he had fallen asleep, she went to the guest room next door to rest.
However, it was still early for Tessa. She couldn’t sleep even when she lay on the bed, so she sat in front of the French windows and watched the lights outside.
The entire Dynasty Gardens was as magnificent as a castle with its glowing lights, and the swimming pool in the backyard reflected the lights beautifully.
So many things had happened lately, and she was especially annoyed with those involving the Reinhart Family. For some reason, she began to entertain the idea of getting into the water to calm herself down.
With that in mind, she turned and walked down the stairs, where she found the butler. “Andrew, can I take a dip in the swimming pool?”
Andrew hesitated for a while. Only Master Nicholas and Young Master Gregory had used the swimming pool before…
Still, seeing how much Young Master Gregory likes Miss Reinhart, he will agree to it, won’t he?
With that in mind, Andrew nodded lightly at Tessa. “Of course. Feel free to do so, Miss Reinhart. I’ll inform the staff and make sure no one else is in the area.”
Tessa smiled as she gave him a nod. “Thank you so much.”
After that, she walked to the swimming pool outside. She proceeded to take off her coat and tossed it on the ground, revealing her slender waist and limbs.
She was slightly underweight, but she had grown in all the right places. No undesired fat existed anywhere on her body.
She wore white suspenders, and she began to do some warmups on land.
Then, she splashed into the water. It was right in the middle of summer, but the water was quite cool, so she gained relief from the heat as soon as she got into the water.
She swam a few laps, agile like a fish. She would disappear under the surface of the water, then resurface for a change of air.
The dark fog in her heart seemed to have dissipated considerably.
Meanwhile, Nicholas had busied himself the whole night in the study, and when he finally completed the work on hand, fatigue was apparent on his face.
He raised his slender fingers to rub his temples, then got up and went out of the study. The first thing he did was to check on Gregory.
The child had his eyes closed, fast asleep. His soft face was tinted with adorable peace.
Nicholas leaned in and planted a kiss on the boy’s forehead, after which he tucked in the blanket before leaving the room.
As he passed by Tessa’s room, he saw the door tightly shut, so he thought she was asleep. Hence, he didn’t linger for long before going down the stairs to fetch himself a glass of water.
While he was finishing the glass of water, he suddenly heard water splashing outside.
A frown crept onto his face as he curiously walked over to the French windows for a look. Just then, he caught sight of Tessa emerging from the water…
Always Been Yours Chapter 90
Under the lights, an alluring and slender figure emerged from the water. Her hair resembled seaweed as it spread out behind her, while her exquisite figure was like a mermaid’s, charming anyone who laid eyes on her.
Coincidentally, Tessa had her back to Nicholas, so the butterfly tattoo entered Nicholas’s line of sight once again.
Nicholas’s pupils were constricted. The bright red color was eye-catching, so red that he thought it would bleed at any moment.
He couldn’t see the tattoo clearly due to the distance between them, but this fact only likened the tattoo to the one from that night in his memory, overlapping his blurry perception of that woman’s tattoo.
Nicholas could feel his heart race all of a sudden. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the glass, the look in his eyes darkening so much that no light remained.
Tessa, however, hadn’t realized that someone was staring at her from behind the French windows. She reached up and wiped the water off her face, which looked alluring under the magnificent lighting of her surroundings.
She felt nothing but pleasure as she bobbed in the water for some time. She took a deep breath, then slid under the surface of the water once again…
Nicholas stood where he was, stunned. He fought hard to suppress the sudden urge he had to tear her clothes off.
After Tessa disappeared from his sight, he hadn’t seen her appear above the water again.
Instantly, a deep frown formed on Nicholas’s face.
Where is that woman?Don’t tell me… she drowned?
Nicholas’s expression remained unchanged as he hastily put down the glass and strode across the hall to get outside. He soon arrived at the side of the pool and peered into the water.
The ripples in the swimming pool were disappearing, yet there was no sight of the woman. Worry flashed across his face as he called, “Tessa, can you hear me? Tessa?”
Meanwhile, Tessa was at the bottom of the pool, water rumbling in her ears. This was why she couldn’t hear Nicholas’s voice. She had dived underwater to try and see how long she could hold her breath underwater
In the past, her best record was two minutes, so she wanted to see if she could break her record now. However, at that moment, Nicholas jumped right into the water!
He dived to the bottom, his eyes searching frantically for Tessa’s figure. A few seconds later, he saw Tessa at the bottom of the pool, motionless. He immediately swam toward her as fast as he could.
At the same time, Tessa had been holding her breath for a while, and she was reaching her limit. She opened her eyes and was about to swim up for air when she felt someone hugging her body!
Shocked, she subconsciously opened her mouth to scream, but water immediately rushed into her lungs from her open mouth.
Air bubbles streamed through the water as Tessa choked, her limbs flailing due to panic. Nicholas was furious.
Does this woman want to drown herself? Is she so sick of living now?Even if she wants to die, she shouldn’t die here, of all places!
Exasperated, he held Tessa tightly as he swam forcefully upward. Tessa, however, was so shocked that she didn’t recognize who the person was. Hence, her hands fought to push Nicholas away.
After some struggling, the two still hadn’t broken the surface, and Nicholas had sunk a little instead. Tessa’s throat was filled with water, which also invaded her nose and mouth, suffocating her.
Nicholas already thought Tessa was drowning, so now that he saw her struggling in pain, he only grew more anxious.
If this goes on, she’ll die!
His expression sank a little. He didn’t bother thinking twice before pulling Tessa into his arms and pressing his lips against hers.
As their lips touched, Tessa was stunned and stopped her struggle. Her hands were placed against the man’s chest as she allowed him to transfer breaths of air into her mouth.
The two were thus entangled in a kiss underwater. Tessa’s long hair spread out around her, and she was completely dumbfounded.
The perfect and flawless face in front of her belonged to none other than Nicholas!