Ch. 1091..1100

Chapter 1091 Better Prospects

Timothy agreed readily and said, “The new company is near Nicholas’ building. I’ll give you a tour sometime.”

Next to him, Nicholas had an indulgent look on his face as he listened to Timothy and Tessa’s conversation, occasionally interjecting with his own views.

As the evening went on, however, Nicholas and Timothy were actively discussing work while Tessa listened quietly. She could neither make heads nor tails of what they were saying, so she eventually excused herself and went into the kitchen.

She didn’t know the basics of a start-up venture, but having seen how hard Timothy had worked to run his business in the country, she was sure that some hearty stew was just what those two men needed.

That night, the three sat in the living room, each with a bowl of stew, while they chatted about life.

At that moment, Nicholas seemed to remember something and glanced at Timothy’s legs. He asked in concern, “How are your legs doing? Have you gotten your regular check-ups while you were in Vienna?”

Without thinking, Timothy replied, “I nearly forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder.”

He had only just said this when he felt Tessa’s icy glare upon him. He shuddered and gave her a sheepish smile, then said, “I haven’t been to my check-ups, but I know my legs are doing better. I don’t limp as much as I used to.”

Tessa scoffed at his guilty expression and berated him, “You could be sprinting for all I care, but you still have to go for your check-ups regularly. Did you forget what the doctor said? Discipline is key!”

Lowering his head, Timothy muttered apologetically, “I promise I’ll swing by the hospital the moment I get back.”

“That’s more like it. Make sure you follow through on that promise or I’ll have Nicholas drag you to the doctor’s,” Tessa warned.

Nicholas nodded upon hearing this and chimed in, “I’ll have Edward make regular appointments for you. I assure you that you won’t miss them, seeing as I’ll have people bring you to the hospital without fail.”

Timothy looked at him in mute despair. Dude, I know you love your wife, but you’re hurting me at this point. Nevertheless, his heart warmed at how considerate Nicholas was, though he was still a little shy to accept such a favor.

“Tessa, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not a kid anymore. Besides, you have to take better care of yourself now that you’re carrying my niece!” Timothy said after the heartwarming moment had passed.

Tessa glared at him. “I wouldn’t have to worry about you if you knew how to take care of yourself.”

He could sense a lecture coming, and he quickly changed the subject. “Oh, that reminds me, Tessa. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head to the side as she gave her brother a curious look.

He told her what he had been thinking about for the last few weeks. “I plan on furthering my studies in Yvetlava after the company branch is fully operating.”

Frankly speaking, a student of Timothy’s caliber ought to have furthered his studies a long time ago. Still, he was always held back by all the events happening in the country. He even ended up missing his graduation ceremony.

Thankfully, his stellar academic performance and his eligibility for college sponsorship gave him leeway in applying for schools abroad.

That said, a handful of foreign universities had contacted him these days, and it was time for him to decide.

Tessa did not know about any of this, so she was somewhat taken aback by the announcement. However, she was completely on board with Timothy’s plan to further his studies. “I think that’s brilliant,” she began heartily. “I’ve always wanted you to further your studies, but you keep holding it off, and I figured it was because of me… Toward the end, I gave up trying to persuade you. I’m really happy that you’ve thought things through and decided to take this first step.”

She also meant it and wasted no time asking him about his arrangements. “So, what do you plan to do about the company? Have you told Henry about this? What does he think?”

“I’ve told him, and he’s supportive of me. As for the company, I’ll leave him in charge of it and assist him from afar,” Timothy explained, then went on to elaborate on how he and Henry would manage the company’s operations.

Tessa gave a satisfied nod when she heard their well-thought-out plans. “I’m glad that you guys have discussed this in detail.”

Nicholas, on the other hand, waited until the siblings had stopped talking before speaking up, “I think it’s commendable of you to set aside your advantages to chase after improvement, but that won’t be enough. You’re going to need more than stunning academics to excel, Timothy. You’ll need to look into how you can refine your practical skills. I’m sure the facilities and education abroad would offer you better prospects in that area than local ones.”

Chapter 1092 I Will Protect Mommy

Timothy was interested and immediately asked Nicholas for advice, who did not shy away from telling him about many of his cases when he studied abroad. Tessa watched the two chatting happily; she did not bother them and silently prepared fruit again.

By the time the two finished their conversation, it was already very late.

When Nicholas saw that she was dozing off beside him, he felt incredibly amused. “Your sister is sleepy. You can ask me again later if you still don’t understand anything.”

After he stopped talking, he carried her back to the room to rest.

The next day, Gregory wanted his photos, so he cajoled Tessa to get the photos early in the morning. However, Nicholas had an important meeting, so he couldn’t leave and accompany them. As for Timothy, he was also busy with work.

When Gregory knew about this, he said in a manly manner, “Daddy, Uncle Timothy, don’t worry. I will protect Mommy the entire journey.”

She was amused by the serious look of the little boy, but her heart felt very sweet.

The process of collecting the photos was very smooth. In less than an hour, Tessa came back with Gregory. As soon as he entered the living room, the little boy excitedly brought out the photos as if he were offering a treasure for everyone to view.

“Daddy, Uncle Timothy, look at the pictures of me and Mommy! They’re so pretty.”

Hearing this, Nicholas and Timothy stopped working to check out the photos. These photos were clearly more beautiful than they appeared in the camera, especially the group shot, which made everyone feel warm inside by looking at them.

Nicholas put his arms around Tessa and asked, “Do you have any idea what to do with these photos?”

“I want to bring a few back and hang the rest here.” She brought up an idea she had thought of earlier.

He was naturally supportive. After Gregory heard it, he raised his hand and said excitedly, “Mommy, I’ll help you hang the photos together.”

In this way, Gregory and Tessa got busy in the villa. With the photos hung up, there was an air of warmth in the villa.

Soon came the day for them to go back. Nicholas brought his family back to Vienna. After lunch, Tessa was a little tired, so she returned to her room for a nap.

When she woke up again, it was already afternoon. After going downstairs, she saw Timothy looking like he was going to go out, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you going out?”

“I’m going to the new company,” he responded as he put on his shoes.

Then, he seemed to think of something, so he looked up at her and said, with a smile, “Tessa, would you like to go to the new company with me?”

Tessa agreed because she had nothing to do at home. The new company was in a free-standing building on a commercial street in a prime location in Vienna, so it was very classy. As it was just established, there were not many employees in the company, and a majority of them were old employees transferred from the previous place. So, when they saw Timothy bring Tessa in, they greeted her warmly.

“Miss Reinhart, long time no see.”

She also responded with a smile.

When Sabrina saw the two of them, a gleam of light flashed across her eyes, and then she stepped forward and greeted, “Mr. Reinhart, Miss Tessa, hello there.”

“Hello.” Tessa smiled and nodded, a little surprised. She didn’t expect this girl to stay by her brother’s side for so long; Sabrina seemed very capable.

Timothy didn’t know about his sister’s thoughts. Initially, he planned to bring her around the company, but something happened to the technical team.

“Miss Gulliver, bring my sister around the company, and then take her to my office.”

Then, he hurried to the technical team. Sabrina naturally agreed and brought Tessa to check out the company for a while before heading to the office together. When they entered, Sabrina pulled out a copy of Tessa’s album from somewhere and shyly handed it over. “Tessa, will you sign an autograph for me? I like the songs on your album very much. I think every song is just amazing. You are so incredible.”

Chapter 1093 Classical Music

Looking at the shy girl in front of her, Tessa was taken aback. Unexpectedly, the first fan who asked her for an autograph turned out to be this girl. At that moment, a strange feeling rose in her heart as she asked, “You like listening to classical music?”

“I’ve learned a little before, but I’m not as good as you,” Sabrina praised Tessa sweetly.

Hearing Sabrina’s words, she was a little surprised. Tessa didn’t expect the girl to have studied classical music before, so she couldn’t help asking, “How many years have you studied it?”

“I started learning at six, but my lessons were suspended later because I couldn’t juggle it with my other studies well.” Sabrina did not avoid and chose to answer what she could say. Even so, Tessa only believed a little of it. It was not until she chatted with Sabrina about music theory that she realized that the girl knew a lot. Sabrina even understood some professional matters, which was really rare. However…

Tessa half-squinted her eyes and looked at the girl in front of her again. The girl was beautiful, and her eyes were clear and candid, unlike other people who tried to butter her up when they talked to her. However, what surprised her was that the girl had always been in the most proper sitting posture when talking. At this moment, Tessa had a faint guess in her heart. This girl was probably not from an ordinary background. On the contrary, her demeanor reflected an aristocratic upbringing.

Sabrina didn’t even realize that her identity was half-revealed when she smiled and talked to Tessa.

Just as the two were engaged in further chatting, someone knocked on the door and came in. “Miss Gulliver, Mr. Reinhart asked you to come over.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.” Although Sabrina said so, she did not move from the couch. It was not that she was deliberately being lazy, but she was reluctant to leave now. Initially, she wanted to get to know Tessa because she wanted to get close to Timothy. Still, after the chat, Sabrina felt that Timothy’s sister was fantastic and genuinely liked Tessa.

At this moment, Tessa felt comfortable talking to Sabrina, so she didn’t notice anything unusual.

Soon, a tall figure appeared in the office. “Miss Gulliver, why are you still in the office?”

The two women, who were deep in their conversation, finally reacted when they heard this voice. Sabrina held her forehead with a troubled look and quickly stood up to apologize. “I’m sorry, Mr. Reinhart. I’ll go now.”

Then, Sabrina said goodbye to Tessa and rushed out of the office.

Tessa looked at her younger brother’s displeased face and knew he could not tolerate any problems at work. However, in the end, she was responsible for this problem too.

“Don’t blame Miss Gulliver. I took her to accompany me in the office for a chat.” She helped Sabrina explain the issue, so Timothy’s expression improved. Although Sabrina delayed her work, it was because she was accompanying his sister.

Then, he remembered he had something to do in a while. Since it would be boring for his sister to wait around the office alone, he asked his sister, “I’ll be working in the technical team for a while; do you want to come and check it out with me?”

She was naturally willing to do so, and soon the two came to the technical team. When the staff saw Tessa, they greeted her politely.

“You guys carry on; don’t worry about me. I’ll just take a look around,” she responded to the employees with a smile and then asked Timothy to go ahead and work. He nodded, turned around, and went to work. Compared with the hustle and bustle of others, she was leisurely. Then, she found out that Sabrina was assisting Timothy on the technical team, so she couldn’t help but observe her. Unexpectedly, this girl was different when she worked. She was resolute and purposeful.

“No wonder Timothy keeps her around despite being so strict. She is indeed a rare talent.” Tessa muttered to herself.

She stood there for a while, seeing how busy the technical team was, but she couldn’t do much, so she decided to return first.

Chapter 1094 Greg Has a Fever

However, before she left, she approached Timothy and said, “Don’t work over hours. You should head home for dinner.”

After returning home, Tessa thought of how it was a lot of hard work for her brother now that he was establishing a company branch as there were a lot of things to be busy with. Besides, Nicholas was also very tired during this time, and he also required more nutrition. At that moment, she called Sebastian over and said, “Try to make as much nutritious food as possible for dinner tonight.”

“Okay, I’ll go to the kitchen and let them know.” Sebastian nodded and prepared to leave.

Tessa thought for a while, then stopped him again. “Have the kitchen prepare supper too.”

The two men were both workaholics, so it was hard to be sure that they wouldn’t work overtime at night.

Sebastian nodded. After he left, Tessa was left alone in the living room. Looking at the empty surroundings, Tessa suddenly realized that she was idle and really had nothing to do. In the end, she simply went to the piano room and prepared to practice the piano. An hour later, Gregory came out of the study after his lessons. He heard music coming from the piano room and walked over with his head drooping.

In the piano room, Tessa heard footsteps, so she looked up and saw the little boy walking over listlessly.

“What’s wrong, Greg? You don’t look well.”

She quickly put down the violin and walked over with concern. Gregory hugged Tessa’s thigh, his voice weak as he said, “Mummy, I’m feeling hot, and my head is a little dizzy.”

Hearing this, Tessa immediately noticed something was wrong. She reached out and touched the little boy’s forehead at once and found that it was a little hot. At that, her face changed instantly. Greg was having a fever!

She didn’t care how heavy he was and hurriedly picked him up. Then, she rushed outside, saying, “Sebastian, call the family doctor quickly! Greg has a fever!”

Downstairs, Sebastian, who was assigning work to the servants, was shocked, so he immediately called the doctor. After hanging up the phone, he was worried and called Nicholas. “Master Nicholas, Young Master is sick. Do you want to come back?”

“What happened to Greg?” Nicholas’ voice was filled with worry.

Sebastian didn’t dare to hide the truth and immediately told him about Gregory’s situation. “He has a fever, and Miss Tessa is now taking care of him in the room.”

“I see. I’ll be back now. Send two servants to help Tessa now.”

Upstairs, Tessa had brought Gregory into the room. Originally, she planned to put the little boy on the bed first, and then bring a basin of warm water to help cool Gregory down physically. However, before she could let go of Gregory, he held her back and said, “Mommy, don’t go. Stay with me.”

The little boy looked at Tessa pitifully. Coupled with his uncomfortable appearance at the moment, Tessa felt distressed.

“Okay, I won’t leave. I will stay here to accompany you.”

Tessa immediately sat down by the bed, but she was still very anxious. She couldn’t leave the room, and she didn’t know when the doctor would come. She wanted to help Gregory cool down so he wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. Fortunately, the housekeeper brought the servants over to help and informed Tessa that Nicholas would be back in a while. Hearing that Nicholas was coming back, Tessa, who was somewhat flustered, instantly calmed down. However, it didn’t take long for her to worry again because the boy became even more ill.

Fortunately, at this time, Nicholas had arrived. Seeing the tall man in the room, Tessa seemed to have found her support and immediately explained the situation to him. “Greg only had a moderate fever before. I thought about cooling him down physically while waiting for the doctor to come and help him. However, he took a turn for the worse. Now, his fever is running high.”

After Nicholas heard this, he furrowed his brows. He turned his head and asked Sebastian, “How long until the doctor arrives?”

Sebastian was about to answer when a servant hurried over. “Master Nicholas, the doctor is here.”

In Gregory’s room, the doctor examined the little boy as Tessa stood beside the bed worriedly. Seeing her anxious face, Nicholas reached out to hold her hand, then said comfortingly, “Don’t worry, Greg will be fine.”

Even though he said that, Tessa was still very worried.

Chapter 1095 It’s Not Your Fault

After a thorough check, the doctor concluded, “Young Master Greg must have been playing with water a little too much two days ago. When he came back here, the temperature was different, which caused the fever. I’ll prescribe an antipyretic medicine for him, and the physical cooling should also continue too. You guys will need to take care of him and observe his condition. If the high fever persists, you have to take him to the hospital.”

After explaining everything, the doctor left. Hearing this, Tessa hurriedly asked someone to bring a glass of warm water, and then personally fed Gregory medicine. However, Gregory was too groggy, and he couldn’t swallow at all. Tessa was so anxious that she almost cried.

“Nicholas, what should I do? Greg can’t take the medicine.”

“Don’t cry, leave it to me.” Nicholas felt distressed for Tessa, so he took over the medicine to feed Gregory. Seeing Nicholas pouring the medicine into Gregory’s mouth, Tessa finally felt relieved. The two then stayed in the room. As Tessa looked at the sleepy little boy on the bed, she felt remorse.

“It’s all my fault. If I’d been more careful and noticed the difference in temperature, Greg wouldn’t have suffered.”

“It’s not your fault. Don’t think too much about it.” Nicholas held Tessa’s tightly clenched hand. “Besides, it’s a good thing for him to catch a cold.”

“Good thing?” Tessa was surprised and looked at Nicholas in shock. She didn’t expect Nicholas to say such a thing. Nicholas looked at his astonished wife and explained gently, “Greg has not been sick for a long time. This illness will enable all the bacteria to be ejected from his body, which is a good thing for him.”

Tessa was speechless, but she felt that this explanation was reasonable.

Following that, the two quietly accompanied Gregory, helping him to physically cool down from time to time. Later, Sebastian brought dinner, but Tessa had no appetite. When Nicholas saw that Tessa only took a few mouthfuls and stopped eating, his brows furrowed tightly, and he persuaded, “I know you are worried about Greg, leaving you with no appetite, but you are still pregnant. You should eat more. If you get sick again, I won’t be able to take care of you both. Be good, and don’t make me worry.”

Hearing this, Tessa didn’t want Nicholas to worry about her, so she forced herself to eat another half bowl of food. By then, she couldn’t eat anymore. When Nicholas saw this, he no longer forced her.

After the meal, the two checked Gregory’s condition again but found that there was no improvement at all, and his body temperature was still on the rise. On the bed, Gregory’s eyes were closed, and he had a frown on his face while his originally fair cheeks showed an abnormal flush. He looked very uncomfortable indeed.

“Mommy, I don’t feel good,” he murmured in a daze, his voice hoarse and weak.

Hearing this, Tessa was unbelievably distressed. “It’s okay, Greg. I’m with you.”

She held Gregory’s hand, coaxing him repeatedly while kissing and stroking him. Nicholas watched from the side; his expression not as relaxed as before. He asked Sebastian to bring a thermometer to measure the temperature of the little boy.

“Master Nicholas, the temperature of Young Master Gregory is approaching 102 degrees.”

Hearing Sebastian’s report, Tessa was even more shocked. “Nicholas…”

She looked at Nicholas nervously. With a tense face, Nicholas picked up the uncomfortable little boy and said, “Let’s go to the hospital!”

In the darkness of the night, the two rushed to the hospital. After the doctor’s inspection, the doctor said, “Fortunately, you came here in time. It is just a high fever, and there are no other symptoms. First, we’ll give him a drip to reduce the fever, and then observe him again.”

Tessa naturally agreed. After putting up the drip, the nurse left the ward, leaving only Tessa and Nicholas in the ward. Tessa looked at the little boy sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed, feeling more relieved than before.

“Fortunately, we came here on time,” she happily said to Nicholas. It was also at this moment that she truly felt the anxiety of being a parent after her child got sick. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her, feeling that what she had thought before was wrong.

Chapter 1096 I Still Prefer a Girl

To be precise, she was the only one who was anxious from beginning to end, while Nicholas was exceptionally calm. However, she also understood that it wasn’t because Nicholas didn’t care about Gregory. After all, if both of them panicked, the situation would be handled properly.

Therefore, Nicholas needed to remain rational in handling emergencies. At the same time, she was also fortunate that he was here today, otherwise, she wouldn’t know what to do. It seemed that she had to have more practice regarding this in the future.

After all, Nicholas couldn’t be by her side all the time, and she couldn’t guarantee that her children would not get sick again in the future. If the child’s illness became serious because of her, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life. Thinking of this, Tessa felt quite emotional.

“Nicholas, after this baby is born, we won’t have any more children, okay? In the future, we should love the two of them well, and give them all our care.”

She turned to look at Nicholas. The reason behind her words was she was worried that if she had too many children, she couldn’t take care of them well by herself. Two were just enough, and they would not be lonely. Nicholas could roughly guess Tessa’s thoughts in his heart, so he was very moved.

Right now, Tessa didn’t know that she was Gregory’s biological mother, so being able to say such a thing was enough to show that she really regarded him as her own child.

However…

“But what if the baby in your belly is a boy?” Nicholas hugged Tessa and asked.

Tessa was very puzzled. “So what? What’s the difference?”

After speaking, a scene suddenly flashed in her mind. She remembered that Nicholas had told her that he wanted a daughter before. He isn’t praying that this child is a girl, is he?

In fact, he was. Nicholas was indeed hoping that this child was a girl.

After all, he already had a son, and the boy kept messing up his matters. One such son was enough, and he didn’t want another. However, Nicholas would not say this to Tessa, so he said vaguely, “It’s different.”

Originally, he thought he was hiding his thoughts well, but Tessa still saw through him. She burst out laughing and teased, “You’re a grown man! Why are you jealous of your own son?”

When Nicholas realized that his own thoughts were exposed, he no longer covered them up and said frankly, “I don’t want to have another son who will steal my wife away from me, so I prefer the baby to be a girl, preferably as cute and caring as you are. When the time comes, I will spoil her rotten so she can be the happiest little princess.”

While speaking, he had already outlined a cute and tender daughter who was as well-behaved as his wife in his mind. Tessa looked at the man who looked like he would be the happiest if he had a daughter and couldn’t help laughing. But soon, she deliberately put on a stern face and teased, “So, if it’s a boy, will you not love him and pamper him?”

“How is that possible? I will love him the same.” Nicholas heard his wife’s unhappy tone and quickly changed his tune.

Nevertheless, he was still stubborn and insisted, “But I still prefer a girl.”

Amused, Tessa raised her eyebrows and said, “Okay, a daughter is not bad, but when she grows up, a boy will take her away and may bully her. What will you do then?”

Hearing this, Nicholas immediately frowned. When he thought of the possibility that in the future, his daughter, who would be the apple of his eye, would be taken away by a man, he instantly wanted to beat that unknown man up.

“Then don’t let her marry anyone. I’ll support her for the rest of my life.”

In the end, he was still very proud and thought the idea was a good one. In his opinion, there must be no one in this world who spoiled his daughter more than him.

Seeing his expression, Tessa knew what he was thinking and shook her head speechlessly. In fact, she really wanted to say that girls wouldn’t listen to their parents once they grew up. Yet, thinking that Nicholas was only expressing his fatherly love, she couldn’t bear to pour cold water on him.

Chapter 1097 Recovered

“As long as you are happy,” Tessa said. She then turned away to check on Gregory. After what just happened, she no longer felt as nervous as before.

As for Gregory, his fever had slowly receded. Later on, when the IV treatment was over and the doctors declared Gregory was safe to be discharged, they headed home.

To their surprise, Gregory woke up the moment they arrived home. “Daddy, Mommy,” he called out. He wriggled uncomfortably in Nicholas’ arms.

“Behave,” Nicholas said softly as he gently patted Gregory. “You’ll fall.” Gregory pouted. “Daddy, you meanie. I am sick, yet you hit me instead of comforting me. Mommy is still the best.”

Looking at the father and son duo interacting made Tessa heave a sigh of relief. Evidently, Gregory was doing much better now if he was in the mood to argue with Nicholas.

Even so, she was still worried. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you still feel dizzy?”

“My head doesn’t spin, but I am hungry.” Gregory mournfully rubbed his belly. Seeing that made her heart throb in pain. “Go with Daddy back to your room. I will heat something up for you.”

“You’re the best, Mommy!” He happily leaned forward to peck her on the cheek. The warmth of his lips made her melt into a puddle on the inside.

She immediately turned to Nicholas and urged, “Hurry up and bring him up so that he can rest. Remember to keep the windows shut so that he does not catch a cold.”

Nicholas had no choice but to carry Gregory up the stairs.

However, before he did so, he ordered Sebastian to help her in the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Tessa walked into the room with a bowl of chicken soup she had made herself.

“Mommy!”

Gregory happily grinned upon seeing her.

Nicholas walked over to grab the tray of food from her.

Once everything was laid out, Nicholas moved to feed Gregory but was rejected.

“Mommy,” Gregory said to her, “I want you to feed me. Please?”

Unable to say no to his teary eyes, she instantly agreed to his request.

With great patience, she blew on the soup to cool it down and slowly fed it to him spoonful after spoonful.

“Your cooking is the best,” he said joyfully in between bites.

He was more energetic after the meal. Nevertheless, he just recovered from his illness. Soon, he fell asleep.

Exhaustion painted her face as she watched him sleep.

It had been a very eventful day, and she was pregnant. She did not have as much stamina as before.

Nicholas was distressed when he noticed her exhaustion. “Go get some rest,” he urged. “I’ll have the servants watch over him.”

After some hesitation, she nodded in agreement.

Even though she was worried about Gregory, she could not let Nicholas worry about her as well.

Despite her agreement, she could not sleep through the night as she constantly got up to check on Gregory.

Nicholas tried to persuade her back to bed but failed to do so. In the end, he just let her do as she wished.

Tessa woke up early the next morning, still worried about Gregory.

To her surprise, she found his room empty when she went to wake him up.

“Daddy, Mommy, you slept in today.”

Gregory happily ran over to greet Nicholas and Tessa when they descended the stairs.

When she heard that, the urge to laugh and rage swelled in her. The weight on her shoulders finally lifted though.

“You ungrateful little brat, who do you think is to blame for us getting up late?”

She stared down at him in fake anger.

Upset that he had misspoken, he hurriedly pleaded endearingly to get her in a better mood.

Soon, cheerful laughter echoed through the living room.

As Nicholas knew just how little she had slept last night, he said to her after breakfast, “There is nothing much to do today, so go take a nap.”

She pondered on that idea. Gregory had school in the morning, which meant she did not need to take care of him. Thus, she agreed to the suggestion.

She slept through the entire morning until she was woken up around noon.

The person who woke her up was Nicholas, dressed in loungewear. She blinked up at him in surprise. “Why aren’t you at the office?”

Chapter 1098 Amber Hospitalized

“Nothing major is waiting for me at the office, so I wanted to stay home and be with you,” Nicholas said. He loved just how Tessa looked when she was still bleary-eyed from sleep.

He tenderly helped her sit up. “Let us have lunch,” he said in an indescribable doting voice. She nodded. With his help, she got out of bed and washed up.

After lunch, Nicholas headed back to his study as he still had work to do. Meanwhile, Gregory, who had classes in the afternoon, headed back up to his room for his afternoon nap.

In the end, Tessa was the only one in the household with nothing to do. Just as she was about to head upstairs to practice piano, she saw Timothy walking into the house with an unpleasant look on his face.

“Tim, what happened? You look upset.”

She shot him a concerned look. “Nothing much,” he said with a bland smile. He did not want to tell her anything. “I just have to fly back tomorrow.”

Unbeknownst to him, she knew him extremely well. “Tim, did you know that every time you lie, you will subconsciously purse your lips first? Tell me what actually happened.”

She immediately saw through his lies.

He internally sighed upon hearing that.

He did not think his lie would be seen through that easily.

He maintained eye contact with her as he hesitated. Finally, he decided to come clean to her.

“I received a call from Southend General Hospital this morning. The old madam from the Reinhart family collapsed. When she was rushed to the hospital, they realized it was cancer. I have been called back to treat her.”

Tessa blankly stared back at him for a moment, likely confused since it had been so long since she had last heard of anything about the Reinharts.

When she recalled who that woman was, her heart sank.

She had never once asked about what happened to the Reinharts after leaving the country.

She did not expect the next time she heard about them to be news of Amber falling sick once more.

“Is every Reinhart dead? Why must you be called back?”

Her face was pale. She did not want to have anything to do with that family anymore.

“After Silas went bankrupt and ran away, those greedy relatives would never care what happens to her, aside from the money,” he replied with a scoff. He knew exactly what was troubling his sister.

She was rendered speechless upon hearing that.

True, that was certainly how the Reinharts would behave.

Moreover, there was no one else left in the main family. The other greedy relatives would never take care of Amber unless there was something in it for them. In the end, she had to approach Tessa and Timothy for help.

“Is it serious?”

She frowned as she asked.

Frankly speaking, if it was possible, she did not want to take care of their so-called grandmother.

While the past was the past, she still harbored hatred for Amber about what she did.

It was impossible for her to forget how the entire family just stood there and watched as they nearly died.

However…

The hospital had called them. If they did not help out, other people might bad-mouth them behind their backs.

She did not care what people said about her, but she could not let Timothy build a bad reputation.

He could guess what she was thinking just from the look on her face. As such, he instantly spoke up to explain the situation.

“The hospital said they would speak to me in detail when I am there.”

“In that case, I will head back on your behalf.”

She gritted her teeth and continued, “You have a company that is still fresh from the oven and plenty to do. There is no way you can leave now, and you still have the renovations to worry about. I do not need to attend practice at the orchestra, and I have nothing to do anyway. I can head back and deal with this.”

“No way. You are at a critical stage of your pregnancy. She is a cruel old woman. I cannot let you risk it.”

He rejected the idea without even thinking about it.

He knew full well what kind of woman Amber was. He would never let her have a chance to bully Tessa.

To his surprise, his last words were heard by Nicholas who just so happened to be walking down the stairs.

“Risk?” Nicholas asked with a frown.

Seeing him, Timothy decided to get him to convince Tessa instead of explaining what was going on.

Chapter 1099 Flying Back

Timothy did not expect Tessa to speak first. She briefed Nicholas on what they were talking about.

She concluded by explaining her plan. “It will not be a good idea for Timothy to deal with this, so I thought of flying back myself. It is also a chance for Gregory to spend some time with your parents. They were reluctant the last time they parted ways with him.”

After hearing all that, Nicholas did not want her to be handling this situation herself. However, he knew there was no use objecting to it. She never listened to him when Timothy’s reputation was involved. Hence, the only thing he could do was agree with the idea.

“Nicholas!” Timothy was shocked and shot him a disapproving glare. He could not understand why Nicholas agreed to the idea. There was no way Nicholas did not know what the Reinharts were like.

Nicholas shot him a comforting look before slowly saying, “Don’t worry. I will be flying back with her. I need to fly back anyway. I have been out of the country for so long that there is a lot of work waiting for me in the home office. Alright. It is settled. That is what we will do.”

At that, Timothy had no choice but to nod in acquiescence.

After a few more minutes of discussion, Tessa headed upstairs to pack her things.

Timothy silently heaved a sigh as he watched her leave.

He knew why she was so stubborn, but that was exactly why he did not want her to head back and suffer.

She had suffered enough for him over the years.

Perhaps Nicholas saw how worried Timothy looked, for he walked over and comfortingly said, “I will be there. No one can make her suffer anything.”

Hearing that, Timothy looked up at him.

“I believe you, but that old woman is crazy. When Tess goes to the hospital, you must stay by her side and protect her. Do not ever let that maniac hurt her at all.”

Timothy wanted to make sure Nicholas understood.

Nicholas nodded.

That afternoon, Nicholas and Tessa flew back home along with Gregory.

It was a long journey. By the time they landed in Southend, it was the next morning.

Outside the airport, Kieran was waiting with the car.

“Mom and Dad had the chef prepare a feast for you when they found out you were coming back. It is to welcome you back.”

On the drive back, Kieran came clean and told them about the task their parents had set for him.

Nicholas did not reply. Instead, he turned to Tessa and asked, “Are you tired?”

“No,” she answered. “I slept well on the plane.”

She knew what he was trying to say. If she were tired, they would head back to rest first.

However, she did not want all of his parent’s efforts to go to waste.

When he saw no exhaustion lingering in her eyes, he decided to believe her. “Let us head over then.”

Kieran was speechless.

In fact, he did not even know what words could accurately describe what he felt right now.

Somehow, it felt like Nicholas had been showing off again.

Back at the Sawyer Residence, Stefania and Tobias were ecstatic to see Gregory.

While they met not long ago, they still missed him.

The couple showered him with hugs and kisses.

“Did you miss us, Greg?”

“I do! I miss you every single day!”

He proceeded to charm them with sweet words.

The couple was bursting with joy when he said that.

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Tessa silently watched them.

After a few more minutes of their joyful reunion, Stefania and Tobias let go of Gregory and turned to them. “Kieran, you bought a new toy for Gregory, right? Go bring him to it.”

“Okay,” said Kieran. “Come, Greg, let us check out your new toy.”

He knew his parents wanted to speak to Nicholas and Tessa in private, so he willingly led Gregory away.

Even as Stefania watched Gregory disappear into the living room, she asked about Tessa’s health first instead of going straight to the point.

“How have you been over the past few days? How is the baby?”

“We are both doing well,” Tessa replied. “Don’t worry, Mom.”

Tessa spoke in a calm and obedient tone.

Stefania nodded. It was only then that she stopped beating around the bush. “You were right to fly back. You should visit Amber. No matter what she did in the past, she is still your elder. If you ignore her, people will talk. Your reputation would be affected.”

Chapter 1100 Amber

“You’re right, Mom. That is what I thought too,” Tessa said. She nodded in acknowledgment. Moreover, she did not just come back for Timothy and herself. She also did it for someone else.

People always said a married couple was a team. Now that she was part of the Sawyers, she could not let this incident smear the Sawyers’ reputation.

After all, if word got out, people would call them heartless and ungrateful. While she did not care about her own reputation, she could not drag Nicholas down with her.

After lunch, Tessa grew tired. She did sleep on the plane, but they had been flying for over twelve hours. Stefania could see the fatigue on her face, so she did not insist Nicholas and Tessa stay. Instead, she told them to head home.

They went home and napped for two hours. Then, she headed over to the hospital. Lying on the white hospital bed of the ICU, Amber looked so much older, thinner, and darker than before.

Her eyes blankly stared up at the ceiling while the air of death hung around her. When Tessa saw that, she frowned. No emotions stirred within her though.

Knock. Knock. She knocked on the door and walked in. Amber reacted upon hearing that sound, turning to look at the door. When she saw Tessa, her entire body tensed up.

Intense hatred filled her previously dull eyes. “You b*tch! Finally, you are back, you stup*d sl*t!”

She barked and spat at Tessa in a vulgar manner. When she looked around and found no one else standing beside Tessa, she questioned, “Where is Timothy, that bast*rd? Why is he not here?”

Tessa’s face immediately clouded over as disgust filled her. She did not plan on criticizing Amber for her crass words, but Amber should never have insulted her brother.

“You sound very energetic, like someone who could live until a hundred years old and not at all like a cancer patient. It seems as if I came for nothing today. You do not need me to take care of you.”

She then turned to leave the room.

Amber’s hatred blazed brighter when she heard that. At the same time, she was panicking.

If Tessa abandoned her as well, someone like her with that kind of illness would not have any other option than death.

She did not want to die. She wanted to live.

“Stop right there, you sl*t!”

She wanted to make Tessa stop.

While Tessa paused, she did not truly stop walking.

After all, she did not like being abused and insulted.

When Amber saw Tessa ignoring her, she grew frustrated.

“Everyone, look!” Amber shrieked. “These people don’t even care if their grandmother dies!”

“What has the world come to? They are rich, yet they will not pay for their grandmother’s treatment. Oh, how they bite the hand that fed them.”

“What a cursed life I have,” she continued. “Why am I given such cruel grandchildren?”

Tessa curled her hands into fists when she heard the howling.

Eventually, she caved into her anger and turned back to shout, “Shut up!”

When Amber saw that, satisfaction flashed across her eyes.

She just knew Tessa and Timothy would care about their reputation now that they were rich and famous.

“I can shut up, but you are not allowed to leave. Also, tell Timothy to come here!”

The insolent way Amber was acting made Tessa’s fury burn so brightly that it was impossible to hide it any longer.

From the way Amber was trying to order her around, it was clear she had yet to realize what was going on.

Tessa turned to leave the room, not wanting to say another word.

Amber did not realize her threats were ineffective against Tessa. At that thought, she panicked.

“Stop right there, Tessa! You cannot leave!”

She struggled to get out of bed, but due to her illness, she did not have the strength to do so.

Tessa had not meant to truly leave anyway. She merely wanted to give the old hag a scare.

Now that Amber knew her place, Tessa turned back around and coldly said, “I can stay, but you must keep your mouth shut. Also, Timothy is a busy man. He could not come, so from now on, I am in charge of anything to do with you. If you ever say anything rude to me again, I will truly wash my hands off of you.”