Ch. 1211..1220
Chapter 1211 Do You Also Think She’s Brilliant
Gregory and Timothy had the same idea too. Then, Gregory asked excitedly, “Uncle Tim, Mommy is amazing, right?” Timothy nodded vigorously. “Yeah, she’s really amazing!”
Listening to the two of them praise Tessa to the skies, Kieran didn’t know whether to frown or laugh, though he very much agreed with them. My sister-in-law is the best and brightest person in the world, of course!
Meanwhile, the wonderfully dreamlike exceptional performance was broadcast live on the website of the Sawyer Group’s media company. As a result, netizens who had initially regretted not being able to attend the performance instantly felt very well-disposed toward the Sawyer Group. One netizen commented, ‘President Sawyer is so awesome! At last, I don’t have to regret being unable to watch my muse’s performance now.’
Another commented, ‘Oh, my God! To think so many celebrities and big names in music are attending the performance!’ ‘Her music is simply divine! It’s giving me eargasms!’
The netizens lavished praise on Tessa, whereas her fans, who were very proud of her, cheered for her on the Internet in every way possible. One of them commented, ‘As expected of my diva. What a spectacular performance!’
‘You know what? I’m gonna be a fan of hers all my life!’ ‘How I wish I could listen to such wonderful music every day! I’ll always be rooting for you, my diva!’
In the hospital, Amber was sitting on her sickbed. She looked rather sulky, recalling how Tessa hadn’t visited her for several days in a row and how Timothy had always left her to Sabrina, who was even better than her at calling names without throwing in a dirty word. In just a few days, she had found herself on the receiving end of this young lady’s sharp tongue.
Consequently, she was completely under Sabrina’s thumb. Usually, she dared not even make a sound, but Sabrina wasn’t here tonight because she had to attend Tessa’s performance.
There was only a maid in her ward. When the nurse came in to check on them and saw that they weren’t watching TV, she asked in surprise, “Why aren’t you two watching TV? Isn’t Miss Reinhart performing tonight?”
Amber let out a snort. “What’s so interesting about watching someone play the violin?” She didn’t think Tessa would achieve much of anything.
The nurse frowned slightly when she heard this. She couldn’t help but speak up for Tessa, saying, “You’re too prejudiced against Miss Reinhart, Old Mrs. Reinhart. She’s a great person.”
“What are you talking about? You’re just a nurse! What does my being prejudiced or not have to do with you?” Amber had been in a bad temper these days because of Sabrina. Therefore, after seeing that a nurse had actually come over and defended Tessa at this moment, Amber lost her temper at once. She tore into the nurse immediately, saying, “This is my family matter, and it’s none of your business. Just do your job as a nurse.”
Inwardly, the nurse felt a little uncomfortable; she thought this old woman was ungrateful. At first, she wanted to leave, but then, recalling how Tessa had always brought fruit for her and other medical staff whenever she visited the hospital, she decided to put up with it. She walked up to the TV in the ward and switched to Tessa’s performance. “Since you don’t believe it, just take a look. The performance is being broadcast on TV,” she said. With that, she put down the remote control and turned to leave.
Amber was stunned when she saw Tessa on TV. Dressed in a gorgeous white evening dress, Tessa stood upright on stage and confidently played the violin. She’d never seen Tessa like this before. At this moment, she felt Tessa was incomparably brilliant, as though Tessa had a bright halo surrounding her.
The maid, who had been quiet next to Amber all the time, also had her attention drawn to Tessa on TV, especially when she heard the violin piece Tessa played. She couldn’t help but compliment, “Miss Reinhart is so good at playing the violin.”
After hearing this, Amber looked at Tessa again with a dazed expression. “Do you also think she’s brilliant?” she asked the maid.
The maid was startled for a moment. She asked somewhat uncertainly, “Old Mrs. Reinhart, are you asking me about that?”
Amber shot a glare at her. “Is there anyone else here besides you?”
The maid gave an embarrassed smile. Then, she answered, “I think Miss Reinhart is a brilliant, strong-willed, and determined person. Even my daughter is a fan of hers.”
Chapter 1212 Was It Wrong of Me to Treat Them Like That in the Past
Amber was still in disbelief, though. “Is she really that brilliant?” Seeing how rare it was for Amber to talk about Tessa and Timothy so calmly, the maid hurriedly seized the opportunity to speak for them. “Forgive me for being blunt, but you know in your heart how you treated Miss Reinhart and her brother before. Even so, they’ve never thought of getting back at you; instead, they look after you at every turn.
And besides, Miss Reinhart has never given up on her dreams despite the harsh conditions she was under. Not only that, she has achieved such a level of success in the industry at such a young age. Isn’t that enough proof of how brilliant she is?”
Amber fell silent upon hearing the maid’s words. For the very first time, she began to doubt herself. Was it wrong of me to treat Tessa and her brother like that back then? For a moment, she sank deep into her thoughts…
Two hours later, Tessa’s exceptional performance came to a perfect conclusion. Still immersed in her performance, the audience stayed in their seats, unwilling to leave for a long time.
After making her exit, Tessa returned backstage, where she sat in her chair without moving. She was terribly exhausted. After all, she was so heavily pregnant and thus no longer had the stamina she used to have.
Knowing that she was tired, the others refrained from disturbing her. After a while, a commotion could be heard at the backstage entrance. As it turned out, Nicholas came in with a bouquet of flowers in his arms, followed by Tobias and Stefania.
Seeing the three of them, the staff members promptly stopped what they were doing and greeted them deferentially, saying, “Greetings, President Sawyer, Mr. Sawyer, and Mrs. Sawyer.”
Hearing the commotion as well, Tessa stood up from her chair in surprise. “Nicholas, Dad, Mom! What brings you guys here?”
“We’re here to congratulate you on your fantastic performance, of course.” Nicholas stared intently at her with a tender smile hovering on his lips. “You’re so charming and brilliant tonight. I’m proud of you!”
Tessa was pleased as she listened to this.
Stefania also praised, “Your performance was spectacular. I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for you.”
“It was fine, actually. It was tiring but in a happy sort of way. I enjoyed it,” Tessa said to Stefania, but her tender eyes were fixed upon Nicholas as she smiled at him.
Nicholas stared back at her affectionately.
Seeing how the couple looked at each other, everyone felt as though the air around them had become sweet.
However, Gregory stepped between the couple, refusing to be ignored. “Mommy, you’re super-duper awesome tonight! I heard many people praising you.” He looked up at Tessa with a look of adoration.
Overwhelmed by the boy’s cuteness, Tessa smiled even brighter. She replied, “You’ll be as awesome as I am in the future, Greg.”
Nicholas was vexed when he saw how oblivious his son was to the situation. Seeing his expression, Kieran and Timothy covered their mouths and sniggered.
At this moment, Sofia and Tessa’s seniors came over as well. Seeing Nicholas and others, they greeted them with a smile.
They exchanged a few greetings before Sofia noticed how weary Tessa was. She urged, “Why don’t you go back and rest early, Tessa? You’ve worked hard tonight. Just leave the rest of it to me and your seniors.”
Her suggestion was instantly echoed by a few other seniors. “President Sawyer, hurry and take Tessa home. She must be exhausted after playing the violin for such a long time today.”
“That’s right. Just go home and rest.”
Tessa nodded, feeling grateful to Sofia and her seniors for their help.
When they returned home afterward, Nicholas considerately ran a bath for Tessa.
Shortly after taking a bath, Tessa went to bed and fell asleep, unaware that everything about her performance had taken the Internet by storm. A netizen commented, ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but as a fan of rock music, I got fascinated listening to classical violin music tonight.’
Another commented, ‘You’re not alone, buddy. I was stunned listening to it.’
‘This piece Tessa played had a soul of its own. They were so melodic that people would slip into reverie while listening to them.’
Chapter 1213 A Surprise Invitation
Some netizens and fans even left comments on Sofia’s official website in the country, thinking they’d like to listen to more of it. One of them commented, ‘Miss Sofia, please get our diva to give another special performance soon.’
Another agreed, ‘Count me in! Her music is simply divine. I think I’ll never get tired of listening to it all my life.’ ‘I hope she’ll give another performance. I think every piece she plays is classic.’
Although the netizens and fans were very much looking forward to Tessa’s second performance, their wish was destined to fall through. This was because Sofia was asked this question in an interview by the host. “Many are now eager for Miss Reinhart to give another performance. Miss Sofia, could you tell us whether you have any arrangements for this?”
“I’m sorry about this, but Tessa won’t be giving another special performance in the near future,” Sofia replied while sitting gracefully on the couch.
Astounded, the host immediately asked, “Why won’t Miss Reinhart give another performance? Her performance this time was a huge success. Miss Sofia, aren’t you gonna have her follow that up with another successful performance?”
Sofia explained, “Of course, I hope Tessa will do better and better, but a special performance is very physically demanding. Tessa will be giving birth soon, so another performance will be too much for her. And besides, this time’s special performance was already her limit.”
The host was very disappointed to hear this.
As soon as the interview was aired, many netizens and fans were disappointed, too. One of them commented, ‘What a pity. I was hoping to listen to my diva’s live performance once more.’
‘Well, that’s too bad, but it’s understandable.’
‘I’m looking forward to my diva returning to perform after giving birth to her child! It’ll definitely be even more spectacular than this time’s performance.’
‘Me too.’
As a result, many netizens and onlookers followed Tessa’s Twitter account just to be the first to receive news of her future performances.
Meanwhile, the Sawyer Family was also flooded with compliments. In just half a morning, Stefania and Tobias received many phone calls from their family friends.
“Stefania, you’ve really got a great daughter-in-law! She’s made your family proud!”
“Oh, not at all. Don’t you have an outstanding daughter-in-law too?” Stefania replied modestly. Inwardly, though, she was overjoyed.
The same thing happened to Tobias. “Tobias, you’ve picked a great wife for your son. We’re so envious of you. Now the Sawyer Group has gained both popularity and a good name!”
What Tobias’ friend said was indeed true. With all proceeds from the performance going to charity, the Sawyer Group was winning increasing favor with the netizens, which resulted in tremendous glory for the Sawyer Family.
Stefania and Tobias were very happy. Even Remus smiled; inwardly, he quite approved of Tessa. However, what happened next would make them even happier.
That morning, Kieran received a phone call from the government. After briefly introducing themselves, the caller came straight to the point, saying, “Mr. Sawyer, we hope that Miss Tessa Reinhart can work as the ambassador for our country’s Charity Foundation for Children with Congenital Diseases. We hope she can promote public spirit to enable more children to receive medical treatment.”
Kieran’s face was still full of shock and disbelief when he hung up the phone. Staring with glazed eyes at his assistant next to him, he ordered, “Pinch me.”
His assistant was dumbfounded to hear such a request. What on earth has happened to Vice President Sawyer to make him ask for such a thing himself? Before he could ask Kieran about it, the latter’s voice rang in his ear again, urging, “Come on, hurry and pinch me.”
The assistant had no choice but to do as Kieran said.
“Ouch!” Kieran gasped in pain, only to laugh like an idiot the next second. He muttered to himself, “It’s real! It’s goddamn real! No, I’ve got to call Nicholas and tell him this piece of good news.”
Nicholas thus got a phone call from Kieran. When he learned of the government’s invitation, he was also happy for Tessa.
Chapter 1214 She’s Done a Good Job Indeed
Instead of accepting the invitation on Tessa’s behalf, he replied, “I have to ask Tessa about this first.” After hanging up the phone, he got up to look for Tessa.
Tessa was sitting on the couch in the living room. Alice, sitting next to her, was reporting on her work. Seeing Nicholas come downstairs, Alice stood up and greeted him, saying, “President Sawyer.”
Nicholas nodded before sitting directly next to Tessa. “Are you done yet?” He turned to look at her. Tessa smiled faintly. “Almost. Do you need anything from me?”
“I’ve got something good to tell you.” Nicholas smiled before explaining how the government had invited her to work as the ambassador for the Charity Foundation for Children with Congenital Diseases.
Alice was astonished to hear this. “That’s great news!” Tessa was surprised, too; little did she think someone from the government would actually approach her. “Nicholas, is this true?” she asked again, still in disbelief. After all, she had only given her first performance in the country yesterday.
Seeing how stupefied she looked, Nicholas took her hand with a smile. “It’s true, of course. So, would you like to take the job?”
“Of course, I’d love to! As Alice said, this is great news,” Tessa agreed with a bright smile. Moreover, the government’s support will make it easier for me to work for charitable causes in the future.
Upon seeing this, Alice instantly got into work mode, asking Nicholas for some details. After learning of the details later, she contacted the government to finalize the date and time when Tessa would film a promotional video as the ambassador.
That evening, Nicholas took Tessa and Gregory to the Sawyer Residence for a family dinner party, during which time Kieran proudly mentioned Tessa being invited to work as the ambassador for the charity foundation. “Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I’ve got something to tell you guys. Someone from the government called me today to invite Tessa to work as the ambassador for the Charity Foundation for Children with Congenital Diseases. She’s quite something, isn’t she?”
Remus, Stefania, and Tobias were surprised to hear this. Stefania turned to look at Tessa in astonishment, asking, “Did you accept the invitation?”
Tessa nodded gently. “Of course I did. We’re now finalizing the date for the filming of the promotional video.”
Gregory proudly chimed in next to her, “Grandma, isn’t Mommy awesome?”
“Yes, she’s awesome.” Stefania was sincerely happy for Tessa this time. Nevertheless, she was worried about the latter’s health condition. “Filming the promotional video is gonna be tiring, no? Are you physically up for it?”
Tessa explained with a smile, “I’m fine. Besides, I’m doing the filming this time to take part in charity work in the name of the Sawyer Group.”
Her words made Remus see her in a new light because he never expected her to let the Sawyer Group have such an opportunity to gain fame. Moreover, it could be said that such activities would earn enough reputation for the Sawyer Family to get more and more people to unconsciously acknowledge its social status.
Also surprised were Tobias, Kieran, and others. After realizing what Tessa had just said, Kieran adored her even more. “What a big heart you have, Tessa,” he said, giving her a thumbs-up. Inwardly, of course, he knew full well that Tessa was doing this completely for Nicholas’ sake. He then turned to look at Remus, saying, “Grandpa, don’t you think Tessa has done a great job of this?”
Upon hearing this, the others turned to look at Remus.
Tessa was eager to hear what Remus would say, too. She hoped Remus could approve of her so that Nicholas would no longer have to find himself torn between them.
Facing the looks in everyone’s eyes, Remus sat imperturbably in his chair. In the end, however, he finally said something nice. “She’s done a good job indeed.” He nodded before turning to look at Tessa affably, which was rare. Then, he continued, “Don’t push yourself too hard if it’s too much for you. It’s not like we Sawyers are short of this bit of a reputation. No matter what, you and your baby are the most important.”
Hearing such caring words, Tessa was elated. She could sense that Remus had actually accepted her somewhat.
Chapter 1215 I Care About You, Too
Tessa nodded with a smile; her almond-shaped eyes were as bright as the stars. “I’ll be careful. Also, I’ll surely rest up when this is over.”
For the rest of the dinner, the atmosphere was incredibly harmonious. Stefania and Tessa were chatting like friends, their conversations ranging from music to fashion, whereas Remus discussed work-related matters with Tobias and Nicholas. Kieran, on the other hand, was keeping Gregory company, making the boy burst out laughing with his lively disposition.
When they finished having dinner, it was already late, so Nicholas took Tessa and Gregory home. The smile on Tessa’s face never faded as the three of them were on their way home. At the sight of this, Nicholas wrapped his arms around her and tickled her petite, upturned nose with his hand. He smiled. “You look all over the moon.”
“Of course.” Tessa’s eyes curved as she hugged the man around the waist with a Duchenne smile. “I think Grandpa has at least accepted me at the moment. As long as I work harder and better in the future, he’ll stop giving you a hard time.”
It’d be a lie to say Nicholas wasn’t visibly moved by such words. He’d always known that Tessa was trying very hard to improve herself to make herself worthy of him. “As I said, you don’t have to work so hard. You can rely on me for everything.” His voice dripped with indescribable affection as he tightened his arms around her.
Tessa shook her head while nestling in his arms. “I know you care about me, but I care about you, too.”
“I care about you, too, Mommy.” Not wanting to be left out at this moment, Gregory threw himself at Tessa’s knees.
Seeing how adorable he was, Tessa was instantly overwhelmed. “I care about you, too, Greg.” She pinched the boy’s plump cheek.
With that, the mother and son began frolicking with each other.
Seeing how his annoying son vied with him again for Tessa’s attention, Nicholas wished he could just throw him out of the car.
…
The next morning, the three of them sat in the dining room having breakfast, during which time Nicholas asked Tessa, “Do you have any plans for today?”
“Not much. I’ll be at home today, I think,” Tessa replied with a smile. As her previous training was too tiring, Sofia purposely gave her a few days off so that she could have a good rest.
Nicholas nodded.
Gregory, on the other hand, was overjoyed. “Hurray! So, Mommy can stay with me at home!”
Seeing how delighted he looked at this very moment, Tessa felt rather guilty, knowing she had neglected him a lot during her training previously. She gently stroked his hair and replied with a faint smile, “I’ll keep you company at home for the next few days.”
When Gregory heard this, he laughed even more heartily.
After having breakfast, Nicholas left for his office.
Tessa played with Gregory for a while since the kid would have lessons soon.
Soon after, she became the only person left at home with nothing to do. Unable to sit still, she got up and went to the music room, wanting to do some maintenance on each of the violins. Just when she was cleaning up the room, her phone rang; it was a phone call from Alice. She asked, “Tessa, the date has been finalized for the filming of the promotional video. The filming is scheduled for this Friday. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, I’m fine with that,” Tessa agreed immediately.
When Nicholas came home that evening, she went up to him and took his suitcase from him like a virtuous wife. Then, she helped him take off his suit jacket and hung it on the coat stand nearby.
As Nicholas watched his wife bustle around for his sake, the tenderness in his eyes was so overwhelming that one would almost drown in it; he felt that such a life was blissfully ordinary. He waited until Tessa was done before hugging her and rubbing his forehead against hers. “It’s so wonderful to have you here.”
A sweet smile curved Tessa’s lips as she listened to the man’s loving voice.
The couple cuddled together for a little while in the hallway before entering the living room hand in hand.
After they took their seats, Tessa talked about the filming of the promotional video. “Alice called me this morning, saying that the filming has been scheduled for this Friday.”
Nicholas nodded without any objections. He asked, “Where will the filming take place?”
Chapter 1216 As Hard as Nails
“According to them, it’s in the hospital,” Tessa replied as she rested her head on Nicholas’ shoulder. As soon as Tessa said this, Gregory, who had just arrived downstairs, coincidentally heard her.
Gregory immediately assumed that she was feeling unwell and was going to the hospital, so he rushed over and asked in a panicked tone, “Mommy, are you sick?”
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth flowing through her heart when she saw the undisguised concern on his chubby little face. “I’m not sick. I’m just saying I’m going to the hospital to work this Friday.”
“Then, I’m going with you. I will accompany you while you work,” Gregory resolutely announced while throwing expectant glances at her.
When Tessa heard his words, her mind wandered. There will be many children coming that day, and if Greg comes along, he will be able to play with those children. At that thought, Tessa nodded, agreeing to allow Gregory to follow her to the hospital this Friday.
On the other hand, Wanda was very displeased after she, too, received the news that Tessa was soon to be appointed as the official ambassador for the Charity Foundation for Children with Congenital Diseases.
“This b*tch! How dare she?!” Wanda hissed through gritted teeth, her resentment utterly boiling over the cauldron.
It’s even worse when I recall that not only is my reputation as Miss Wanda of the Mullers now tarnished, but I can even hardly hold my head high among my relatives and friends just because of that pest.
Wanda’s gaze turned even more sinister when she arrived on that train of thought. No! Tessa will bask in glory over my dead body!
Just as she contemplated bringing Tessa down once and for all, the butler suddenly knocked on the door and entered. “Miss Wanda, Mr. Oliver is here.”
Wanda frowned upon hearing that. Even so, she still reluctantly got up and went downstairs to greet Oliver. Meanwhile, Oliver was waiting in the living room with a bouquet of delicate roses in his arms.
When he saw Wanda, who had made her appearance, he made his way over while holding the bouquet. “For you, Wanda.”
“Thank you.” Wanda took the bouquet of roses with an indifferent expression before she handed it to the butler next to her.
For these past few days, Oliver had been personally sending her flowers every day in an attempt to please her. Alas, it didn’t quite work out for him.
Despite her apathetic stance toward him, he didn’t mind. All was good as long as she didn’t call off the engagement.
He followed her and sat on the couch. Then, he valiantly ignored the detached look on her face as he invited her with a smile, “I’ve made a reservation in a French restaurant on Kings Avenue. We’ll be just in time if we go there to have our meal now.”
“What’s going on here? Why have you been asking me out every few days? Are you done dealing with those two lovers of yours?” Wanda asked imperiously as she raised her eyebrows and gave Oliver a dismissive once over.
Oliver hurriedly explained himself the instant he sensed the impatience in her tone, “I have already dealt with them. Plus, I can’t acknowledge the babies in their wombs when I don’t even know if they are mine. Besides, even if the babies truly turn out to be mine, I won’t allow them to be born!”
“You’re certainly as hard as nails. You don’t even want your own children!”
Wanda looked at Oliver with a sneer.
He hastily coaxed her with honeyed words dripping down his lips, “Of course, I want kids! I’ve never said I didn’t want them. I will definitely love them dearly like precious treasures if you’re the mother of my child. Either way, only you can be my wife and give birth to my children in this lifetime!”
When she heard his proclamation, she forced herself to accept his barely passing vow. Nevertheless, inwardly she didn’t believe him in the slightest. Considering his inclination to think with his lower body, this man would never be her husband.
Still, she was willing to play the fool simply because Oliver was still a somewhat useful pawn at her disposal.
…
Two days later, Sofia brought several of Tessa’s seniors along to visit Tessa after she was well-rested.
The atmosphere was cozy as they drank tea, enjoyed some cookies, and chatted amongst themselves.
After a while, Sofia brought up the matter of her leaving. “Now that your performance has ended flawlessly, I plan to take your seniors and return to the orchestra in a few days.”
“So soon? Miss Sofia, why don’t you stay around and take a few more days off?”
Tessa was somewhat reluctant to see Sofia leave so soon, and she tried to persuade Sofia to stay around a while longer.
Unfortunately, Sofia was firm in her decisions and would not be swayed. “I will visit you again when I have the chance to do so. However, now is not the time for me to go sightseeing just yet.”
In the end, Tessa was left with no choice but to ask Sofia for the details of her departure. She planned to see Sofia off that day.
Regardless, she still felt terribly guilty.
After all, Sofia and the others specially came here to help her, yet she failed to be a good hostess.
As a result, Nicholas saw Tessa wallowing on the couch the moment he returned home that night.
He walked over to Tessa and asked in worry, “What’s the matter? Did someone upset you?”
Chapter 1217 Pick on Stefania
“Nobody. I just felt bad I couldn’t be more hospitable to Miss Sofia and the others for their visit this time.” With that, Tessa told Nicholas about Sofia and the others’ departures.
Nicholas chuckled before he suggested, “Well, that’s easy. I will hold a banquet as a token of gratitude to Miss Sofia and the others for coming to support you in your performance. Since it just so happens that you have yet to hold a celebration party due to your successful performance, we can just organize one to observe both.”
She immediately accepted his suggestion. “That’s a good idea.” The next evening, the banquet was held at a hotel under the Sawyer Group.
The wealthy and various virtuosos were both present on that very day. The atmosphere was harmonious as everyone gathered around, drinking and laughing the night away.
The fortunate media reporters that were cordially invited were also present to conduct interviews and take pictures of the attendees as long as they consented to it.
Apart from those mentioned above, netizens also knew that Tessa was holding a banquet today. Since it was an invitation-only banquet, thus highly exclusive, it stirred up a considerable commotion among the curious netizens who were eager to know about the situation at the banquet. Therefore, in order to sate their interest, most of them went online and eagerly waited to be bombarded left and right by pictures taken by the media present.
Just as they were browsing through the Internet, the media suddenly uploaded several beautifully taken images. When the netizens saw them, they were instantly stunned by the lavish decorations.
‘As expected of the Sawyers! The banquet is completely out of this world!’
‘Where’s my goddess? Why did none of these reporters capture even a single picture of my goddess?’
‘Yeah, at least one picture of my goddess is all I ask. I haven’t seen her for two days, and I think I’m about to fall ill because of lovesickness.’
Just like that, one after another, the netizens left their comments under the uploaded pictures. Unfortunately, Tessa wasn’t aware of any of these.
Right now, she was dressed in a purple casual dress as she walked arm-in-arm with Nicholas into the venue.
Thanks to their stunning looks, the two instantly caught everyone’s attention almost as soon as they arrived.
Still, many took the initiative to greet the two once they snapped back to their senses.
Tessa graciously greeted the guests with Nicholas.
During this period, many musicians also took the opportunity to gather around Tessa to discuss their opinions and thoughts on music.
After a while, Stefania suddenly came over and said with a smile, “Tessa, come with me. I want you to meet some of our family friends.”
Tessa nodded and smoothly dismissed herself from the musicians. It was only natural for her to accept Stefania’s invitation.
Hence, both Stefania and Tessa walked arm-in-arm around the banquet hall in no time.
When Stefania came across an affluent family she knew well, she would stop and introduce them to Tessa.
“Tessa, this is Madam Godwin.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Madam Godwin,” Tessa addressed the woman obediently with an elegant demeanor.
Meanwhile, Madam Godwin, whose actual name was Patrizia Ricci, studied Tessa from top to bottom. She quickly discovered that Tessa was on par with the heiresses of influential families, either in demeanor or appearance.
At once, Patrizia nodded in approval, smiled, and sincerely complimented her, “Such a likable young lady. I’m sure that it’s a pleasure to have her in your family.”
That last sentence was directed toward Stefania.
As Stefania loved receiving compliments such as this, the smile on her face became even brighter.
Eventually, Tessa met several family friends of the Sawyers under Stefania’s guidance. So, it was to no one’s surprise that she received countless compliments.
All in all, the banquet went well that evening.
When the banquet was about to come to an end, the reporters began conducting a random interview session.
A reporter walked up to Stefania out of the blue and inquired, “Madam Sawyer, can I take a few minutes of your time for an interview?”
“Of course.” Stefania nodded her consent. Then, she motioned to her friends to wait for her for a while.
Just like that, the reporter started the interview. “Madam Sawyer, are you satisfied with Miss Reinhart, your daughter-in-law?” asked the reporter.
“Of course, I am,” Stefania answered without a beat as her face was filled with a loving smile that a mother would usually show to their children.
Although I did feel that Tessa wasn’t worthy of my brilliant son initially, now that I think about it, the former me was simply too narrow-minded.
Also, even though her status wasn’t on par with our family, her character is first-class. Moreover, she’s exceptionally diligent.
As for the others, they knew that Stefania genuinely favored Tessa the moment they saw how she acted.
Nevertheless, there were still some unforeseen circumstances.
As though he was doing it on purpose, the reporter conducting the interview picked on Stefania after he saw her playing the role of a good mother-in-law. “Madam Sawyer, it isn’t right for you to deceive everyone like this, is it?”
“How am I deceiving everyone?” Stefania looked at the reporter with a frown.
The reporter purposely stirred up trouble upon hearing that by adding, “I heard rumors saying that you and several other elders of the Sawyers were very dissatisfied with Miss Reinhart in the past. Not only that, the Sawyers even forced Miss Reinhart to leave Mr. Sawyer many times.”
Stefania’s face instantly darkened as soon as these words escaped the reporter’s lips.
As she scrutinized the reporter with a cold glare, she felt that the reporter in front of her wasn’t here for an interview but to stir up trouble.
Regardless, the reporter looked as though he didn’t seem to notice the displeased look on her face as he kept poking the sleeping dragon.
Chapter 1218 A Dignified Aura
“Madam Sawyer, I heard that Miss Reinhart’s status was the reason why the Sawyers disapproved of her in the first place. The Sawyers deemed her to be unworthy of Mr. Sawyer. Yet, your attitude toward Miss Reinhart these days has changed once again. Is it because her current status can bring a considerable amount of fame and benefits to the Sawyers? May I interpret that as the reason behind the change in your attitude?”
Stefania’s already displeased face flushed crimson after hearing the reporter’s barbed questions. “You aren’t a reporter employed by the Sawyer Group, are you? Which media company do you work for? How dare you sneak into the banquet to stir up trouble? Who is the mastermind behind this?”
Stefania immediately exposed the reporter’s identity. After all, the media reporters present at the banquet this evening are all sent here by the media companies under the Sawyer Group.
Therefore, none of them will behave in such a way. As for the reporter, he didn’t show even the slightest sign of panic even though Stefania exposed his identity. Instead, he continued to confront Stefania, “Madam Sawyer, judging by your nonsensical remarks, can I take it as your acquiescence to my words?”
Unexpectedly, as soon as the reporter stopped, Tessa’s cold voice abruptly sounded from behind the crowd, “My mother-in-law doesn’t want to answer you solely because your questions aren’t worth her time.”
The others gave way when they saw her.
Tessa slowly made her way toward Stefania’s side with her hand on her waist. Then, she defended Stefania by saying, “As a reporter, you should know that hearsay is an act that reporters should avoid. My mother-in-law and I have always been close. As for the accusations you threw around earlier, those were nothing but rumors.”
After she finished saying that, she stared the reporter down with a warning look.
Perhaps due to her spending a long time with Nicholas, her dignified aura succeeded in frightening the reporter.
The reporter let out a hollow laugh under her death stare before he said, “Calm down, Miss Reinhart. I’m just asking out of curiosity, that’s all.”
“It’s not worth it for me to get angry over matters like this. Moreover, I know what you are trying to do. What I can tell you is that I have very high standards for myself because my husband is indeed very outstanding. I have always made being worthy to stand by his side a goal of mine. This is also why I’ve worked so hard until now,” Tessa explained with a professional smile. Although her voice was soft, it was still full of steel as she warned, “Did I make myself clear? Oh, and one more thing… Please stop sowing discord between my mother-in-law and me in the future.”
“No, I won’t ever do it again,” the reporter said as he forced a smile on his face. Then, he hastily apologized and scurried away.
As for everyone else, they all felt that Tessa had an extremely high emotional intelligence after they saw her resolve the matter so ingeniously.
Now that she had resolved the matter, the guests soon dispersed.
When Tessa noticed that Stefania was still in relatively low spirits, she coaxed, “Mother, don’t take those words to heart.”
Nicholas walked over just as they were conversing.
Since he suddenly received a call to attend a senior management meeting abroad a while ago, he wasn’t present when the incident happened.
Therefore, when he saw the somewhat awful look on Stefania’s face upon his return, he frowned slightly and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“A reporter from another media company sneaked in and asked Mother a few inappropriate questions earlier.”
After that, Tessa briefly told Nicholas about the incident that took place a moment ago.
Nicholas’ facial expression turned slightly cold as he listened to Tessa’s story.
At this moment, Stefania questioned Nicholas with a displeased demeanor, “How could the security detail you arranged be so lacking? Why did they allow an uninvited guest to enter the banquet? We’re lucky that the person who sneaked in this time was a reporter. What if someone with malicious intentions succeeded in sneaking past security today? God knows what will happen this evening once that happens!”
“Mom, I’m sorry for overlooking this matter. I will ask Edward to find out what’s going on later,” Nicholas comforted Stefania. Later, he asked Tessa to accompany Stefania before he turned around to deal with the matter.
The banquet was almost over around 10.00PM.
Due to Tessa’s health, Nicholas took her and his parents back home before the banquet was over.
On the other hand, the guests only began leaving the hotel once the time was up.
This included the reporter who picked on Stefania a moment ago. He blended into the crowd and planned to make his escape.
He was somewhat on tenterhooks at the moment for fear Nicholas would come and get even with him.
Nonetheless, he gradually let his guard down once he walked out of the venue and strode toward the parking lot when he realized that he was in the clear.
Yet, to his surprise, two dark-clothed bodyguards suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked his path just as he was midway to his car.
The reporter felt a little fearful when he saw these two men.
“Who are you guys? What business do you have with me?”
Chapter 1219 Nicholas’ Men
He backed away slowly as he demanded answers. He was looking for a chance to escape. Frankly, when these two people appeared, he already had a good guess as to why they were here.
If he wasn’t mistaken, these two people were sent by Nicholas. Well, he was correct. Just as the reporter turned to flee, Edward showed up with another bodyguard.
He moved to block the reporter’s way with a friendly smile, but his tone was dangerous, “Hey, buddy, you came here uninvited, and now you’re leaving without even a goodbye? That’s not very polite now, is it?”
When the reporter saw Edward, he immediately recognized him as Nicholas’ right-hand man and panicked. His fear turned up a notch as he swallowed anxiously when he saw the tall and burly bodyguards surrounding him.
“Mr. Jackson, what’s the meaning of this?” “Nothing, really. I just wanted to have a chat.” Edward’s tone was courteous, but his expression was anything but.
Although the reporter saw this, he still tentatively asked, “And if I say no?”
“Then, you leave me no choice.”
Edward gave a cool glance toward the bodyguard next to him at the reporter’s words.
The bodyguard nodded and forcefully dragged the reporter away.
“What are you doing? Let me go!”
The reporter kicked and struggled hard to break free of the bodyguard’s grasp but to no avail.
Eventually, Edward took him away to one of Nicholas’ many properties.
The reporter fidgeted with apprehension as he sat on the couch in a large living room.
Finally, after Edward left him to stew for a long while, he glared at him and questioned sternly, “Tell me, who sent you to crash the dinner party?”
As soon as he asked this question, the reporter jerked in his seat, and his eyes darted around the room.
“What do you mean someone sent me? Wasn’t Nicholas the one who hired us?”
He tried to play dumb and also tried to threaten Edward with faux bravado, “What you’re doing now is illegal! Release me now, or I will call the police when I leave.”
“Well, you said, ‘when I leave.’ Have you ever considered that you may not be able to leave? What would you be able to do then?”
Edward wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the reporter’s threat. Instead, he threw one right back at the reporter’s face.
The reporter was terrified when he heard Edward’s words.
“Murder is illegal! You can’t kill me!”
Still, he couldn’t help but tremble under Edward’s chilly stare.
To his surprise, Edward merely chuckled and drawled, “Who said anything about killing? But you just reminded me that there are ways for me to get what I want. Since you aren’t willing to cooperate, I’ll just beat you until you give me the answers I seek. I promise I won’t beat you to death.”
The reporter was practically petrified when he heard those words.
The shock was evident in his eyes as he stared at Edward.
He couldn’t imagine how this man could appear so gentlemanly yet behave like a gangster.
Edward saw the fear in the reporter’s eyes and smirked. ” I will do anything to achieve my goal. So, what’s your play?”
His eyes were lit with a malicious glint as he stared down at the reporter.
The reporter pursed his lips and remained silent. It seemed that he still had the heart to resist.
Naturally, Edward noticed his actions, so he gestured to the bodyguard next to him. “Come! Let us welcome our new friend.”
Two bodyguards came forward at his silent order.
They even played along by cracking their knuckles. When the reporter heard those pops, he felt himself getting goosebumps as a chill ran down his spine.
It was obvious that these two were well-trained. Even if he didn’t die from their beatings, he would end up just as good as dead.
Therefore, when he saw them looming closer, he flailed his arms out and cried out, “Wait, I’ll talk!”
Edward cracked a smile.
So, he waved the two bodyguards away and asked, “Who sent you?”
“It was the president of the Hadfield Group! He gave me half a million dollars to crash the party.”
The reporter immediately sold Oliver out.
Nevertheless, Edward was rather surprised Oliver had decided to strike again.
That man was currently struggling with his own company, yet he still had the time to do such things. Did this mean that he got off too lightly last time?
With that, Edward instructed the bodyguards to release the reporter and left for Dynasty Gardens alone to report his findings to Nicholas.
Meanwhile, in Dynasty Gardens, Tessa had already retired for the night.
Chapter 1220 Hadfield Group’s Board Meeting
Nicholas was currently in his study, working overtime. Soon, Andrew knocked on the door before entering with Edward Nicholas saw Edward and asked coldly, “Who is it?”
“It was Oliver,” Edward reported truthfully. Nicholas wasn’t surprised, but his face turned sullen at the namedrop. Oliver! Him again!
“Considering how the fool still has the free time to provoke us constantly, it seems like the Hadfield Group’s situation isn’t as dire as we thought. If that’s the case, let’s give him something to do!”
Although his tone was cold, it was filled with fury. Edward looked at the angry president and quietly marked a plot for Oliver’s grave in his heart.
This man really won’t stop unless he’s dead.
Nicholas didn’t know what Edward was thinking.
Nicholas’ eyes were half-lidded as he recalled something. “Come here.”
He motioned for Edward.
Edward walked over obediently.
Then, Nicholas murmured a few instructions in his ears and said coldly, “Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get it done now.”
Edward shoved his surprise into a box, nodded, and left to fulfill his orders.
The Hadfield Group, who finally had some peace, made the news again.
‘Shocking! The president of the Hadfield Group had been stealing and embezzling public funds to satisfy his own needs!’
‘Behind Oliver Hadfield’s hedonism is the Hadfield Group, which is in financial crisis.’
‘Hadfield Group’s fake accounts have been exposed!’
The citizens were in an uproar as soon as the news headlines came out.
‘Tsk tsk tsk, I always thought Oliver was wealthy. It turns out he was just embezzling the public’s funds.’
‘Making fake accounts is illegal. So, it’s over for Oliver and the Hadfield Group now.’
‘It’s for the city’s betterment for companies like these to be shut down sooner.’
Meanwhile, the Hadfield Group’s scandal also caused massive waves in the Southend business district.
The ones who were the most enraged and bewildered were probably the directors of the group.
After all, Oliver’s embezzlement undoubtedly harmed their profits.
Therefore, all the directors arrived at Hadfield Group to hold a board meeting that morning.
Even Oliver’s father, who was semi-retired at home, was summoned.
The meeting was filled with a sea of displeased and infuriated faces.
Oliver’s face didn’t look any better since he had an earful of accusations and insults hurled at him from the directors when he arrived.
“And here I was, wondering why the shareholders were still getting the same amount of money, although Hadfield Group seemed to have expanded their business the past two years. It turns out that there’s a rat among us!”
“Oliver, you’re really something else. You got us all fooled!”
“I demand a thorough investigation of the annual accounts to see the amount of money you stole from us!”
“Chairman Hadfield, as Oliver’s father, don’t you know anything about what Oliver is doing? Or were you also complicit?!”
The directors immediately directed their sharp tongues at Francis. It would be the understatement of the century to say that he was angry.
He didn’t expect Oliver to be this brazen to embezzle the company’s funds and even tamper with the account books.
Unfortunately, Oliver was still his son at the end of the day. So, even if he was angry, all he could do was defend him for now.
That was because if Oliver had been sacked from his position, coupled with his semi-retired status, it would be difficult for the Hadfield Family to have the final say in the Hadfield Group.
“Everyone, Oliver has grown up amongst us. You all know how he is. I think someone is pulling the strings behind the news,” he tried to reassure the directors at the table.
Regrettably, those words did not affect the people attending the meeting.
One of them snorted coldly, “That doesn’t matter. People change.”
“There wouldn’t be a scandal if there was no such situation. Chairman Hadfield, you shouldn’t be speaking in tongues here.”
“We came here today to ask for a thorough investigation of the accounts of the Hadfield Group over the past few years. We also want to revoke Oliver’s position as president.”
“Hadfield Group has had accidents occurring one after another under Oliver’s poor management. Now that something like this has happened, it’s better for the company if it was managed by someone better suited to the position.”
Francis didn’t know how to turn the tides in the face of their unyielding stances.
As for Oliver, he was utterly flummoxed.
He had just solved the situation that those two women caused. Yet, the instant the storm had settled, another issue had broken out, catching him off guard.