Ch. 461..470
Always Been Yours Chapter 461
“You bad daddy! I’m not a little man; I’m just four years old! You just want to make a fool out of me and have Miss Tessa all to yourself!”
“Good that you know it.” Nicholas didn’t deny it upon being exposed.
Tessa’s cheeks burned a little as she stood aside and listened to the father and son’s conversation.
Later that night, Tessa coaxed Gregory to sleep. When she came out of his room, she noticed that the light in the study was still on, so she went to the kitchen, warmed a glass of milk, and brought it to the study. Little did she expect, as soon as she entered, she saw Nicholas beating his knees and looking unwell. She hurriedly walked over to him and put down the glass of milk, asking with concern, “Is your old wound flaring up?”
Nicholas nodded slightly. “I’m too busy these days, so I haven’t been sleeping according to schedule. I didn’t expect it to cause my old wound to flare up, though.”
In an instant, Tessa felt terribly sorry for the man. In an uncompromising manner, she helped Nicholas up from behind his desk, saying, “Why keep working when you’re already feeling so uncomfortable? Go back to the room with me and rest.”
Having no other choice, Nicholas followed Tessa back to the bedroom. Nevertheless, his heart was warmed by her actions.
However, when they returned to the room, Tessa noticed that Nicholas was in so much pain that a thin layer of sweat had formed on his forehead, and her heart clenched all at once. “Let me do some acupuncture on you,” she said. Then, she turned around and dashed out of the room to look for Andrew. She remembered that she had not only left a set of acupuncture tools here earlier on but also had Timothy deliver some medicinal ingredients here.
Upon learning that Nicholas’ old injury had flared up, Andrew immediately got Tessa what she wanted as fast as he could.
After returning to the room, Tessa started to apply herbs to the site of Nicholas’ old injury before doing acupuncture on him.
Nicholas was very cooperative during the whole process. An hour later, Tessa put away the needles and asked with concern, “Are you feeling better now?”
Nicholas gazed at Tessa with such tenderness in his eyes as though he wanted Tessa to be immersed in it. “Yeah, I’m feeling much better now. Thank you.”
Tessa heaved a sigh of relief. “Good to hear that the pain has been alleviated,” she said. Then, noticing how exhausted Nicholas was at the moment, she stood up and said, “I’ll go run the bath for you. Take a bath later; it’ll help you sleep better.”
Nicholas nodded.
However, when half an hour had passed and Tessa saw that Nicholas hadn’t come out of the bathroom, she started to get worried. Could that guy have fallen asleep in the bathroom? The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. If Nicholas had fallen asleep, he could be in danger of drowning. “Nicholas, are you done taking a bath?” She stood at the door and knocked on it.
However, no answer came from inside the bathroom.
As Tessa was worried, she didn’t bother feeling shy at the moment. She pushed the door open and went in, and as she had expected, she saw Nicholas sleeping with his back against the bathtub. “Wake up, Nicholas. Let’s go to bed to sleep,” she urged loudly while pushing him.
Nicholas woke up at the first syllable Tessa uttered. “Sorry. I fell asleep.” His voice, which was husky with sleep, sounded incredibly attractive.
“It’s okay. The water has cooled. Just get up quickly lest you catch a cold,” Tessa said. As she spoke, she picked up the bath towel placed aside and handed it to Nicholas, her cheeks blushing. Fearing that she might see what she wasn’t supposed to see, she dared not look at Nicholas.
Under the light, Tessa’s cheeks looked as red as a ripe honey peach that made one want to take a bite of it. When Nicholas saw her looking like this, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down for a moment.
The next moment, Tessa’s cry of surprise could be heard in the bathroom; she had been dragged into the bathtub by Nicholas.
As Nicholas looked at the curvaceous lady in his arms, the feeling of longing that had been repressed inside him for a long time was unleashed all at once.
Sensing Nicholas’ reaction, Tessa hurriedly put her hands on his chest and exclaimed, “Stop it, Nicholas. You should take a rest.”
However, Nicholas didn’t listen to her at all. Instead, he lowered his head and seized her pink and tender lips in a kiss, and the air in the bathroom gradually became extremely hot.
An hour later, Tessa, her cheeks blushing, left the bathroom in Nicholas’ arms. At first, she thought this would be the end of it, but who would’ve known that Nicholas would make love to her again in bed?
Always Been Yours Chapter 462
It wasn’t until the second half of the night, when Tessa could hardly keep her eyes open, that Nicholas finally let her off.
As Tessa drifted off to sleep in a daze, she couldn’t help but complain inwardly. Seriously, I wonder what gave this guy so much energy. He was exhausted, and he didn’t have much rest, right?
…
Unsurprisingly, when Tessa woke up the next day, her body ached all over as if it had been crushed by a car. After resting for a moment, she started to get out of bed.
Nicholas woke up as well. “Morning,” he said, his deep voice husky with sleep as he sat up with bleary eyes.
Just then, the blue quilt covering his body slipped down to reveal his muscular chest, which, coupled with his delicate and charming features, made him look like a handsome young hunk.
At the sight of the scene, Tessa was totally stunned.
Seeing the lady being bewitched by his charms, Nicholas curled his lips in pleasure. He teased, “You’re drooling.”
I’m drooling? Tessa subconsciously wiped her mouth, only to realize there was nothing on it.
The man’s deep chuckle rang beside her again.
Tessa turned crimson all at once. “Nicholas Sawyer!” Annoyed and embarrassed, she glared at the man on the bed. “I won’t talk to you anymore. I’ll go wash up,” she said. With that, she turned around and dashed into the bathroom, looking as if she were running away from something.
The smile on Nicholas’ face deepened as he watched this.
Tessa had calmed down by the time she finished washing up later on. When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that Nicholas had dressed himself in a suit with all the buttons on his white shirt fastened. With his tall figure, he looked elegant and very stoic.
At the sight of the scene, Tessa was stunned once again. This time, however, she came to her senses soon afterward. She hemmed and said, “I’ll go wake Greg up.” With that, she quickly stepped out of the room.
Still, Nicholas noticed her crimson cheeks with his sharp eyes, and his lips curled into a charming smile.
The three of them had breakfast in the dining room after that. Nicholas asked during breakfast, “What’s your plan today?”
Tessa briefly explained what she would be doing at the orchestra. “I’ve got to go back to the orchestra later on. I still have some work to deal with today.”
Nicholas nodded. “I’ll drive you there later.”
Tessa didn’t turn him down.
Hearing their conversation, Gregory shouted animatedly, “I wanna go too! I want to see you off too, Miss Tessa.”
“Okay, you can come along. Hurry up and eat.” Tessa held Gregory’s hand in hers affectionately before putting some ravioli into his bowl.
Gregory immediately ate the ravioli. As a result, his cheeks were bulging with food, making him look as cute as a hamster.
After having breakfast, Nicholas and Gregory sent Tessa to the hotel. When they arrived, Nicholas took Tessa’s hand and said in a gentle voice, “Call me when you’re done in the afternoon. I’ll come pick you up.”
Refusing to be outdone, Gregory stared at Tessa while blinking his starry eyes, saying, “I’ll come pick you up too, Miss Tessa.”
Looking at the father and son before her, Tessa replied apologetically, “Not this evening, I’m afraid. I have to take the orchestra’s members to dinner.”
Gregory’s chubby face was full of unconcealed disappointment. “Aw, how regrettable! It’s too bad that I can’t have dinner with you, Miss Tessa.”
Nicholas was somewhat disappointed as well, but he didn’t mind it. He said with a faint smile, “In that case, call me when you finish having dinner with them. I’ll come pick you up.”
Tessa nodded. After that, she said goodbye to them and got out of the car.
…
Meanwhile, in the Sawyer Residence…
When Stefania came downstairs and saw Hayley standing gracefully in the living room, her face broke into an affable smile. “What brings you here, Hayley?”
“I’m off work today, and I thought you were alone at home, so I wanted to come and keep you company.” Hayley assumed an obedient and considerate demeanor, which Stefania liked very much.
Stefania took Hayley to sit on the sofa. After they chatted for a while, Hayley pretended to be hesitating whether to say something, which drew Stefania’s attention. “Hayley, is there something you’d like to tell me?”
“Yes, there is.” Hayley glanced at Stefania with feigned hesitation. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she suddenly leaned close to Stefania’s ear and whispered, “Mrs. Sawyer, I saw Tessa. She has come back.”
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As soon as Hayley said that, the smile on Stefania’s face instantly vanished, and her expression darkened somewhat.
Meanwhile, Tessa was totally unaware that Hayley had told Stefania about her return. After meeting up with the orchestra’s members, she followed Hathaway to inspect the venue where they would be performing.
The orchestra would be performing at Silverscape Theater, a well-known landmark building full of exotic beauty in the downtown area of Southend. Decorated in the palace style, the tremendously spacious theater exuded chic extravagance everywhere. With two levels of seating, the theater’s auditorium could accommodate up to 10,000 people.
As the orchestra would be performing in three days, Hathaway wasted no time in having the orchestra rehearse for the performance after everyone had familiarized themselves with the environment.
Seeing the orchestra perform on stage, Tessa sat in the audience with a gleam of determination in her eyes. I’ll become one of the members performing onstage one day.
The rehearsal went on until the evening. Seeing that the orchestra’s members had gone backstage, Tessa followed them there to help them.
Just then, Hathaway came over with a smile, saying, “Tessa, you’re a local of Southend, so you certainly know where to find delicious food. I’ll leave it to you to take our orchestra to dinner this evening.”
“Sure, no problem,” Tessa replied with a smile without refusing. In reality, even if Hathaway hadn’t said so, she would’ve played host to Hathaway and the others by taking them out to eat something delicious and hang out nearby while they were at it.
Kathleen stood beside them while looking at the smile on Tessa’s face. Somehow, she found Tessa’s smile offensive no matter how she looked at it. Suddenly, she seemingly recalled something and said sarcastically, “Tessa, I heard that your boyfriend is the Sawyer Group’s president. With his social standing, he must know somewhere good to go. Why don’t you call him over to play host to us?”
Tessa knitted her brows as she found Kathleen increasingly annoying. “My boyfriend is very busy with work, so he really can’t find time for that.” She darted a look at Kathleen without a change in her countenance. Then, she added meaningfully, “And besides, my boyfriend doesn’t like being with strangers, so I’ll play host to you guys myself.”
Naturally, Kathleen understood the meaning behind Tessa’s words, and she looked somewhat embarrassed. Letting out a soft snort, she replied disdainfully, “Tsk, you’ve got so many excuses. The way I see it, your boyfriend probably doesn’t care about you as much as you imagined.”
Tessa’s face immediately fell at her words. This woman really wouldn’t let me off, would she? At the thought of this, she curtly shot back, “Whether my boyfriend cares about me or not is my own business. That’s none of your concern.”
Upon hearing this, Kathleen was rendered speechless.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense all at once. Sensing the tension between the two, the orchestra’s other members looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
Looking at her daughter with a sullen expression, Hathaway reprimanded, “Shut up and pack up your stuff! Stop picking on Tessa here.”
“How am I picking on her?” Kathleen was resentful at being reprimanded.
Hathaway shot her a glare. She warned, “Don’t forget what you’ve promised me earlier.”
Upon hearing this, Kathleen instantly fell silent. After darting a look at Tessa guiltily, she pouted her lips and turned around to go ahead with what she was doing.
Tessa found Kathleen’s attitude a little strange, but she didn’t take it to heart.
Just then, Hathaway came over and said apologetically, “Kathleen is spoiled rotten by her father, so she speaks and acts without thinking sometimes. Just ignore her.”
“It’s okay.” That was what she said, but deep down, Tessa felt very uncomfortable.
A while later, everyone had finished packing up their stuff and were ready to leave the theater for dinner.
By this moment, Tessa had contacted a well-known restaurant in Southend through the internet. As there were many members in the orchestra, she had to make a reservation in advance.
Tessa and the orchestra’s members used up almost all the private rooms when they arrived at the restaurant. Tessa had inquired about everyone’s food preferences before coming, so everyone enjoyed the dinner.
Hathaway knew that everyone wanted to hang out around the area. Therefore, after everyone had eaten and drunk to their hearts’ content, she announced that everyone was free to go wherever they liked as long as their rehearsal on the next day wouldn’t be affected.
Always Been Yours Chapter 464
After saying goodbye to the others, Tessa took a taxi to the Sawyer Group. She had learned during dinner that Nicholas was still working at his office. After getting out of the taxi, she gave Nicholas a phone call.
Nicholas’ voice, which was as deep and melodious as the sound of a cello, sounded on the other end of the line. “The dinner’s over?”
Holding her cell phone, Tessa looked up at the Sawyer Group’s brightly lit top-floor office with a smile. “Yeah, it’s over. I’m now downstairs at your company. Are you coming downstairs?”
“Give me a minute,” Nicholas replied before hanging up.
Several minutes later, Tessa saw Nicholas step toward her while dressed in a black tailor-made suit. Under the bright moonlight, the man’s tall and slender figure emanated an innately regal aura.
Tessa faced Nicholas every single day, but she still couldn’t help being enthralled by his handsome looks. Luckily, after being distracted for a moment, she came to her senses with her eyes full of pride. Such an outstanding man is mine, and he’ll be my husband in the future.
The man’s extremely tender voice rang next to her. “What were you thinking? You looked so absorbed in thought.”
Tessa blinked her eyes. “It’s a secret.” A flicker of mischief flashed across her starry eyes as she looked at the handsome face that was just inches away from her.
Nicholas chuckled at Tessa’s reply, but he didn’t question her any further. He naturally took her hand and said in a gentle voice, “Edward has gone to pick up the car. He’ll be here in a minute.”
Tessa nodded.
When Edward drove the car over a while later, Nicholas released him from work right away.
On their way back, Nicholas caringly asked Tessa how she had been doing in the orchestra, the story of which Tessa was willing to share with him. She said, “We visited Silverscape Theater this morning. Speaking of it, I’ve lived in Southend for such a long time, but this is my first time getting inside Silverscape Theater. It’s spacious inside, and its interior decor is very beautiful… The orchestra rehearsed in the theater this afternoon, and I took them to dinner in the evening.”
Although Tessa had said a lot of things, Nicholas was perceptive enough to sense that something was wrong. Suddenly, he asked, “Are you hiding something from me?”
Dumbfounded by his question, Tessa looked at him in puzzlement. “What am I hiding?”
Nicholas said, “You did a good job of concealing it, but I could sense your emotion very well. There was a change in your tone of voice when you talked about where the orchestra went for dinner this evening, so I guess you probably came across something unpleasant in the orchestra today.” There happened to be a red light ahead as he spoke, so he simply stopped the car and turned to look at Tessa.
Meeting Nicholas’ dark and serious eyes, Tessa didn’t know whether to laugh or to frown. At the same time, though, she was moved. Just how much he cares about me to be able to sense even the slightest change in me? In the end, she decided to be honest and told him about the unpleasant exchange between her and Kathleen. “That’s about it,” she said. Then, she couldn’t help but start to rant, “I used to think that Kathleen was a nice person, but I wonder what went wrong with her after that. She keeps picking on me more and more.”
Nicholas’ face darkened slightly as he listened to Tessa’s story. Narrowing his eyes, he replied, “Let me arrange for your orchestra’s after-party after their performance is over.”
Tessa shook her head and refused, “Wouldn’t it be too much of a hassle? Let’s forget it. Miss Hathaway will probably arrange for that.” She didn’t want Nicholas to go to so much trouble.
Nicholas replied with a smile, “It’s no trouble at all. And besides, now that she has brought this up, if I don’t arrange for it, it’ll make me seem stingy. All I have to do is spend a little money. I’ll get someone to do it.”
Seeing that Nicholas insisted, Tessa agreed to his suggestion. Inwardly, though, she disliked Kathleen even more because of this.
A while later, the couple arrived at Dynasty Gardens. When Tessa saw Timothy sitting in the living room, a smile appeared on her face. She asked in surprise, “Tim, when did you arrive?”
In the living room, Timothy and Gregory were sitting side by side on the sofa and tinkering with the laptop. Upon hearing Tessa’s voice, they immediately lifted their heads from the laptop screen with bright smiles on their faces. Then, they greeted her and Nicholas simultaneously.
Always Been Yours Chapter 465
“Tess, Nicholas.”
“Miss Tessa, Daddy, you two are back at last,” Gregory said while jumping off the sofa. Then, he ran straight toward Tessa and stretched out his arms, saying, “Miss Tessa, give me a hug.”
Tessa couldn’t bring herself to turn down the adorable little boy at all, so she bent down and held Gregory in her arms. Then, she walked toward Timothy and sat on the sofa, saying, “Have you eaten?”
“Yep,” Timothy said. Then, he added with a mischievous smile, “Of course, it’ll be even better if you can make some midnight snack later on.”
“Of course I can,” Tessa replied without the slightest hesitation.
Unwilling to fall behind, Gregory chimed in, “I’ve eaten too. I had one and a half bowl of pasta for dinner, and Uncle Timothy had dinner with me.”
Tessa felt her heart almost melting at the sight of how adorable he was. She kissed the little boy on the cheek and praised him, saying, “That’s very great of you, Greg.”
“Hehe…” Gregory giggled happily.
Nicholas was inwardly pleased as he sat aside and watched them interact.
The clock on the wall struck nine in the blink of an eye. Recalling that she had promised to fix Timothy some midnight snack earlier, she stood up and asked, “Tim, what would you like to eat for midnight snack?”
“I want to eat the noodles you cook. It’s been a long time since I last ate that,” Timothy said while smacking his lips. They were now doing better than before, but he found that what he liked the most were still the noodles Tessa used to cook for him at midnight.
Tessa nodded.
Just then, Gregory’s excited voice rang beside her. “I want to eat the noodles you cook too, Miss Tessa.”
“Okay, I’ll make you a bowl of it,” Tessa said to Gregory with a smile as her eyes fell upon Nicholas. However, before she could ask him, he said, “I want a bowl of it too.”
Tessa nodded before heading for the kitchen.
At the sight of the scene, Gregory immediately followed after her, mumbling, “I’ll go help Miss Tessa.”
A while later, Tessa made four bowls of noodles. After serving all the noodles on the table, she called Nicholas and Timothy over to eat, saying, “The midnight snack is ready.”
Timothy ate the noodles with great relish. He said with a sigh, “The noodles you make are still the best, after all.”
“That’s right! Miss Tessa, whatever kind of food you make, I can have two bowls of it,” Gregory said while wolfing down the noodles. One might as well say he was Tessa’s most loyal supporter.
Nicholas nodded in agreement. “The noodles are very tasty indeed.”
Hearing all of them heap praise on her, Tessa felt a tremendous sense of achievement, and she smiled the whole time. After all, every person who cooked would hope that the food they made would be met with positive comments.
After eating the noodles, the four of them went back to the living room to rest. Tessa played games with Gregory, and cheerful laughter could often be heard from them.
Of course, their laughter interrupted the conversation between Nicholas and Timothy repeatedly, but they didn’t mind. Instead, they frequently cast affectionate glances at the pair.
The scene in the living room looked very homely from afar.
At 11:00PM, Timothy took his leave.
Tessa said with reluctance, “Be careful on your way back and give me a call when you get home.”
“I know.” Timothy nodded. In reality, he was reluctant to part with his sister as well, but he knew that she must be unwilling to part with Nicholas since they were very much in love.
Unaware of what Timothy was thinking, Tessa was worried about him going back alone. She suggested, “What about this? I’ll drive you back and stay at home tonight.” As she spoke, she went to get her handbag.
At the sight of the scene, Nicholas quickly stopped Tessa. Then, he turned and said to Timothy, “Just stay here tonight. You can stay here these days.” She’s got to be kidding me. Now that I’ve coaxed her into living with me, how can I possibly let her go back? he thought. However, he knew that Tessa definitely wanted to spend more time with Timothy after not being able to see him for such a long time, so he let Timothy stay at his home.
Always Been Yours Chapter 466
Upon hearing Nicholas’ words, Timothy didn’t stand on ceremony with him. “In that case, thanks for having me in the next few days.”
Gregory clapped and cheered beside them. “Hurray! Now that Uncle Timothy is staying here too, I can learn programming from him every day from now on.”
Tessa smiled happily as well. Visibly moved, she turned to look at Nicholas, knowing that he had done so for her sake.
After coaxing Gregory to sleep afterward, Tessa returned to the bedroom to find that Nicholas had washed up and was sitting on the bed, reading.
Hearing her footsteps, Nicholas lifted his head from the book and said in a gentle voice, “I’ve run the bath for you. Just take a bath and relax after you go in.”
Tessa nodded. After taking a change of clothes, she turned around and entered the bathroom. After taking a bath, she felt reinvigorated indeed.
When Tessa lay down on the bed, Nicholas naturally held her in his arms.
Listening to the man’s steady and strong heartbeat, Tessa couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his waist. She said with a smile, “Thanks for letting Timothy stay.”
Upon hearing her words, Nicholas looked down at the young lady in his arms. Suddenly, he turned over and threw his weight on top of her. Looking down at her, he said charmingly, “What I want is never just your gratitude.”
Tessa blinked her eyes. Letting out a chuckle, she hugged Nicholas around the neck and kissed him on the lips.
Nicholas’ eyes darkened. Putting his hand on the back of her head, he kept deepening the kiss.
The air in the room became increasingly dry and hot.
Meanwhile, Timothy had wanted to go downstairs to pour himself a glass of water. However, as soon as he reached the hallway, he heard a certain noise, and a blush immediately came over his fair-skinned face. As it turned out, Tessa didn’t close the door properly when she returned to the room just now.
Despite his unease, he walked to the master bedroom. Of course, he didn’t have the nerve to look inside, so he hemmed and said, “Tess, Nicholas, could you pause for a moment and close the door? Greg is at home. Don’t be a bad influence on the kid.”
Upon hearing this, Tessa, who had gotten all heated up at first in the room, instantly came to her senses. Then, her mind went completely blank. Oh, my God! To think that Tim caught me doing this kind of thing with Nicholas! How am I supposed to face him from now on? Having a guilty conscience, she immediately pushed Nicholas away with her face turning crimson. The next instant, she jumped out of bed and frantically straightened out her pajamas. “Uh, it’s getting late. Rest early, you two,” she said before fleeing the scene. Not daring to look at Timothy, she headed straight for her room, opening and closing the door in one fell swoop.
Timothy rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
Just then, an annoyed male voice rang. “Timothy!”
Timothy stiffened up subconsciously. Before he could speak, he saw Nicholas come out of the room with a dark expression. He said, “I think you’d better go back.”
“Why?”
“Because you spoiled my game!”
Timothy was utterly speechless. Raising an eyebrow, he replied, “Well, what about I take Tess home right away? Don’t forget that she’s not your wife yet.”
Upon hearing this, Nicholas looked at Timothy with darkened eyes. “Your sister will be mine in the future.”
Timothy raised an eyebrow while squabbling with him. “Like you said, she’ll only be yours in the future.”
With that, the two men engaged in a battle of words. No matter what Nicholas said, Timothy would counter with the same sentence.
Gnashing his teeth in anger, Nicholas glared at Timothy with increasing hostility, wishing he could beat the latter up.
Timothy could tell that as well, but he wasn’t afraid at all. He said with a mischievous smile, “Nicholas, I know you feel like beating me up right now, but if you lay a hand on me, Tess will definitely side with me.”
At a loss for a retort, Nicholas felt that Timothy had become bolder with Tessa backing him up. In the end, he was defeated; after all, he didn’t want to put Tessa in a difficult position. “What are you standing here for? Go back to your room and sleep,” he said. With that, he closed the door right away.
Looking at the tightly closed door, Timothy rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
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Seems that I’ve gotten under Nicholas’ skin. I wonder if he’ll give me a hard time in the future, thought Timothy to himself.
…
Tessa still felt somewhat awkward while facing Timothy the next morning, but she slowly relaxed as Gregory cracked one joke after another.
The four of them had breakfast together in a pleasant atmosphere before going their separate ways.
After sending Tessa to the hotel where the orchestra was staying, Nicholas went to the hospital to visit Remus.
Remus had gotten much better after receiving treatment these days.
When Nicholas entered Remus’ ward, he was surprised to find that Hayley was here as well. Not only that, but she and Remus were chatting and laughing.
Just then, Hayley noticed Nicholas standing at the door, and she stood up happily. “You’re here at last, Nicholas.”
Looking coldly at her, Nicholas asked with a frown, “Why are you here?”
The smile on Hayley’s face froze the instant she heard the man’s unwelcoming tone of voice. Staring at Nicholas with a look of embarrassment, she replied in a charming and gentle voice that sounded a bit hurt, “I’m here to visit Old Master Sawyer.”
At the sight of the scene, Remus immediately sprang to her defense. “It was me who let Hayley in. What’s the matter? Do you have any objections?”
Darting a look at the somewhat irked Remus, Nicholas replied impassively, “No, I don’t.”
“Good that you don’t.” Remus let out a soft snort. Then, recalling how Nicholas had barred Hayley and the Stones from visiting him, he reprimanded, “Why did you have Hayley barred from entering my ward? She came to visit me with the best of intentions.”
“Ashton said that you need to recuperate,” Nicholas said while darting a glance at Hayley with a terrifyingly icy look in his eyes. Needless to say, this woman must’ve complained to Grandpa about me. After all, I did hide from Grandpa that I had the Stones barred from visiting him.
Sensing the man’s gaze, Hayley subconsciously looked up.
However, Nicholas had concealed the emotions in his eyes very well by this moment.
Noticing that Nicholas was looking at her, Hayley instinctively curled her lips, wanting to give him a smile that she thought was good-looking. However, Nicholas withdrew his gaze before the smile could spread across her face.
Just then, Remus’ sonorous and forceful voice rang. “I’m perfectly fine, and I don’t need to recuperate. Don’t keep Hayley and the Stones from entering my ward anymore.”
Nicholas listened quietly without answering Remus. He stayed to keep Remus company while chatting with the latter in a desultory way. Golden sunlight shone on him through the window as if coating him with light. This chapter is provided by infobagh.com. Visit infobagh.com for daily update. With his matchlessly handsome looks, he looked very noble, like an angel who had descended from heaven.
Staring at Nicholas with infatuation, Hayley wanted to speak more with him. “Here, have an apple, Nicholas. It’s very sweet.” She bashfully handed him an apple that she had just peeled.
Nicholas darted a look at the apple before his thin lips parted. He refused, “It’s not necessary.”
Unwilling to give up, Hayley tried making conversation with Nicholas. However, he didn’t respond to her words no matter what she said.
At the end of the visit, Nicholas prepared to leave.
Glancing at Hayley beside him, Remus suggested, “In that case, send Hayley home too.” Even though he had given in earlier, he still hoped that Nicholas and Hayley could be together, so he helped create an opportunity for the two to get along. Perhaps by coming into contact with her more often, Nicholas will learn that Hayley’s the most suitable person for him.
Having figured out what Remus was thinking, Hayley was secretly delighted. Turns out my efforts to come and keep this old man company every day aren’t in vain! she thought. She turned to look at Nicholas with a smile, saying, “Thanks for giving me a ride, then.”
On the other hand, Nicholas knew full well what Remus was thinking. After darting a frosty look at Hayley, he said expressionlessly, “It’s out of my way.” Then, he left without looking back.
Remus looked somewhat embarrassed as he watched Nicholas leave decisively.
Hayley was dumbfounded for a moment before she was overwhelmed with embarrassment. As she couldn’t care less about anything else at the moment, she went after him in her high heels, trotting all the way before stopping Nicholas outside the elevator. “Wait a minute, Nicholas!”
Nicholas’ face hardened when he saw her. “Get out of my way.”
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Hayley didn’t budge, though. She stubbornly held her head up, asking, “Nicholas, I want to know if I’ve done anything wrong and offended you. Why are you being so cold to me now?”
Nicholas stared fixedly at Hayley with an inscrutable look in his dark eyes while emanating a terrifying aura through every pore.
Sensing the pressure coming at her, Hayley only felt as if there was a huge mountain on top of her chest, making her almost unable to breathe. However, she was unwilling to back down, so she bit her lower lip and persisted in meeting Nicholas’ gaze. “Could I have done something that made you upset?”
As soon as she finished her sentence, the door to the elevator behind her opened with a Ding!
Seeing that the elevator door had opened, Nicholas didn’t want to waste time on Hayley any longer. His thin lips parted, and he said cruelly, “No, you didn’t.” This chapter is provided by infobagh.com. Visit infobagh.com for daily update. With that, he walked past her and entered the elevator.
Hayley’s hands clenched into fists by her sides as she watched the man coldly close the elevator door by pressing the button. She clenched her teeth. This chapter is provided by infobagh.com. Visit infobagh.com for daily update. Her heart was filled with resentment, especially when she recalled how Nicholas had gotten along well with Tessa when she spied on them earlier. Nicholas wasn’t like this at the time. Could this man’s tenderness be reserved for no one but Tessa, that b*tch?! The more she thought about it, the more indignant she was. What is it about me that makes me incomparable with that b*tch and causes Nicholas to turn up his nose at me like this?
Suddenly, she turned around and returned to the ward as if she had made a decision.
When Remus saw Hayley return to the ward looking upset, he knew without thinking that she had probably been spurned by Nicholas. He comforted her, saying, “Don’t be discouraged. One day, Nicholas will understand that you’re the better person for him.”
Hayley didn’t respond to his words, though. After taking a deep breath, she suddenly said, “Old Master Sawyer, there’s something that I haven’t told you, actually.”
“What is it?”
“Tessa has come back to the country, and she’s been living with Nicholas these days.”
Remus was dumbstruck at once. The next instant, he knitted his brows with a dark expression. It never occurred to him that Tessa would come back. At the same time, he felt that it was all because of Tessa that Nicholas was being so cold toward Hayley. Taking a look at the dejected Hayley, he said in a gentle voice, “I got it. You should go back first.”
Hayley nodded and left. She knew very well that Remus would definitely deal with Tessa upon learning that she had come back, so all she had to do was wait and see.
What Hayley thought was indeed true, for as soon as she left, Remus ordered, “Ian, call Tessa and tell her that I want to see her.”
Meanwhile, in the Silverscape Theater, Tessa had a lot of free time on her hands since she wouldn’t be performing and didn’t need to rehearse. A while later, just as she was idling backstage, she got a call from Ian. He said, “Miss Reinhart, Old Master Sawyer would like to see you. Please come over as soon as possible.”
“I got it. I’ll be there right away,” Tessa said before hanging up. In fact, she wasn’t surprised to get a phone call from Remus. Upon returning to the country, she had prepared herself in case she might face him again. This time, however, she had no intention of backing down.
Half an hour later, she stood outside the ward with some healthcare products in her hands. Then, she took a deep breath and put up her hand to knock on the door.
“Come in.” Remus’ deep voice rang from behind the door.
When Tessa pushed the door open and entered, she saw Remus sitting with his back against the head of the bed while looking pretty fine. “Hello, Old Master Sawyer,” she greeted while handing the healthcare products in her hand to Ian beside her.
Remus narrowed his eyes. After looking Tessa up and down, he said, “Have a seat.”
Tessa nodded before sitting on the couch.
Remus adjusted his posture to a more comfortable sitting position. Looking down at Tessa, he asked in a grim and frosty voice, “You probably know why I called you over today, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Since you know that, shouldn’t you explain to me what you’re coming back for? Did you forget what you’d promised me previously?” Remus fixed Tessa with a quietly terrifying look as if wanting to make her shrink back.
Always Been Yours Chapter 469
A stunned Tessa recalled how she had been forced to leave the country. A moment later, she raised her head and met Remus’ gaze without looking as timid as she had been in the past. “I haven’t forgotten it, but I didn’t understand my feelings in the past. Now that I’ve gotten together with Nicholas, I know very well what I want. No matter what you want to say, I won’t break up with Nicholas unless he says he wants to break up with me.”
Unsurprisingly, Remus’ expression became as black as thunder at Tessa’s words.
Tessa saw it, but she pretended not to and instead continued, “Also, don’t even try to threaten me with my younger brother anymore. It won’t work a second time.”
“How certain are you about that?” Remus shot back in displeasure.
She frowned. After looking at him with a complicated look in her eyes, she couldn’t help but ask, “I wonder what makes you so opposed to Nicholas and me being together.”
“Because you two aren’t suited for each other,” he answered without thinking.
Tessa questioned with persistence, “What makes you think we’re not suited to each other? I don’t think I’m inferior to anyone. And besides, I love Nicholas, and he loves me too. Why do you have to stop us from being together?”
Stumped by her question, Remus found himself at a loss for a reply for a moment.
When she saw Remus’ reaction, Tessa continued, “I think you probably have never thought about what Nicholas wants, nor have you ever tried to understand him.”
It was not a surprise that his expression darkened even more at her words.
Tessa didn’t care about it, though. This chapter is provided by infobagh.com. Visit infobagh.com for daily update. She spoke her mind and added, “You’re probably used to having others obey you and cater to your whims because of your status, which is why you want to manipulate Nicholas and force him into doing things according to your will. I have to say that such a way of doing things is overbearing and hurtful, though. Not only will it not make Nicholas comply with your wishes, but it’ll also make him grow more and more estranged from you. Nicholas has run away from home earlier because of this, which I think is the best example.”
Remus glared at Tessa furiously after he heard that and barked, “Are you teaching me how to do things?”
A fearless Tessa met his gaze. “No, I’m not. I just want to make you understand that you can’t affect my relationship with Nicholas by forcing us to break up. Instead, you’ll only make him grow even more distant from you.”
At this moment, he suddenly found that she had become much different from the person she used to be. Not only did she become stronger, she was also much more confident. He stared at her with an incredibly complicated look in his eyes. A moment later, as he was unwilling to admit defeat, he said with a snort, “Don’t think that I’ll approve of you and Nicholas being together just because you said so.”
“I never thought of getting your approval either.” When Tessa saw Remus acting so awkwardly, the fear that she initially had vanished. She felt that Remus was, in fact, just like most parents in the world, who hoped for only the best for their children.
At the thought of this, she curled her lips into a faint smile before she commented, “But if it’s possible, I still hope that you can approve of it.”
Remus pretended not to hear it in his speechlessness.
Tessa didn’t mind his silence either. Standing up from the couch, she said politely, “Lastly, please take care of yourself. Nicholas is very worried about you, so don’t make him worry about you anymore.” With that, she said goodbye without waiting for the old man’s reply.
There was a long silence in the ward after the young lady’s figure disappeared into the distance.
Seeing Remus’ grim expression, Ian became somewhat worried as he stepped forward and advised, “Old Master Sawyer, please don’t take Miss Reinhart’s words to heart. We all know that you’re doing all this for Master Nicholas’ own good.”
Remus looked up at him. Suddenly, he asked, “Tell me the truth, Ian. Do you also think that what she said earlier is right?”
Ian fell silent. For a moment, he was at a loss for a reply.
When he saw Ian’s behavior, Remus immediately knew the answer. Even though it was a hard pill to swallow, he had to admit that Tessa’s words did make some sense. At the thought of this, he turned to look at the clear blue sky outside the window. He said faintly, “She’s right. After calling the shots in the Sawyer Family for dozens of years, I’ve grown used to having the others obey me and comply with my arrangements. If any of them show the slightest bit of defiance, I’ll do whatever possible to make them give in.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 470
Ian felt a little upset when he listened to Remus’ low and hoarse voice. It’s been a long while since I last saw Sir feeling this down.
Just when Ian wanted to say something to comfort him, Remus’ voice rang in his ears again.
“She was also right about one thing, though. I had never considered Nicholas’ thoughts. I even drove him away before and my relationship with Nicholas is extremely strained now,” Remus said as he thought about the things that took place these days. Although Nicholas did come to see me, it was more like a daily routine. Moreover, the content of our conversation seemed to revolve around nothing else but the company affairs.
When Ian saw this, he sighed and advised Remus, “Sir, as I have said, you don’t have to worry about Master Nicholas and should instead trust in him. Moreover, since you’ve retired, you shouldn’t bother with other affairs aside from enjoying your life from now on.”
Remus fell silent when he heard Ian’s advice. He neither agreed nor refuted, which made people wonder what he truly thought about the matter.
Meanwhile, Tessa received a call from Nicholas not long after she left the hospital.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m shopping for my members of the orchestra band at the street market.”
It was a white lie she told as she didn’t want Nicholas to know about her meeting with Remus to prevent him from needlessly worrying about her.
I chose to run away because I was not with Nicholas before, but now that we’re together, I don’t want to be separated from him. So, I intend to face this with Nicholas.
However, little did Tessa know that her every move of hers was being watched by Nicholas. His handsome face was full of gentleness that could not be hidden as he looked at the girl not far away.
It turned out that after she arrived at the hospital, he immediately received news about it from the bodyguard and rushed over in a hurry. This chapter is provided by infobagh.com. Visit infobagh.com for daily update. When Tessa and Remus had their conversation, Nicholas stood outside the ward and listened to every word in their discussion.
He was pretty satisfied with what she had said in the ward.
At least my girl won’t run away anymore.
As he thought of this, he really wanted to rush forward and hold Tessa in his arms. However, he restrained the urge to do so.
Gathering from her words earlier, I have a feeling that she doesn’t want me to know about this matter.
Meanwhile, Tessa did not know these things at all.
She hung up the phone after they exchanged a few words. Then, she took a cab back to Silverscape Theater.
When the orchestra rehearsal ended in the evening, Nicholas drove to the theater to pick her up.
After getting in the car, Tessa realized that the car wasn’t heading back to Dynasty Gardens.
Tessa felt that it was strange, so she turned her head and asked, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll know in a while.” He gave her a mysterious look and then drove seriously.
She blinked and only felt that this scene seemed familiar. It’s very much like an early sign of Nicholas preparing a surprise for me like before.
At that moment, she could not help but look forward to the evening.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped under the famous Morgan Tower in Southend.
Nicholas held her hand and led her to the Sky Garden Restaurant located on the top floor of Morgan Tower.
When they entered the restaurant, Tessa discovered that there were no other customers around. Hence, she could not help but ask, “Did you reserve the entire restaurant?”
He only replied to Tessa’s question with a smile and his silence meant everything.
Despite feeling it was a little extravagant, she did not say anything. It’s Nicholas’ surprise for me after all.
Shortly after, they were led to the best seats in the restaurant under the guidance of the server. In this particular location, not only could they overlook the nightscape of the entire Southend, but they could also enjoy the restaurant’s exquisite garden.
As Tessa looked at the city shrouded in colorful neon lights, she couldn’t help but feel awed at the scenery. “I never knew the nightscape of Southend was this mesmerizing.”
“If you like it, I’ll bring you here often in the future.” Nicholas looked at her tenderly with affection for her.
Her cheeks slightly crimsoned under his affectionate looks. Then, she coughed lightly to hide her shyness. “We can come often, but don’t make it so extravagant every time.”
“Okay, we’ll do it your way.”
As she heard the doting tone in his voice, her cheeks heated even more.