Ch. 481..490
Always Been Yours Chapter 481
“M-Master Nicholas, why are you here?”
Colin stepped forward to greet him with trepidation when he inmediately recognized Nicholas ‘identity.
Nicholas glanced at him, then said, “I’m here to pick up my girlfriend.”
With that, he stepped forward and placed his arms around Tessa.
She looked at the man next to her in surprise, and her panicked heart suddenly eased.
She couldn’t conceal the sweet smile on her face when she asked, “Why are you here?”
“I was worried knowing that you were coming to a bar. So I’ve been waiting outside because I was afraid that someone would cause trouble for you.”
Nicholas swept a cold glance over Colin, his eyes full of hostility as he spoke.
Colin only felt a chill spreading from the soles of his feet to his whole body, causing his legs to tremble a little.
“M-Master Nicholas, I’m in the wrong. I didn’t know she was your woman. I’m sure a great man like you would be a generous one as well. Please spare me.”
He quickly bowed and apologized. His behavior was extremely sincere, and his previous arrogance could no longer be seen.
The members of the orchestra were stunned, especially Kathleen.
She never expected Tessa’s boyfriend to be so powerful.
The people around them were also shocked as they guessed Nicholas’ identity.
After all, these people weren’t in the inner circle of Southend, and there were rarely any photos of Nicholas, so it was normal for them not to know Nicholas.
Nicholas ignored the whispers around him, raised his eyes slightly, and said coldly, “This matter has nothing to do with my girlfriend, so I won’t do anything to you.”
When Colin heard this, his suspended heart eased.
He immediately expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, Master Nicholas. Thank you, Master Nicholas.”
“You’re thanking me too early. I haven’t finished yet,” Nicholas interrupted.
Colin’s smile froze in the next second, and his eased heart panicked again.
Nicholas continued, “Although I won’t do anything to you, whoever provoked her will be responsible. Do you understand what I mean?”
How could Colin not understand this?
This matter had nothing to do with the rest of the orchestra or Tessa. The only person involved was Kathleen..
He understood, and so did the others, including Kathleen.
“What do you mean by that?”
Her eyes blazed as she questioned Nicholas.
Nicholas stared back at her with frighteningly cold eyes. “You didn’t know when to stop. You brought all this trouble to the orchestra due to your actions, yet you still tried to put my girlfriend in harm’s way. Does she owe you anything?”
Kathleen couldn’t refute after being questioned by those sharp and pointed words.
However, it was also because she was undoubtedly frightened by the aura emanating off Nicholas’ body.
Her face was ashen, and she grudgingly retorted, “She’s a local. Shouldn’t she come forward if something goes wrong?”
As soon as she said that, not only did the members of the orchestra show disapproval, but Tessa’s face turned sour as well.
The look on Nicholas’ face was even nastier, and his low voice was sullen. “How impenitent. Who will teach people like you a lesson if no one does?”
“No! You can’t do that.”
Kathleen was truly panicking now.
Nicholas didn’t listen to her at all. Instead, he walked to the side with his arms around Tessa after he said his piece.
“I’ve notified your mother, Hathaway, to come over. We’ll see what she plans to do with this matter.”
Tessa leaned against Nicholas and didn’t stop him.
Due to how detestable Kathleen’s behavior was, it had already crossed her bottom line.
However, she was still a little uneasy.
She leaned in close to his ear and asked softly, “Is it really okay to do this?”
Despite everything, Kathleen was her teacher’s daughter, so she was worried that her teacher would be upset when she arrived.
Nicholas looked down at the woman in his arms, saw through her concern, and said softly, “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
Her worries eased when she saw that he had a plan in mind.
Meanwhile, Colin could discern Nicholas’ disgust for Kathleen.
In order to please Nicholas, he intended to make things hard for this foreign woman.
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“Hey, what are you going to do about this?”
Kathleen was scared and angry when she saw the wicked look in Colin’s eyes.
She glanced at Tessa and saw that she truly didn’t plan on helping her, so her heart filled with hatred.
However, she dared not show it because Nicholas was around.
In the end, she was left with no choice but to turn to look at the rest of the orchestra and grit her teeth. “Aren’t you all going to help me?”
The members glanced at each other and collectively shook their heads.
One of them said, “Kathleen, you caused this mess, so you should solve it yourself.”
Kathleen was so furious that she nearly passed out of anger.
As she glared at them, she was pretty much forcing the words out through her teeth, “Okay. Very well! All of you had better watch out!”
Meanwhile, Colin was already growing impatient.
“Hey. Have you figured out how to deal with this matter? If you haven’t thought of anything yet, I suppose you’ll have to do things my way now.”
Kathleen was stunned and quickly retorted, “I’m not the only one at fault here. Obviously, you were the one who came over with bad intentions when you came to our table.”
“Then, before you splashed water on me, did I sexually assault you, or was I violent towards you?” Colin asked.
Kathleen bit her lower lip and answered through gritted teeth. “No.”
He smiled. “See here. I didn’t sexually assault you, and I didn’t attack you. I just struck up a conversation. However, not only did you attack me, but you also splashed me with alcohol. Aren’t you the one at fault here?”
As soon as he said this, the onlookers cast suggestive glances at Kathleen.
She was blushing so hard that her face was flushed crimson after being stared at by the crowd.
In the end, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and apologize in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
“What did you say? I didn’t catch it.”
He pretended not to hear her as he fixed Kathleen with a wicked look.
She knew that he was doing it on purpose, so she trembled with anger, but she was helpless.
She clenched her hands tightly into fists, then raised her voice and yelled, “I’m sorry! It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have attacked you or splashed you with water.”
Colin smiled with satisfaction after he heard this.
“That’s more like it.”
As he spoke, he nodded toward Nicholas and quickly left with his people.
After all, Nicholas had already come forward about this matter, and he might actually keep him there all night.
Kathleen watched his retreating back, gritting her teeth with hatred.
When the others saw that there was nothing else to see, they gradually dispersed.
The main reason was because Nicholas’ aura was too domineering, which made them feel rather stressed to be around him.
Despite that, the crowd was still silently paying attention to the situation.
Meanwhile, the rest of the orchestra breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Colin leaving
Just as someone was about to ask what to do next, Hathaway hurriedly ran in.
She immediately walked over when she saw Kathleen and the others standing in the hall.
However, as soon as she approached them, she saw that her daughter’s cheeks were red and swollen, so she demanded angrily, “Kathleen, who hit you? What happened?”
When saying the last sentence, she turned to the orchestra.
Nevertheless, before the members of the orchestra could tell her what happened, Kathleen slung accusations first despite being the one to blame.
That was because she knew perfectly well that if she let other people tell the truth, her mother would definitely not help her.
“Mommy, it’s all Tessa’s fault. We asked her to take us to a bar with a good environment, but she brought us here and caused me to be harassed by a few thugs, yet she doesn’t care about me.”
She concealed some details, only highlighting how cold blooded and indifferent Tessa was when she stood idly by.
Sure enough, Hathaway’s face sank after hearing that.
The other members didn’t expect Kathleen to twist the truth, making them furious.
“Miss Hathaway, don’t listen to Kathleen. That’s not the case at all.”
“Kathleen provoked the other party first. Tessa had already promised to help mediate the situation, so all Kathleen had to do was apologize, but she was stubborn, and refused to apologize no matter what.”
Everyone rushed to explain.
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At this moment, Nicholas put his arms around Tessa and stepped forward.
He first greeted Hathaway politely, then roughly explained the matter to her.
“I think my girlfriend has handled it well, but your daughter pushed my girlfriend out to bear the consequences. If I didn’t arrive in time, I don’t think I need to tell you what would happen to my girlfriend.”
When Hathaway heard this, her expression was unsurprisingly nasty.
She didn’t expect her daughter to do such a thing. Not only did Kathleen not admit her mistake, she even tried to let Tessa bear the brunt of it before accusing others despite being in the wrong.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Sawyer. It’s my fault for not teaching her well. I will definitely punish Kathleen severely for this matter and give Tessa an explanation,” Hathaway apologized sincerely.
Nicholas ignored her but simply looked down at Tessa and asked softly, “What do you think?”
He was obviously trying to back Tessa up while respecting her wishes.
Tessa wasn’t afraid of offending Kathleen anymore, so she said bluntly, “Miss Hathaway, Kathleen’s temper really needs to be dealt with. This time, nothing happened because my boyfriend came quickly. If she carries on like this in the future, she will be the one who suffers the consequences.”
“I understand. I will teach her well.”
Hathaway wasn’t angry either. Instead, after apologizing to Tessa again, she said a few more things to the orchestra members before taking Kathleen away with a sullen look.
Back at the hotel, as soon as they entered the room, Hathaway slapped Kathleen across the face.
Kathleen was instantly stunned.
She covered her face and froze for a few seconds before she came to her senses. At that moment, all the grievances and anger that she felt surged forward. “Mommy,
why are you hitting me?! I’m not the only one at fault here!”
“Why? Do you still think it’s not your fault even until now?”
Hathaway was furious when she saw her unrepentant daughter. Her eyes blazed as she glared at Kathleen. “Why can’t you just get along with others and not create trouble wherever you go?!”
That statement nearly drove Kathleen mad with anger.
“Who said I wasn’t getting along? Obviously, Tessa had bad intentions. She brought me to a bar with a poor environment. Everything was Tessa’s fault!”
“How was Tessa at fault? Did she force you to go to the bar? And don’t you know that there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any bad people even in a bar with a good environment?”
Hathaway was close to fainting due to pure fury from Kathleen’s absurd reasoning. Finally, she looked at Kathleen with an infuriated glare and said harshly, “You better reflect on this matter. Otherwise, I won’t allow you to perform on stage for half a year until you realize your mistakes!”
Then, she left without caring how gloomy and nasty Kathleen’s expression was after she said her piece.
Meanwhile, after Tessa and the orchestra members said their goodbyes, she followed Nicholas into the car and left.
On the way back, she was still a little shaken up. Then, she wrapped her arms around his slim waist, and she said quietly, “It’s a good thing you came in time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how to handle it.”
“I will never let you come to harm as long as I’m around.”
Nicholas looked down at her, his voice firm, seemingly making a promise to her.
A smile appeared on her face as she stared up at him, her eyes full of adoration for this man.
At this moment, he remembered something and asked, “Will I be making things difficult for you if I handle the situation this way?”
“No.” As Tessa spoke, she saw the worry in his eyes, so she assured him with a smile, “Don’t worry. Miss Hathaway isn’t an unreasonable person.”
Nicholas nodded, then stopped talking about this topic.
Later that night, when they returned to Dynasty Gardens, they found Timothy sitting in the living room.
Tessa asked with concern, “Timothy, it’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Timothy immediately raised his head before he stood up from the sofa and strode over upon hearing her voice. However, when he spoke, he was filled with unmistakable worry, “Tessa, are you okay?”
She looked confused by his question. “What could’ve happened to me?”
“I heard that you brought the orchestra to a bar and got into a dispute and that the violinist in your orchestra actually made you take the blame.”
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Timothy told them about the news he had just heard, then added anxiously, “By the way, where’s your phone? I called you many times, but it never got through.”
“My phone is in my bag.”
Tessa took out her phone while she spoke, only to find that it was turned off because there was no battery.
She looked sheepishly at her brother.
However, Nicholas frowned and asked, “Who did you hear this from?”
Timothy froze, then responded, “I met a few clients last time, and we’re all in a group
chat.”
Nicholas nodded in reply.
Once again, Timothy asked out of concern, “Tessa, you really weren’t bullied, were you?”
“No. Nicholas came in time, so nothing happened.”
Her heart felt warm as she received the concern and care from her brother, then she roughly recounted the matter.
Timothy was furious with Kathleen’s behavior when she was done with her story, so he reminded her. “You have to stay away from this kind of person in the future.”
Tessa nodded, comforted her brother, smoothed his ruffled feathers, and told him to rest early.
The next day, after Tessa had breakfast with Gregory the next day, she asked Nicholas to bring her to Silverscape Theater.
Everyone was backstage organizing their belongings and preparing for the next training in the theater.
When Kathleen saw Tessa coming over, her eyes were so resentful and vicious that it was frightening
However, Tessa completely ignored her and went around helping others get ready.
Afterward, when everyone was rehearsing on stage, Hathaway walked over to her.
She apologized, then said, “About last night, please don’t take it to heart. I’ve already taught Kathleen a lesson and warned her about her behavior.”
“It’s okay. My boyfriend didn’t help out much last night, so please don’t take this matter personally as well.”
Tessa was also apologetic about the fact that she and Nicholas just stood idly by last night.
Hathaway waved her hand dismissively and sighed. “Actually, I think it’s good for someone to give Kathleen a good wake-up call. Her journey started off too well and smooth-sailing, which resulted in her being so arrogant and rude now. If she carries on like that, something will happen sooner or later.”
Tessa nodded in agreement at Hathaway’s assessment of Kathleen.
Unbeknownst to them, their conversation was overheard by Kathleen, who had returned on a whim.
As she stared at Tessa, the look in her eyes seemed to contain fatal poison, and her heart churned with anger.
Finally, she turned and left backstage, making up her mind to teach Tessa a good lesson.
Fortunately for her, she knew a few friends in Xerthania too.
At this thought, she took out her phone and contacted one of them.
Tessa was utterly unaware of Kathleen’s schemes.
When she got off work in the evening, she went to the parking lot nearby to wait for Nicholas to come over.
However, she had only been waiting for a few minutes when a black car came to a stop in front of her.
“Hey, pretty lady. Are you waiting for a cab? Why don’t we give you a ride?”
The car window rolled down, and a man with blonde hair stuck his head out, staring at Tessa with ill intent.
Then, the sound of laughter from the other people in the car followed his remarks.
Tessa looked through the car window and saw a total of five thugs sitting in the car.
She felt uneasy as she tightened her grip on her handbag strap and backed away warily. “No. My boyfriend will be here soon.” –
“Why are you waiting for your boyfriend? Come and have fun with us.”
As he spoke, the blonde-haired man got out of the car.
His subordinates got out of the vehicle one after another as they saw their leader leaving the car; each of them fixed her with evil grins and agreed, “Pretty lady, go along with our boss. We can guarantee he’ll make you feel better than your boyfriend does.”
As Tessa looked at them, there was a slight change in her expression.
Then, she stepped back and warned sternly, “I’m warning you. Don’t mess around. My boyfriend will be here soon, and you’ll be in trouble then!”
“Oh, I’m so scared.”
The blonde haired man claimed that he was afraid, but there was no fear on his face.
Tessa was anxious and angry. If she knew that this kind of thing would happen, she wouldn’t have come to the parking lot.
Perhaps the blonde-haired man was somewhat worried that Tessa’s boyfriend would come, as he ordered his subordinates, “Why are you all still standing there in a daze? Hurry up and get this beautiful woman into the car.”
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“Yes, Boss.”
As per his order, the other men immediately went to grab hold of Tessa.
Terrified, Tessa clutched her handbag and randomly swung it around.
“Don’t come here! Go away! Don’t touch me!”
But, with her strength, how was she supposed to fend off four men?
In no time, the men took the handbag in her hand away, and she was dragged into the car by the four men.
“Let me go! Let me go!”
She was so anxious that her eyes had turned red, and she struggled with all her might, but it was to no avail.
A stern voice boomed just when she was about to lose all hope.
“Let her go!”
Tessa and the thugs turned to look, only to see Nicholas striding over in a black suit, his entire demeanor exuding a strong, menacing aura.
La
The blonde-haired guy and the other thugs were shocked when they saw how domineering Nicholas was. .
On the other hand, Tessa’s originally frightened heart magically settled down when she laid her eyes on him.
“Who are you? Why should I let her go just because you said so?”
The blonde-haired guy came back to his senses. When he noticed that Nicholas had come alone, he immediately suppressed his fear and became arrogant again.
Nicholas’ face grew colder, and he looked at the blonde-haired guy as if he was looking at a dead man.
In the next second, he took action.
Within a few seconds, Nicholas beat up the blonde-haired guy and his men until they were on the ground.
Finally, he straightened his still meticulous suit and walked toward Tessa.
“Are you hurt?”
As he spoke, he examined Tessa from top to bottom, and the menacing aura he exuded disappeared in seconds. All that was left was his concern for Tessa.
Tessa was frightened and threw herself into Nicholas’ arms. Her voice was choked as she spoke, “Thank God you came in time.”
“Sorry. I’m late.”
Nicholas’ heart ached as he tightly hugged the trembling body in his arms.
At this moment, they heard the sound of a car engine starting.
It turned out that the blonde-haired guy took advantage of Nicholas comforting Tessa to urge his men to get into the car before driving away.
Tessa asked with dissatisfaction as she watched the car as it left, “Nicholas, what should we do?”
“Don’t worry. They won’t get away with this.”
Nicholas glowered in the direction where the car disappeared, then left with Tessa.
Later that night, they returned to Dynasty Gardens.
Tessa was still shocked and had no appetite, so she retired to her room early.
Gregory keenly noticed her strangeness, so he ran to his father worriedly and asked, “Daddy, is something wrong with Miss Tessa?”
“She’s not feeling well today. So, don’t bother her,” Nicholas coaxed Gregory.
Gregory nodded sensibly. “I won’t bother Miss Tessa, but you must take care of her, Daddy.”
Nicholas nodded, then went upstairs, feeling ill at ease.
He knew that what had happened in the evening terrified her, so he stayed by her
side the entire time.
Although she was still traumatized by the incident, she felt more at ease with him around.
A little while later, she held his hand and gradually fell asleep on the bed.
At this moment, his phone vibrated.
He glanced at the number and saw that Edward was calling, so he got up and kissed the girl on the forehead before leaving quietly.
He didn’t answer the call until he walked out of the room.
“Found them?”
“I found them, and they’ve been captured. I’ve asked someone to interrogate them. They’re actually just a group of lowly thugs, but someone hired them and asked them to deliberately harass Miss Reinhart.”
It turned out that Nicholas had sent a message to Edward when he came back, asking Edward to track those thugs down.
Nicholas’ eyes turned stormy when he heard that someone deliberately targeted Tessa.
“Who did it?”
“Kathleen.”
Nicholas narrowed his eyes dangerously when he heard that name and ordered, “Report it to the police.”
“Yes, sir.” Edward acquiesced and ended the call.
That night, Kathleen was approached by the police in the middle of the night.
“Why are you arresting me? I didn’t break the law!” Kathleen yelled in panic when the police detained her.
Always Been Yours Chapter 486
“Someone has filed a report against you for allegedly hiring someone to cause harm.”
With that, the police took Kathleen away.
When Hathaway received the news, she hurried to the police station.
“Sir, may I know what my daughter has done for her to be arrested?”
“We’ve received a report from Master Nicholas that your daughter is suspected of hiring people to harm Miss Tessa.”
The police didn’t hide anything from her and briefly explained the situation.
Hathaway’s expression was one of incredulity after she heard this.
Then, she angrily turned to her daughter and asked Kathleen, “Is that true?”
“I just wanted to scare Tessa. I didn’t mean to harm her. Mommy, you must get me out.”
Kathleen was finally frightened and begged Hathaway in panic.
Hathaway was furious when she heard her daughter’s admission to such a crime.
However, no matter how angry she was, Kathleen was her daughter, so she couldn’t just ignore the matter.
In the end, she was left with no choice but to call Tessa to see if she could get her to let Kathleen go first.
“Tessa—”
She was interrupted by Nicholas’s cold voice after only saying one word. “Tessa was frightened, and she’s not feeling well. She’s already asleep, so if there’s anything to discuss, we’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
Helpless, Hathaway could only hang up in resignation.
Kathleen hurriedly asked when she saw this, “Mommy, what did Tessa say? Did she agree to ask the police to let me go?”
“Shut up!” Hathaway was irritated by her yapping and snapped at her sharply.
Kathleen was angry and aggrieved but dared not create any more trouble.
Hathaway ignored her and turned to the police officer in charge of the case when she saw that Kathleen had quietened down.
“Hello, I’d like to ask what procedures I must go through if I want to bail my daughter out?”
The policeman glanced at her and explained, “Your daughter can’t leave for the time being. It’s up to the victim to decide.”
When Hathaway heard this, her heart sank. Then, the policeman’s voice sounded once more.
“Not to mention, your daughter’s case is intentional harm. She will have to go to jail if they intend to sue her. It’s impossible for her to be let off the hook so easily, especially since she’s a foreigner who committed a crime in our country.”
Hathaway’s heart sank to the bottom of the pit in an instant.
Next to her, Kathleen was appalled..
“I don’t want to go to jail! I don’t want to go to jail!” She yelled in panic, then begged miserably, “Mommy, you must save me! I still have a bright future ahead. I don’t want this stain on my life.”
Hathaway’s fury toward Kathleen was through the roof.
“If you didn’t want to go to jail, why did you do what you did?”
She fixed Kathleen with a glare. “How many times have I told you not to mess with Tessa? You just turned a deaf ear to my warning. I think you should reflect on yourself in jail.”
“No! No, I don’t want to.”
Kathleen was so anxious that tears came streaming down her face. She was petrified that her mother would just leave her here, so she began to admit her mistake, “Mommy, I know I was wrong. Get me out of here. I promise I will never mess with Tessa again.”
Hathaway felt angry and distressed as she watched her daughter crying in fright.
Eventually, her expression eased, and she said, “Tessa is already asleep, so we can only wait for her to wake up tomorrow to deal with everything. So, you can stay here tonight and reflect on your mistakes.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t. I want to get out now.”
Kathleen shook her head in denial, unable to accept such a thing.
However, Hathaway ignored her and left the police station.
At the hotel, the other orchestra members found out about what Kathleen had done, and they were all disdainful of her behavior.
At this moment, they saw that Hathaway had returned, so they surrounded her.
“Miss Hathaway, is Tessa okay?”
“By the way, where’s Kathleen?”
When they noticed that only Hathaway had returned, they couldn’t help asking.
Hathaway didn’t hide the truth either and told them about Kathleen’s detention.
“Tessa’s asleep now, so there’s no way to deal with this matter for the time being. So Kathleen will have to stay at the police station for the time being and wait till tomorrow.”
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The members nodded their understanding, but they couldn’t understand why Kathleen was so against Tessa.
However, it was Kathleen’s fault that things had gotten to this point.
And they thought it was good to teach Kathleen a lesson on this matter to prevent her from causing any more trouble in the future.
Although the members had many negative opinions towards her, they did not say anything in front of Hathaway.
Now, they were more concerned with what to do with the show.
After all, as a concertmaster, Kathleen was an essential part of the orchestra.
Hathaway knew it too, and this matter worried her so much that she couldn’t sleep a wink that night.
The next day at Dynasty Gardens, Tessa woke up from sleep to find Nicholas still in bed, which was weird.
She sat down and greeted him, “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
Nicholas placed the book in her hand, then looked at her and asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Ella Tessa gave him a sweet smile because she knew he was worried because she was still affected by what had happened the night before.
He stared at her smile, and her eyes had such affection for her that she might just drown in it.
The two of them stayed in bed for a while, and she then remembered the thugs who ran away last night and asked, “Did you find those people from last night?”
“We found them.”
Her voice was cold, which struck her as rather peculiar.
She looked at Nicholas in puzzlement. “What’s happening? Is there something wrong with those people?”
“Those thugs did not appear by accident. Someone hired them and deliberately asked them to cause you trouble.”
Nicholas then told her all the information that Edward had found.
Tessa’s face darkened after learning that Kathleen was responsible for this incident.
“What did I do to offend her that made her want to hurt me?”
The consequences would be unimaginable if she didn’t show up on time yesterday.
Nicholas leaned forward, put his arms around the angry girl, and then gently comforted her, “Don’t be angry with someone so unworthy.”
After breakfast, he kept going to the Silverscape Theater despite the incident with Kathleen.
When Hathaway saw Tessa, her expression turned complicated.
The other members immediately stepped forward to show their concern for Tessa.
“Tessa, did something happen to you last night?”
“I’m fine. My boyfriend arrived on time.”
They all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this, then started sneaking glances at Hathaway.
The backstage atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Tessa noticed her stares too and looked at Hathaway with a complex look in her eyes.
Hathaway saw this and ordered the other members, “You guys go on stage and practice.”
The others knew that Hathaway wanted them to leave because she wanted to talk to Tessa, so they cooperated and left.
Before long, only Hathaway and Tessa were left backstage.
Hathaway walked up to Tessa and asked apologetically, “Can we talk?”
Tessa expected this to happen, so she nodded.
The two went into the theater room, where Hathaway poured Tessa a glass of water before getting down to business.
“Tessa, I know Kathleen crossed the line this time, but the orchestra can’t go on without her, especially now that the performance is about to begin. As concertmaster of the orchestra, Kathleen cannot be absent.”
When she heard Hathaway’s words, she had an unpleasant feeling in her heart,
Leaving aside the fact that Kathleen was her daughter, everyone had been preparing for this performance for a long time. If it went bankrupt because of Kathleen, everyone would definitely be upset.
Tessa took a deep breath and made a decision.
“For your sake, I can let Kathleen go. I will not press charges, and I will not hold a grudge, but just this once.”
As she said the last sentence, she met Hathaway’s eyes and spoke solemnly.
Hathaway was slightly taken aback and quickly promised, “Thank you. I promise you there will never be a next time.”
Actually, Tessa didn’t need to say that to prevent this from happening again.
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Initially, Hathaway apologized to Tessa for this incident, as it was her daughter who criticized her over and over again.
Not to mention that she wanted Tessa to let Kathleen go, which really made her a little uneasy.
“I owe you a favor for this.”
Hathaway looked at Tessa with a guilty expression on her face.
Tessa shook her head and said clearly, “You don’t have to. In fact, I have another request.”
“What is?”
“I want Kathleen to apologize to me in person. If she agrees to do it, I can treat it like nothing,” Tessa said of her condition.
Hathaway nodded. “Actually, even if you didn’t say it, I would have wanted Kathleen to apologize to you too.”
After all, he felt that Kathleen wouldn’t necessarily agree to apologize.
Hathaway didn’t know this, so after negotiating with Tessa, she went straight to the police station
. At the police station, when Kathleen saw Hathaway, she was immediately moved.
“Mommy, have you come to get me out of this hell?”
“I already discussed it with Tessa. As long as you personally apologize to Tessa, she can drop the matter and drop the charges immediately.”
Hathaway mentioned Tessa’s conditions, but she didn’t expect it to elicit strong resistance from Kathleen.
“Did that bitch actually ask me to apologize? What right does she have to do that?!”
She unrepentantly yelled, “I will not apologize!
As expected, Hathaway bristled at her daughter’s response.
“You did something wrong, shouldn’t you apologize?” She scolded Kathleen angrily, disappointment evident in her eyes.
What she found incomprehensible was how Kathleen became like this.
Kathleen wasn’t like this before.
Kathleen didn’t see the disappointment in Lathaway’s eyes as she yelled from the custody room, “I didn’t do anything wrong! It’s all Tessa’s fault! If it wasn’t for her turning a blind eye to someone in trouble, I wouldn’t have wanted to teach her a lesson. It’s all her fault!”
Hathaway hadn’t expected Kathleen to blame Tessa at this point. So, she was extremely disappointed in her daughter,
“Kathleen, if you think you’re right, then stay here. Let me tell you. If Tessa sues you over this matter, she will ruin your life.”
As soon as she said that, Kathleen, who was initially angry, immediately felt as if she was being strangled and she couldn’t say a word.
Hathaway grew impatient and left without looking back.
“Stay there and think it over!”
Tessa didn’t know what had happened at the police station.
After dinner, she played with Gregory for a while, then coaxed him to sleep before going to Nicholas’s study.
When Nicholas saw her come in, he scooped her up in his arms and asked, “Is Greg asleep?”
She nodded slightly and found a comfortable place to snuggle in her arms, but she wasn’t exactly in a good mood.
He sensed something was wrong and looked down to study her. “What’s happening? Are you in a bad mood?”
“I’m not in a bad mood. I just have a dilemma.”
Then she sat up and looked into his eyes. “Miss Hathaway spoke to me this morning and said that the orchestra is close to performing, so she was hoping that she would let Kathleen go.”
He was not surprised because he had already expected this to happen.
“So, do you agree?”
She met his dark eyes and suddenly lowered her head, feeling a little guilty. “I agreed.”
He raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, but he wasn’t surprised.
However, he just wanted to know her reasons.
He explained: “After all, Miss Hathaway is nice to me, so I can’t just sit by and watch her get into trouble.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Nicholas, then said with a puzzled feeling, “But am I being too nice to let Kathleen off so easily?”
After listening to Tessa’s comments, she gently tucked the hair that was falling on Tessa’s cheeks behind her ears.
He fixed his gaze on Tessa as she parted her thin lips slightly, and her voice sounded like a cello, low and magnetic.
“Why do you think that?”
Always Been Yours Chapter 489
Tessa pursed her lips and couldn’t really give an answer. Finally, she muttered, “I’m not sure. I just feel that it isn’t right for me to do this.”
Nicholas carefully observed Tessa’s facial expression when he heard her answer. In his heart, he had roughly guessed some of her thoughts.
Therefore, he smiled faintly and said, “Don’t overthink it. I know you’re willing to forgive Kathleen because you’re kind and gracious.”
“But this also means I’ve completely offended Kathleen now.” She laughed self deprecatingly
He raised his eyebrows slightly and said indifferently, “So what if you have offended her? Besides, she might not forgive you even if you let her off the hook. Why don’t you follow your heart and have a clear conscience? Take it as you thanking and returning Hathaway’s favor for appreciating you.”
Tessa pondered when she heard his words and felt that he had a point. Kathleen has too much prejudice against me. After this incident, I’m sure she hates me to the core. So, why should I be so bothered about it?
She figured everything out at that moment and her mood improved.
Then, she took the initiative to wrap her arms around Nicholas’ neck and said with a sweet smile, “It’s good to have you.”
The affection in his gaze deepened as he looked at the enchanting smile on the girl’s face. “I don’t accept mere compliments.”
Tessa blinked her beautiful eyes and knew what the man in front of her wanted. Hence, she took the initiative and kissed him.
The gentle touch of the lips, along with the unique fragrance emitted from the girl’s body, was incredibly alluring.
However, the kiss ended after a soft peck.
This made Nicholas dissatisfied. So, he looked at the girl’s rosy pink lips and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Then, at once, he raised his hand to hold the back of the girl’s head to directly deepen the kiss.
Tessa gave him the free rein to do whatever he wanted as she clung onto him, powerless against his actions.
The temperature in the study room gradually became higher.
After a long time, he carried her up and strode toward the bedroom and he only let her go in the middle of the night.
He gently got out of bed and left the bedroom as he stared at the girl’s lovely sleeping face. Then, he returned to the study and called Edward.
Although I support Tessa’s approach of letting Kathleen go, that doesn’t mean I’m willing to let this matter slide just like that.
The next day, Tessa rushed to Silverscape Theater. When she arrived, she found out that Hathaway was not there but did not care much and rehearsed with the others on the stage.
In the midst of break hours, she discussed music with the band members in a polite demeanor.
During this period, no one asked Tessa about Kathleen and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.
Time passed by in a blink of an eye, and it was already afternoon.
Just as everyone was rehearsing, Hathaway walked in from outside with a long face. There were mixed emotions lingered in her eyes when she saw Tessa rehearsing with the others on the stage.
“Tessa, come with me for a while.”
Hathaway waited until everyone finished rehearsing a music piece and called out to Tessa.
At that moment, everyone also noticed the serious look on Hathaway’s face and looked at her with worry.
Meanwhile, Tessa didn’t feel the need to be worried. Daily new chapters update only on www.infobagh.com After all, she was the victim of Kathleen’s actions and had already made concessions due to this matter.
In the lounge, Hathaway greeted Tessa and asked her to take a seat on the couch.
Tessa could not help but ask when she saw Hathaway’s stiff expression, “Am I right in assuming that Kathleen refuses to apologize?”
“No, Kathleen is willing to apologize, but according to the police, even if the client is willing to accept mediation, she still needs to be detained for 15 days as a punishment for her vile behavior.”
After she heard Hathaway’s words, Tessa was surprised. It’s no wonder Miss Hathaway is looking so awful. I didn’t expect it would turn out to be such an outcome at all.
Then, Hathaway continued, “Now, the sentencing for the thugs Kathleen hired before has been finalized whereby they are sentenced to a few years of jail time.”
Tessa didn’t have much of an opinion on the result. However, she was dissatisfied with Kathleen’s punishment. Even so, she could only accept it regardless of how unhappy she was.
Furthermore, what worried Tessa even more was the matters regarding the performance. Kathleen will be detained for 15 days, and the orchestra has no lead violinist. So, how can the performance still go on?
Tessa did not know how to comfort her when she saw Hathaway’s terrible mood. Therefore, she could only sit quietly next to Hathaway and accompany the woman silently.
The atmosphere in the lounge became quiet.
Hathaway did not know how long it took her, but when she spoke again, she seemed to have made a decision. So, she suddenly said, “Tessa, go and inform the band members to gather backstage. I will conduct a meeting later.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 490
Tessa nodded when she heard Hathaway’s instruction. Then, she got up and went to inform the other members.
After a few minutes, everyone gathered backstage.
Hathaway looked around as she stood in the center and announced, “There are two things that I would like to inform everyone about for today’s meeting.”
After she spoke, she paused before continuing “Due to personal reasons, Kathleen will be absent from the performance this time.”
“What? Kathleen can’t participate in the performance?”
“Without Kathleen, what will happen to the position of the concertmaster?”
“Is the performance going to be canceled?”
At once, the crowd was in an uproar. Soon, it became a subject widely discussed by everyone in the orchestra.
Likewise, Tessa also frowned. However, she did not express any opinion.
Hathaway had already expected she would witness such a boisterous scene when she decided to make the announcement earlier.
She clapped her hands and motioned everyone to quiet down. Then, she reassured everyone. “Don’t worry. I will not cancel the performance.”
“If the performance is not canceled, who will take over Kathleen’s position?” asked an orchestra member.
Hathaway said solemnly after she glanced at that person, “This is exactly what I’ll be going to announce next.”
When everyone heard this, they instantly quieted down.
Hathaway scanned through the crowd when everyone went silent in anticipation. Finally, her gaze landed on Tessa. “I have decided. Tessa will replace Kathleen and perform as a concertmaster.”
I made this decision after careful consideration. In another way, it can also be
regarded as my compensation for Tessa.
After a moment of surprise, everyone started applauding and congratulating Tessa.
“Congratulations, Tessa!”
They had no problem accepting Hathaway’s decision. On the contrary, they even felt that Hathaway was very judicious and deserved to be regarded as a maestro-level violinist.
Meanwhile, Tessa stayed frozen on the spot with a disbelieving look on her face. She did not expect that Hathaway would let her replace Kathleen and perform on stage.
Hathaway smiled when she noticed Tessa’s stupefied look. “What’s wrong? Did you think I would favor my own daughter?”
Tessa was rendered speechless. As a matter of fact, she did have such thoughts in her heart.
Similarly, Hathaway saw through Tessa as well. However, she didn’t take it to heart.
“Although Kathleen is my daughter, you’re also my apprentice. Kathleen is selfish, and I know you’re willing to let her off out of your respect for me. Besides, I let you take over her position because you have the talent. Your ability in the orchestra is plain for all to see. The rest won’t have any opinion about this.”
When Tessa heard this, she was very moved.
“Thank you, Miss Hathaway, for giving me this opportunity.” She looked at Hathaway gratefully.
Hathaway sighed with emotion when she saw this, “Kathleen really can’t compare with you in terms of temperament.”
Tessa pursed the corners of her lips slightly when she heard that. However, she did not answer her.
At the same time, she also felt that there was a stark difference between Kathleen’s temperament and Hathaway’s.
After the meeting, Tessa could not wait much longer and shared the good news with Nicholas.
“Miss Hathaway had just decided to let me replace Kathleen for tonight’s
performance!”
He raised the corners of his lips happily when he saw the joyful look on his girl’s face.
“Well then, congratulations.” He congratulated her with a gentle voice. But, at the same time, he felt that Hathaway was a good person. At least she didn’t mistreat Tessa because she favored her daughter.
She nodded with a smile. Then, she looked at him expectantly.
“Can you come and watch the performance tonight?”
“Of course! How could I possibly miss your performance?”
Nicholas looked at Tessa affectionately. His eyes were deep like a deep pool, making her drown in his adoration for her.
Tessa smiled shyly under his tender gaze. “Don’t look at me like that.”
However, he only smiled in response when he heard that.
After that, the two spent a while on the phone before ending the call.
Tessa did not immediately put down the phone. Instead, she dialed Timothy’s number.
“Tim, I’m going to perform on stage tonight. Why don’t you come and watch too?” She briefly told Timothy the story and invited him.
As Tessa’s supportive brother, he naturally agreed to attend. But, at the same time, he also felt that Hathaway was not that bad of a person.
That night, the atmosphere outside the Silver scape Theater was vivacious. Private cars were seen parked all over the street.
Acquainted guests were chatting and laughing with each other as they entered the venue with their tickets.