Ch. 561..570

Always Been Yours Chapter 561

Angus was honest about how he fell. "Throughout the song, I could tell that you were a little tense, and there seemed to be a lack of emotion. However, I also realized that your technical skills have improved," he said.

Tessa knitted her brows upon hearing his words. He just made her realize that I might have made a grave mistake, she thought. Angus's soothing voice came from beside her once more, ' ll seems like you know where your problem lies, Miss Reinhart. It's true that some impressive skills may be able to cover your other flaws, but you would end up sounding like a robot playing the violin. All the songs would sound the same if one played them without a soul. A musician should never do such a thing."

His words made her press her lips together, and there was a hint of frustration in her eyes. After all, Angus was right—she had been focusing on improving her technical skills. Unfortunately, however, she hadn't considered the downside of this matter.

The more she thought about it, the more everything made sense. She had increased her training intensity because she wanted to build muscle memory and remember the feeling of playing the violin.

Regrettably, this caused her to be so focused on techniques that her mindset and feelings toward the songs might have changed.

Angus spoke up once more. "Although I don't know what happened to you, I can feel that you are really anxious. It also seems like you are extremely invested in violin techniques right now. The violin may be important, but what matters the most about the songs is the message that they are trying to express."

"You're right, Mr. Angus. My mind has been wandering off recently." Tessa felt both humble to be learning but also fearful of learning new things about herself. If no one had told her about this at all, she couldn't imagine how bad she would look on stage! At that thought, she glanced at him. "Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Angus! I'll be more watchful in the future."

Angus had a passionate look in his eyes as he gazed at the girl's sincere gratitude. However, all he did was curl his lips into a charming smile. "It’s fine. As long as it helps you."

Tessa thanked him again, but Angus didn’t seem to like how courteous she was being, so he changed the topic. "By the way, I'm afraid it might be a little hard for you to return to your old ways of playing. Let me take you to a place. It might make things easier." Tessa was immediately tempted. Just as Angus had said, it was harder to fix things when they were related to one's psyche. But... I'm not close to Angus, so this might not

be a good idea. Soon enough, she concluded that she couldn't afford to make any mistakes during the competition.

At that thought, Tessa lifted her head to smile al Angus. "I'll owe you one, then."

After both of them left, Angus led them to a music bar. The place was different from the regular, smokey bars as it was filled with aesthetic designs and posters. Tessa's confusion was evident as she looked around; she wanted to know why all the well-known musicians were gathered at the same spot. "Let's sit there." However, Angus simply ignored her confusion as he held a hand to gently nudge her in one direction. She paused for a moment before reminding him. "Don't you need to greet your uncle?"

"It's fine. I don't think he's free to talk to me now." Angus merely turned his head toward his uncle before shaking his head. "He's making new friends. If I go now, he'd just chase me out," Angus muttered.

Tessa didn't say much after that, and she simply followed Angus into one of the cubicles. But, once she sat down, she couldn't help but question him. "What is this place? Why are there so many famous musicians here?"

Always Been Yours Chapter 562

"It's just a normal bar. If there's anything special about it, it’s probably that my uncle is the owner of this place." Angus sat in a lazy posture opposite Tessa, resting his chin on his palm while explaining the situation to her. "When my uncle was young, he met a lot of musicians, and they often had gatherings, so he decided to open a bar that would make it easier for everyone to get together."

Tessa nodded to show that she understood the situation. Right then, Angus pointed his finger in a direction before he continued speaking. "Look. That’s Suits Philharmonic's ex-conductor, and that's Saint John's Philharmonic's cellist. They were once international names..." Tessa's eyes were filled with shock as she looked in the direction of Angus's finger. She had heard these names on the news, but she had never seen these people in person.

At the same time, a question popped up in her mind. Before she could put the question into words, Angus spoke up once more. He seemed to have read her mind. "Actually, the reason I brought you here today is simple. The people here often go on stage to give impromptu performances, and I think it'd help for you to listen to their music."

He had just finished his sentence when a middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant evening gown got on the stage. Tessa parted her lips to gaze in awe. The woman was someone she knew—the woman was a famous violinist and the leader of Rosen Ritter Philharmonic, Caroline.

Once Caroline got on stage, everyone began to clap for her. She started her performance without saying anything. Tessa was shocked to hear the wild melody coming from the stage. She gazed at Angus with a stunned look on her face. Although Tessa had never interacted with Caroline in the past, she had heard several of Caroline's pieces. Caroline's style had always been careful and conservative. Yet, the woman in front of her seemed wild and liberated. Her music had a powerful soul of its own, and it seemed to shake the four walls around her. Was this really the Caroline that Tessa knew?

Angus parted his lips to speak when he saw the suspicion on Tessa's face. "Now, you shouldn’t think about the person’s identity and their style of music. Just enjoy whatever she's performing right now." Tessa didn't understand why Angus would say such a thing, but she nodded and took his advice. When the song was over, Tessa stared at Caroline dazedly. She felt blown away by the senior musician. She could have never expected a person to perform so differently when they were in entirely different settings. When I last saw Miss Caroline in the theaters, she had been so cautious with her music, but I feel like I just saw a completely different person. This is someone who lives in a carefree manner. "Is that really Miss Caroline?" Tessa couldn't help but ask.

Angus smirked when he saw the look on Tessa's face. "Don't you feel like she's a completely different woman from the one you know?" he asked.

Tessa nodded while giving Angus a curious glance. She was hoping that he would answer all of her questions. But unfortunately, Angus responded in a mysterious and secretive tone. "You should just continue watching. Perhaps you'll find the answer you're looking for after all of these performances."

So, Tessa had no choice but to continue watching the other performances. She spent the whole night immersed in good music and also got the opportunity to watch all sorts of musicians performing in styles that were different from their usual, more well-known techniques. She felt like she was blown away multiple times that night.

Eventually, she realized how the musicians on stage were like people who had just been set free of their inhibitions. She could feel all the emotions that seemed to be released from these people and felt like she finally understood what Angus's answer was. It was the freedom to express themselves through their music.

Only when music was free could one's soul be shown to the rest of the world. Only when music was free would one perform in an out-of-the-box manner that could genuinely wow the audience. Unfortunately, by 10.00 PM, no one else went to perform on stage. Tessa was somewhat disappointed by this, and she kept recalling all the excellent music she had heard earlier. Meanwhile, Angus stood by her side without disturbing her as she digested all the mind-blowing things she had seen and heard tonight.

Suddenly, Louis walked over to greet them then. "Miss Reinhart."

Always Been Yours Chapter 563

Louis greeted them before taking a seal beside Angus. When Tessa finally returned to her senses, she smiled at Louis. "So, you noticed me after all, Mr. Louis."

T saw both of you the moment you guys entered," Louis smiled as he replied. Then, he turned to scold Angus in a playful lone. "You didn't even come to say hello when you saw me."

"I saw you were chit-chatting with a bunch of old friends, so I thought you'd chase me off if I went to say hello. So, that was why I decided not to go," Angus spread his arms out and shrugged while giving his uncle an honest explanation.

Tessa watched both of them quietly as Louis couldn’t find another argument against Angus' point, so the older man chose to ignore him instead. Then, Louis shifted his gaze to Tessa. "How's your violin now?"

"It's good. I've been bringing it around and practicing with it every day." Tessa thanked him for checking up on her. However, he waved her off before he glanced at the stage. "Why don't you give them a show?" he suggested.

Tessa froze for a moment before she shook her head frantically. "I can't do it now..." She knew that she wasn't in good condition to perform right then. But... "Mr. Louis, can I drop by every day from now on? I feel like there's so much more 1 can learn here. Then, I'll go on stage to perform once I'm ready."

"Of course." Louis had a good impression of Tessa, so he had no reason to reject her. On the other hand, Angus raised an eyebrow while gazing at Tessa. He could tell that Tessa was a sensitive and intuitive woman—he knew that she must have realized something for her to ask Louis such a question.

The three of them began to talk more about the music that was performed by various musicians tonight. Then, when it was getting late, Angus checked the time before standing up. "We should go now. I'll send you home, Miss Reinhart," Angus offered.

Tessa glanced at the time and found that it was true that it was getting late, so she accepted his offer this time. After they stepped out of the bar, Tessa thanked Angus once more. "I learned a lot today. Thank you for bringing me here, Mr. Angus."

The girl's expression was earnest, and her eyes were brighter than the stars in the night sky. Angus's eyes lit up when he saw the girl's well-defined features and glistening eyes. "You're being too nice, Miss Reinhart. I just brought you here because I wanted to help a friend in need. Anyway..."

Angus paused and grinned for a moment before using a gentler voice. "You were the one who learned after what you saw tonight. I didn't do much apart from bringing you here! In other words, you were only able to learn because you're skilled enough to make sense and absorb the knowledge from this place."

Tessa froze for a second as she was rendered speechless by his logic. "You're leading me round and round in circles, Angus. You're indirectly praising me, aren't you?" she asked.

"No. I'm directly praising you," Angus replied with a stern look on his face. However, Tessa didn't realize anything odd about this as she grinned in the direction of the stage, a happy look spread across her face.

Tessa thanked him again. "I have to thank you for bringing me here, Mr. Angus. I'll have to buy you a meal after I'm done with this competition," she noted.

"That sounds great. I'll wait for your invitation," he said graciously.

Angus had no reason to reject her, and his smile widened after that. He looked like he was in a good mood. While they were on the way back, they continued to talk about music theory. The more Tessa knew, the more impressed she was with Angus. He isn't a musician, yet he knows music more than someone like me, who plays it professionally.

After they arrived at the villa, Tessa got out of his car and bid him goodbye. "Thanks for sending me home, Mr. Angus. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," he replied with a smile. Then, he drove off while Tessa waved at him. After the car was long gone, Tessa returned to her villa. She had just showered and lay down on the bed when she noticed that it was still relatively early. So, she gave Nicholas a call.

"You're home! How was your day?" Nicholas gave her a gentle gaze as he asked her. Before she had called him, the bodyguard he had sent over secretly had already reported every detail of her day to him.

Always Been Yours Chapter 564

Nicholas knew that Tessa had gone to the restaurant and met Angus. Her visit to the bar with Angus for several hours was something that Nicholas was aware of too.

However, he did not ask Tessa about these and instead pretended not to know anything out of his trust for her.

As for Tessa, she was not aware of any of these things.

When she heard Nicholas' question, she told him what she experienced earlier today.

"I was a little too hasty before, but fortunately, Mr. Angus had pointed out my mistakes and made me realize them. Otherwise, I would still be unable to identify the problem."

As she spoke to the end, she could not help but feel a little fearful.

Nicholas consoled her when he noticed her fearful tone, "It's fine. You still haven't made any big mistakes yet. Besides, there’s still time for you to correct it."

She also had the same thought in mind.

She nodded with a smile and talked about going to the bar at night.

"I have broadened my horizon tonight after meeting these musicians and I finally found what music means to me just by observing them when they play. As the concept is still vague, I plan to drop by there for a few days. Can I?"

As she spoke to the end, she looked at him expectantly.

He couldn't bear to say no when he saw Tessa's expectant gaze.

"Of course, you can." Nicholas responded warmly. At the same time, he told Tessa about his next plan. "After your assessment, I'll bring Greg over to see you. When the time comes, I'll treat and thank your friend for taking care of you."

When Tessa heard Nicholas' words, she was extremely surprised. "Then, I shall wait for you to come to visit

II me.

As she said that, she recalled Nicholas' words and realized something seemed off. "Were you jealous just now?

He pretended to be genuinely upset under the girl's mischievous gaze and said solemnly, "Yeah, 1 was. So, you have to cheer me up."

Tessa's lips couldn't help but curve into a small smile when she heard him speak that way.

Although Nicholas pretended to act like it was indeed the case, she still saw through him and knew that the man wasn't truly angry.

Even so, she was willing to cooperate in his act.

"And how do you want me to do that?"

Nicholas looked at her pretentiously. "Isn't that something you should think about?"

"Hmm... If that's the case, how about I play you a song?"

Tessa stared at him unblinkingly with her almond- shaped eyes. Then, she smiled charmingly, looking as cute as a kitten.

As Nicholas looked at her beautiful smile, his eyes gradually became darker, akin to a deep pool; the love he held for her was so much that she felt that she could drown in his gaze.

"Sure." His thin lips parted slightly and his voice was low and magnetic.

Tessa still felt that her cars were burning bright red just by that single word from him. She involuntarily thought of the passionate moments she shared with Nicholas. During those moments, his enchanting and sexy voice also rang in my ears like this.

In an instant, her checks crimsoned.

Sure enough, he naturally noticed her change. He felt puzzled and asked, "Why is your face red?"

"Uh... The room is a little hot."

Tessa immediately pretended to act like she was melting under the heat as she fanned her cheeks with her hand. Her almond eyes looked away as she felt too embarrassed to look at him.

When he noticed that she seemed to be shy, he raised his brow slightly.

Despite not knowing Tessa's thoughts, he did not expose her little ruse.

So, he changed the subject and continued the topic from earlier to ask, "What song will you perform for me?"

Tessa thought about it and said pensively, "I'll play 'Chapter 4 in D major', but I'm not using a violin. Instead, I'll use some other musical instruments. How about a piano?" She stared at Nicholas with bright eyes.

There was no way he would ever refuse her, so he nodded. "Sure."

Just like that, Tessa took the phone and went to the living room downstairs. It was because Nicholas had someone bring a piano to the living room when the house was being renovated.

Tessa first fixed the phone on the piano. Then, she sat in front of the piano and lifted the lid before she randomly pressed the keys to test whether the piano was tuned right.

After that, she put her hands on the piano keys when she saw that there was no problem with the sound.

Not long after, a string of elegant and beautiful notes sounded from the living room.

As Tessa's slender fingers danced on the black and white piano keys, her body also swayed to the rhythm of the music.

Always Been Yours Chapter 565

However, her eyes were always on the phone. She smiled and looked at Nicholas through the video call.

The two stared at each other affectionately. Even if a screen separated them, one could still sense the loving aura emanating from them.

Perhaps it was due to Nicholas' company; Tessa simply felt very relaxed. The songs she played also came out flawless and full of emotion.

When the song ended, she actually still wanted to play a little more.

She raised her head and looked at Nicholas in the video with sparkling eyes. Then, she said sweetly, "Does it sound good?”

"It docs." Nicholas nodded affirmatively.

"Well then, I shall play a few more songs for you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she played another piece for him.

In the meantime, he looked at the girl dotingly.

Afterward, he listened to music from the phone while working on the tasks at hand. The smile on the corner of his lips never faded, and he felt physically and mentally relaxed while listening to the music played by Tessa.

It was a long while later when Tessa finished playing.

She picked up the phone, looked at the handsome man in the call expectantly, and asked, "What do you think of the songs I played just now?"

"Except for the first piece, I felt that the pieces you played afterward had more soul, and it felt as though you've really let go of yourself while you were playing." Nicholas pinpointed the differences between the songs and expressed his opinion on the matter.

After hearing his comments, Tessa also nodded in agreement.

.Although she played the first song flawlessly in regards to technique, she knew in her heart that she wasn't, fully immersed in the music itself.

However, when she gradually relaxed and enjoyed herself in the following songs, she played better. She felt as though her mind and soul were fully in-tune with the pieces she had played.

She couldn't help but remark, "Looks like it's a good thing that I went to that bar."

Nicholas let out a hearty laugh and encouraged her by saying, "Good luck! I look forward to improvements in your future performances.”

When Tessa heard that, she nodded and guaranteed. "I will do my best."

After that, the two talked for a while.

When he saw the sleepy look on her face, he urged, "Okay, you should have a good rest now so that you fully focus during your practice tomorrow."

She didn't object to his advice and decided to turn in for the night.

And thus, the two said goodnight to each other and hung up.

Both of them slept well throughout the night.

The next day, Tessa went to the orchestra early.

Following Angus' reminder, she relaxed the pace of her practice.

On the other hand, Hathaway was worried about Tessa practicing alone. So, she came over and asked, "What is the goal you have set for yourself today?"

She was worried that Tessa would customize an intensive practice plan for herself, so she planned to intervene in Tessa's arrangement if she found out she was still doing that.

Not knowing what Hathaway was thinking, Tessa did not keep it from her and told her the task she had customized for today.

After listening, Hathaway was surprised.

"Is that all for today?”

"Are these not enough? If so, I'll add some more." Unfortunately, Tessa misunderstood Hathaway's words as she thought that Hathaway felt it was not enough since she had reduced the intensity of her practice.

Hathaway hurriedly stopped her when she heard that. "No, there's no need to add more. These are more than enough."

As she said that, she also breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried that you were still practicing at the same intensity as before, so I planned to come and intervene. But it's good that you know how to relax now. It really worried me when I saw you practicing with the intensity of going to war."

When Tessa heard that, she was a little embarrassed. "I was too tense before and got too into my head that I took it too far. So I plan to take it easy now and really feel what the music is like instead of focusing on just the practical skills for a piece."

This time, Hathaway was even more surprised.

She did not expect Tessa to have such valuable insight. Thus, she couldn’t help praising her in delight, "It's good that you've finally understood this. I was genuinely concerned about you a few days ago since I thought you would burn out at the rate you were going."

"I’m sorry for worrying you, Miss Hathaway. It will never happen again in the future." Tessa thanked Hathaway for her concern.

Hathaway waved her hand indifferently at her thanks and said with a smile, "Since you have figured it out, I won't be intervening in your practice."

Tessa nodded in reply.

After she changed the intensity of her practice, she found that her mental state was even better than the previous days when she was so focused on improving her practical skills. Therefore, she became even more determined with her plans.

That night, she went to that bar again. However, this time she didn't go there alone.

Always Been Yours Chapter 566

After entering, Tessa saw Louis at a glance.

Louis was still sitting at where he sat yesterday. However, the people around him were not the same as yesterday.

As she watched Louis chatting happily with the others, she thought of what Angus had said yesterday. With that, she planned to greet him later. Therefore, she simply found an empty booth seal and sal down.

Later, Louis also spotted Tessa. He excused himself from his friends and walked over to greet her.

"Miss Reinhart, did Angus not come with you today?"

He looked a little surprised when he saw it was only Tessa who was sitting in the booth alone.

When Tessa saw Louis, she first greeted him politely. Then, she replied with a smile, "I can't always trouble Mr. Angus.”

Upon hearing that, Louis took a meaningful look at Tessa, yet he said nothing.

Then, he sat opposite Tessa. Seeing there was no liquor on the table, he asked, "What would you like to

drink?"

"Juice is fine."

With that, Louis called a server over and ordered, "Bring me a glass of juice."

Not long after, the server came and served the glass of juice.

After Tessa thanked the server, she started chatting with Louis.

However, Tessa noticed that people around her constantly cast curious glances at them not long after they chatted. Then, she suddenly thought of something and smiled faintly. "Actually, Mr. Louis, you don’t have to be here with me. I'll just sit here by myself."

Likewise, Louis also realized the situation around him. Thus, he agreed. Standing up, he exhorted, "Have the server get me if you need anything."

Upon hearing that, Tessa nodded. Then, she watched as Louis left.

Later, people started performing on stage.

Sitting at the tabic, Tessa listened to every performer's performance attentively.

Each of these people is a professional in the music industry. I can learn a lot from them.

Just when she was entranced with the performance, Angus' lofty and tall figure appeared in her sight.

Tonight, Angus was wearing a long black trench coat paired with an off-white sweater. His long flowing hair was casually tied behind his head. This look of his reduced his delicate and abstinent aura from before a little. At the same time, it added a little more laid-back element to his aura.

Unfortunately, Tessa was not surprised by Angus' stunning appearance. Instead, she was just a little surprised. "Mr. Angus, when did you arrive?"

"Just a while ago. I simply wanted to try my luck and see if I could meet you here. I didn't expect that I would really encounter you here."

Angus looked at Tessa with a fine sense of humor, and there seemed to be a flash of emotion in his golden orbs.

However, Tessa did not notice it. She smiled. "Since you're here, I'll buy you a drink tonight."

"Sure. I can't say no to free drinks," replied Angus. As he spoke, he look advantage of the situation and sal across from Tessa.

In the midst of the drink, the two of them did not talk much.

Furthermore, Tessa's attention was always on the stage. As she strived to gain knowledge, she was reluctant to waste even a second.

After all, everyone had different performing styles, and Tessa lacked knowledge of these.

After one night, she reaped in abundance.

Nearing 11.00PM, she planned to return to her place.

"Let me drive you back." Angus stood up along with Tessa.

Upon hearing that, Tessa smiled and declined. "It's fine. Stay behind and continue enjoying yourself. I can just take a cab back."

"It's really late, and you're a woman. It’s not safe for you to take a cab."

Angus insisted on sending her back. Tessa could not refuse; after all, Angus was speaking the truth.

The peace and order abroad aren't as good as in Xerthania. Besides, I promised Nicholas that I wouldn't make him worry.

After that, the two walked out of the bar. Just as Angus was about to fetch his car, a black Rolls Royce stopped in front of Tessa.

Upon seeing this, Angus halted his tracks.

Meanwhile, Tessa looked at the familiar car in front of her in surprise.

The next second, she saw Kylie get out the car in a blacksuit.

When Tessa saw the butler, she was even more surprised. "Kylie, what brings you here?"

Kylie first glanced at Angus discreetly. Then, she responded respectfully, "Miss Tessa, for your safety, Master Nicholas instructed me to take up the responsibility of picking you up in the future."

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After listening to Kylie’s words, Tessa simply felt sweet in her heart.

Then, she turned to look at Angus and smiled. “My fiancé has sent someone to pick me up, so you don’t have to go through the trouble to drive me back.”

Upon hearing that, Angus nodded. Still, he glanced at Kylie calmly from the corner of his eyes.

However, Kylie did not notice his glance. In a respectful manner, she opened the door for Tessa.

As he stared at the car that gradually disappeared out of his sight, Angus’ gaze became more and more unfathomable.

On the other hand, Tessa took out her phone and contacted Nicholas after she had left the scene.

“Why did you suddenly think of arranging a ride for me?”

“For the sake of your safety.”

In the video, Nicholas looked at Tessa with a tender gaze. “I was worried about you going back so late every day. Of course, this is also to prevent others from offering you rides.”

When Tessa heard that, she was stunned for a while. Shortly after, she could not help but burst into laughter.

“I’m afraid the last sentence is your real reason. Am I right?” She looked at Nicholas mischievously.

Staying silent, Nicholas did not deny.

Upon seeing this, Tessa put up a smile on her face.

I really like seeing Nicholas care so much about me. Although we’re now being separated by tens of thousands of miles, I can feel his thoughtfulness at all times. This makes me feel really happy.

For the next 10 days, Tessa dropped by the bar every night to listen to music.

Every day, she frantically learned from the industry leaders and constantly improved herself in the practice room during the day.

During the period, Hathaway also came to check on her twice. She found that Tessa’s performance was very stable. Not only that, she even discovered that both Tessa’s violin skills and emotions had undergone great growth, and this made her gratified.

Apart from Hathaway, Mona also noticed Tessa’s growth and was extremely amazed.

“Oh, my goodness! What happened to you, Tessa? How could you improve so much in just 10 days? I nearly can’t keep up with you.”

“I did nothing. I simply went to a bar and listened to music every day,” Tessa said truthfully. She did not have any intention of hiding the fact from Mona.

In the meantime, Mona listened to her with envy. “I’ve lived in Vienna for so many didn’t know such a fascinating place existed. Tessa, you have to take me there to have an experience of that bar.”

Upon hearing that, Tessa did not reject her.

On the night before the assessment, Tessa came to the bar again. As per usual, she still came alone this time.

After greeting Louis, she did not leave immediately, like how she usually would.

Upon seeing this, Louis took the initiative to ask, “Is there anything else, Miss Reinhart?”

“Can I request for a performance slot? I want to perform once on stage tonight.” Tessa expressed her thoughts to Louis.

When Louis heard Tessa’s request, he was rather surprised.

After all, he did invite Tessa to perform on stage several times these few days. However, she declined all his invitations.

“I see you’re finally willing to perform on stage! What, now? Did you learn something during this period of time?” He looked at Tessa curiously.

Yet, Tessa had no intention to dispel his doubt so quickly. Thus, she pretended to be all mysterious and said, “I think I did. You can find out later.”

Looking at the slyness showing in Tessa’s eyes, Louis laughed a little. However, he did not ask further.

And thus, he agreed with Tessa’s proposal and said with a smile, “I’ll save you a slot in a while, so you ought to be well-prepared.”

Upon hearing that, Tessa nodded and said with confidence, “I’m already well-prepared! I’ll perform using the violin that you have repaired for me. It’ll be a feast for your ears.”

“Wow, such confidence! Okay, I’ll wait!”

After Louis finished speaking, he turned to look for the staff and made arrangements.

Carrying her violin case, Tessa headed to the booth where she usually sat to prepare for the next performance.

That night, more guests than usual came to the bar.

As for Angus, he did not drop by the bar as frequently as he did before, considering that he had been busy a while ago.

However, he actually came tonight.

He spotted Tessa in the corner and smiled. “Miss Reinhart, I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“Indeed. Long time no see, Mr. Angus.”

When Tessa saw Angus, she was a little surprised: Therefore, she asked, “Mr. Angus, are you not busy today?”

“It’s manageable, so I can take a rest today.”

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Angus did not elaborate much.

Upon seeing this, Tessa did not inquire any further and beckoned him to have a seat.

Angus helped himself and directly sat down. Then, he chatted with her. “I heard from my uncle that you’re going to perform on stage tonight.”

“Yes, I did request him to save me a performance slot tonight. I feel like trying out my capability after days of practice.” Tessa nodded and admitted.

Upon hearing that, Angus looked at her with a faint smile and encouraged her by saying, “I believe you can do it. Good luck!”

“Thanks.”

After that, the two talked for a while before Louis came over.

When he saw Angus, who was sitting across from Tessa, his hazel eyes flashed.

At once, he said to Tessa, “I have made the arrangement for you. You’ll be the first to perform later.”

“F-First?” Tessa was surprised.

Upon seeing Tessa’s reaction, Louis teased her, “Since you kept me guessing a while ago, I really want to see how much you have improved.”

Tessa went speechless, and she did not know whether to laugh or cry. Even so, she had faith in herself. “Don’t worry. I definitely won’t let you down.”

pite saying so, she still felt a little nervous when she was about to perform on stage,

In order to ease herself up, she clenched her hands into fists and released them again. Then, she comforted herself by muttering, “It’s alright. Just treat this as an ordinary performance.”

Besides, wouldn’t it mean I didn’t learn anything during this while if I’m feeling nervous now?

Uncertain if her self-soothing worked, Tessa did return to her calm composure after a few minutes.

As soon as the time came, she took her violin case and went up to the stage.

The moment she appeared on the stage, the silver-white stage lights fell on her.

Upon seeing an unknown beauty appear on stage, the audience under the stage started whispering

“This girl looks like a stranger to me. Does anyone know her?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Let’s see what she’s capable of first. I’m sure she must possess a certain forte to be allowed to perform on stage.”

Listening to the whispered discussions under the stage, Tessa took a deep breath. Then she closed her eyes and placed the violin on her neck.

Similarly, the audience also held their breath.

With the emergence of a strong tone, Tessa played one of the most difficult scores for violin

-“Flight of the Bumblebee”.

The most difficult part of this piece was that its rhythm was very fast. This piece was the ultimate test of a performer’s speed.

Following the increasingly intense and rapid melody, everyone present felt amazed, in particular for Tessa’s superb playing skills and her mastery of intonation. Of course, they were impressed by her style, which was drastically different from her old style. As if the music had granted the performance a unique soul, her performance was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, like a breath of fresh air.

“Who is this?”

“Damn, she plays so well!”

“She’s still so young too. I bet she’s a genius!”

“Does anyone know her?”

“I don’t seem to recall her ever performing on stage before.”

Under the stage, everyone was inquiring about Tessa’s identity.

As Louis listened to the discussions around him, he gave out a cunning smile, like an old fox.

He did not tell everyone any information about Tessa. Instead, he simply calmed them down. “Now’s not the time to discuss this. You guys should listen quietly.”

After the song ended, there was thunderous applause.

“Awesome!”

“This is the best ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ I’ve ever heard.”

“She effectively delivered both in terms of speed and rhythm! And she’s still so young. She really is a genius!”

Listening to the constant praise from the audience, Tessa slowly opened her eyes.

As she looked at the pleased look on everyone’s face, she knew that her performance was a success. At that moment, she was very relieved.

“Thank you.” She bowed to the audience and thanked them. Just as she was about to get off stage,

someone called out to her, stopping her.

“Miss, you played very well. Can you play another music piece?”

“Yeah, one more piece.”

“It’s really good.”

Under the stage, many among the audience still could not get enough of Tessa’s performance. They all hoped that Tessa could perform another piece.

Listening to their remarks, Tessa felt happy to the core.

After all, the best result for a musician was that their music was liked by the audience.

Even so, she did not agree promptly. Instead, she looked at Louis.

Always Been Yours Chapter 569

Noticing her gaze, Louis nodded slightly.

After receiving his approval, Tessa raised the corners of her lips and smiled faintly. “If that’s the case, then I’ll play a more soothing piece this time.”

The moment she finished saying that, she picked up her violin and played again.

Even though the rhythm of the piece she played this time was not as intense as the previous one, the emotion contained in it was still no less than the previous.

A few minutes later, she bowed in the midst of the thunderous applause when she finished playing. Then, she left the stage gracefully.

As soon as she got off the stage, she saw the handsome Angus walking toward her.

“Congratulations! You did it! You have improved greatly!”

“Thanks.” Tessa thanked him with the corner of her lips curled up into a smile. The airy feel between her eyebrows indicated that she was in a very good mood at the moment.

When Angus saw this, his pair of beautiful amorous eyes were shining.

Looking at Tessa with deep gazes, he smiled charmingly. “With your current state, I think you won’t have any problem with the assessment.”

“I feel that way as well.” Tessa raised her eyebrows confidently.

As he looked at Tessa, the smile on his face deepened even more. Immediately after, he changed the subject and said, “By the way, my uncle wants to see you.”

“I’m going over right now.” Tessa nodded and turned around to look for Louis.

On Louis’ side, he was occupying a very large booth seat, and there were several maestros in the music industry sitting next to him. They were surprised when they saw Tessa coming toward their direction.

At this moment, Louis also spotted Tessa. Thus, he beckoned her, “Miss Reinhart, have a seat over here.” To that, Tessa nodded and sat beside Louis.

When the others saw this, they immediately criticized Louis.

“Louis, you haven’t been a good friend! You knew this young lady, yet you kept playing dumb with us all this while!”

Upon hearing that, Louis smiled slyly, like a cunning fox. “It’s my pleasure to see you all dying of curiosity.”

Meanwhile, Tessa sat quietly beside them and watched them joke around.

At this moment, someone looked at Tessa and uttered, “I still don’t know what your name is. May

I know your name?”

“I’m Tessa Reinhart, Miss Hathaway’s protégé.”

Without needing them to ask her one by one, Tessa took the initiative and introduced more about herself.

As the maestros listened to her introduction, they were emotional.

“Well, Hathaway sure is lucky to have such a soulful student like you.”

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“Yeah, you possess such capability at such a young age. It’s true that the youth holds potential for greatness.”

After that, some of them even invited Tessa to join their orchestra.

“Miss Reinhart, I still want to give you the invitation even though I know you’re already in an orchestra band. I’m the music director of Crystalline Philharmonic. If you’re interested, you can join our orchestra at any time and grow your career. I think highly of you.”

Like offering an olive branch, they handed their business cards to Tessa.

As for Tessa, she was completely flattered.

One by one, Tessa accepted the business cards. Then, she politely declined their offers. “Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I think I’m satisfied being in Hathaway Philharmonic for

now.”

Upon hearing that, the others did not mind as well. They laughed and discussed in a friendly manner.

“Hathaway Philharmonic is not bad; it has been progressing in a strong momentum in recent years.

“I heard that their second orchestra group will be established soon.”

“Yeah, I also heard about this. Hathaway also invited Guntram and the others to be the judges.”

Listening to everyone talking about the recent events of the orchestra, Tessa listened quietly. And when they occasionally asked her about it, she answered them cautiously.

Overall, the atmosphere at the booth was harmonious. Besides, Tessa also benefited a lot while talking to these people.

Later, Kylie called and informed Tessa that she was already waiting outside the bar.

After Tessa bade everyone goodbye, she walked out of the bar while carrying the violin case on her back

Getting into the car, she eagerly took out her phone and made a video call to Nicholas. She wanted to share with him the incident that took place tonight.

You’re going back?” Nicholas’ low and pleasant voice sounded from the phone.

Looking at the handsome man on the screen with a smile, Tessa nodded and said, “I performed at the bar tonight-it’s a pity you weren’t there.”

As she spoke until the end, her tone was of indescribable depression.

“It’s alright. You will still perform in the future, right?” Nicholas comforted Tessa gently.

Always Been Yours Chapter 570

In truth, Nicholas saw her performance.

The bodyguard who was in charge of protecting her made a live broadcast when Tessa was performing on stage.

When he thought of Tessa, who stood on stage at that time, Nicholas simply felt that she was more dazzling than ever before.

As for Tessa, she was not aware of any of these. Still, Nicholas’ words comforted her.

Yeah, I still have many more performances in the future.

Thinking of this, she was no longer upset. Then, she chatted with Nicholas.

In the end, Nicholas looked at Tessa dotingly and exhorted, “Go back and have a good rest. You must pass the assessment tomorrow.”

“I will definitely pass the assessment!” Tessa nodded confidently. Later, she hung up the phone.

Back at the manor, Kylie suddenly came over mysteriously. “Miss Tessa, Master Nicholas has prepared a surprise for you. It’s in the room.”

Tessa was startled and went upstairs, feeling puzzled.

Making her way toward the bedroom, Tessa opened the door gently and saw that the lights in the room were dimly lit. Then, she saw a bouquet of 999 huge roses placed on the big bed, and the air in the room was filled with a faint floral fragrance,

On the bouquet, she saw the words ‘I wish you success’ written on the pink roses. Upon seeing that, Tessa covered her mouth, feeling surprised and happy.

After that, she walked over and stroked the rose petals lovingly. She was so moved to the point that she felt her eyes tearing up.

After a while, she took out her phone and took a photo of herself and the bouquet of roses. Then, she edited the message and sent it to Nicholas.

‘The flowers are beautiful. With your blessings, I feel that my success rate will be higher tomorrow

In the meantime, Nicholas’ cold facial expression instantly softened when he received the message in Sawyer Group’s President’s office.

Caressing the picture on the screen, he only felt that the person in the picture was prettier than the flowers.

As Edward stood beside him, he looked at the unbelievably gentle Nicholas. Without thinking twice, he knew it must be a message sent by Tessa.

At that moment, he could not help but sigh in his heart. Ever since President Sawyer fell in love, he has become more and more humane.

Thinking of the past workaholic Nicholas, who was like an emotionless robot, Edward thought, As expected, love can change a person the most!

Just as he was imagining things, a low and pleasant voice sounded in his ears.

“Have you booked the flight to Vienna tomorrow?”

Curling his lips upward, Nicholas looked at Edward in a good mood.

Edward’s facial expression stiffened, and he said respectfully, “Yes, I have.”

The next day, Tessa was carrying her violin case and showed up in the orchestra, looking radiant.

Mona saw her at a glance, and she immediately stepped forward enthusiastically. “Tessa, are you ready?”

“Of course I am!” Tessa’s voice sounded determined, and her entire being exuded a beam of confidence.

After hearing this, the others peeked at Tessa. Shortly after, they continued their task on hand.

Today’s assessment venue was not in the orchestra. Instead, it was held in a nearby auditorium.

The auditorium was very spacious, and it could accommodate approximately three hundred people. Hathaway rented this venue two days in advance.

At exactly 9.00PM, everyone arrived in the auditorium, including the 5 well-known judges.

Except for the participating members, who were backstage, other members of the orchestra greeted the 5 judges warmly.

The atmosphere was like that of a fanmeeting, Different from the boisterous atmosphere in the front, the atmosphere backstage was much more tense.

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“What should I do? I’m so nervous.”

“Me too.”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. Didn’t you all train well during this time?”

The contestants sat together as they comforted and group-hugged each other. Only Tessa was excluded.

Even so, Tessa did not mind. She sat in the corner by herself.

At that moment, Hathaway came in.

Looking around, she called everyone to gather around. Then, she encouraged, The assessment is about to start. Good luck, everyone!”

After leaving a few words of encouragement, she dismissed the members, letting them go and get ready for the assessment.

Just as Tessa was about to leave, she was stopped by Hathaway.

Stepping forward, she asked with concern, “How are you feeling? Are you confident?”

As Tessa knew what Hathaway wanted to ask, she smiled. “I should be fine.”