Ch. 641..650

Always Been Yours Chapter 641

Janet pretended as if she didn’t realize how annoyed Nicholas was as she brought her lunch box to the dining table with a smile. “I know you don’t like sweet stuff, so I put less sugar in this.” She served the desserts as she spoke.

Tessa pressed her lips into a straight line on the other end of the call. This woman shows up in the house early in the morning, and speaks in a weird tone. What’s going on here? Tessa didn’t say anything as she wanted to see what the woman was trying to do.

Nicholas immediately noticed the look on Tessa’s face, and his expression darkened as well. He hadn’t expected Janet to be such an insensitive woman. However, when he recalled the favor that Cole had asked from him, he suppressed the annoyance he felt before speaking in a cold tone. “You shouldn’t strain yourself if you’re not feeling well. Gregory and I don’t like eating such things, anyway.”

Gregory agreed in a firm tone. “Yeah. I don’t like eating such things either.” Janet stood awkwardly in her spot as she listened to the both of them talking. She was utterly frustrated-she hadn’t expected Nicholas to embarrass her in such a manner. However, she wasn’t about to give up just yet. “What do you guys like to eat, then? I’ll prepare you guys’ favorite food next time,” she said with a forced smile.

Nicholas pressed his brows into a stern frown. “It’s fine. I can get my cook to prepare whatever it is that I want to eat.” Tessa couldn’t help but burst into laughter when she heard Nicholas’ heartless comment through the call. She pressed her hand over her mouth and stuck her tongue out when she saw Nicholas glancing at her. Shh, she mouthed while looking at Nicholas.

He simply gave her an exasperated stare without saying anything. Gregory, who was right beside them, understood the look on Tessa’s face. He covered his mouth with his hand to show that he wouldn’t say anything either. Although Tessa had quickly shushed herself after letting out a laugh earlier, Janet was sharp enough to notice the sound. She instinctively glanced in the direction of Nicholas’ phone on the table. She couldn’t see much because of the angle she was standing, but her gut feeling told her he was on a call.

When she saw the loving gaze in Nicholas’ eyes, she was even more confident of her suspicions. Her chest tightened as she came to this realization. Could Tessa be on the other end of the line? The more she thought about it, the more she felt like it was true. Does that mean that the laugh that I heard earlier was the sound of that b*tch laughing at me?! She was fuming as she felt like Tessa had just shamed her. Who is she to laugh at me?! Janet clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, but she still kept the same smile on her face. “Nicholas…”

“Is anything else the matter?” Nicholas interrupted Janet in an icy tone. It was evident that he wanted to chase her off. Janet found it hard to keep the smile on her face at this point. She took a deep breath. Since she knew Nicholas didn’t want her to stay, she decided she wouldn’t force her way into his place anymore.

Furthermore, she didn’t mind getting rejected by Nicholas, but she couldn’t bear the idea of Tessa, her love rival, making a fool out of her. This would make her feel like she had lost. Since you guys don’t enjoy these dishes, I won’t make them in the future.” She tugged her lips into a forced smile. “I just recalled that I hadn’t taken my medication because I was in a rush. I’ll head home now.” Janet turned and left after that.

The moment she turned around, a sour expression replaced the smile on her face. I will make Tessa pay for putting me in such an awkward position today! It’s not that easy to make a fool out of me.

Janet stormed out of the dining hall only to hear a sweet-sounding voice come from inside. “That’s nice. You have a girl sending desserts to you early in the morning.” Tessa was teasing Nicholas with a smile on her face, but the smile didn’t seem to reach her eyes.

Nicholas immediately knew that Tessa had misunderstood him when he saw the look on her face. He curled his lips as he felt rather pleased. “She’s the friend who was previously ill. Someone asked me to help care for her after she was discharged from the hospital, so I’m watching over her temporarily. She’s staying in a house near us, but she’s not staying with us.”

The uneasy feeling in Tessa’s chest was gone after that.

Always Been Yours Chapter 642

Tessa knew of the friend who had been injured but still pretended to sound angry as she spoke. “You didn’t tell me that your friend was a woman.”

“That’s my mistake. I won’t do it again,” Nicholas nodded while admitting to his faults. His actions touched Tessa to see this, but she still felt the urge to question him out of curiosity. “So, what’s your relationship with her?” She knew him well enough that he wouldn’t just agree to do others a favor as he hated being troubled by others.

He answered her question honestly. “I don’t have much of a relationship with her. At most, I used to be friendly with her.” He focused his earnest gaze on Tessa. “I won’t fall for anyone else apart from you.”

Tessa had been trying to keep a frown on her face, but her expression softened the moment she looked into the man’s loving eyes. Gregory joined in the conversation with a straight look on his face. “I’m the same as Daddy, Miss Tessa. I don’t like anyone else apart from you.”

Tessa couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the serious expressions on both the boy’s and the man’s faces. She wasn’t suspicious of Nicholas-she just wanted to make a fool out of him. Nicholas could tell that she was joking, and he heaved a sigh of relief. “You little rascal…” His gaze was filled with a mixture of exasperation and love for the woman.

“What did I do? Do you think you’re the only one who gets to tease me? Am I not allowed to tease you back?” Tessa asked. Upon finishing her sentence, she turned to ask Gregory. “Do you think what I did was right, Gregory?”.

“Yes, Miss Tessa!” It didn’t matter what Tessa did or said; Gregory insisted on protecting Tessa as he was her most loyal protector. Tessa shot Nicholas a triumphant look after hearing what Gregory said, and Nicholas smiled in response.

Before he could part his lips to say anything else, Tessa continued talking. “You’ll need to help me keep an eye on Daddy from now on. You can’t allow others to get close to him, okay?”

Gregory patted his chest to indicate his promise to her. The severe expression on his face made him seem incredibly adorable.

When he heard their conversation, Nicholas felt highly amused but couldn’t help but blurt out, “Do you not have any trust in me at all?”.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just worried about the people around you,” she replied honestly. She was confident that Nicholas would never betray her, but she was worried that someone else might intentionally come between them.

Janet could hear the three of them talking from where she stood in the living hall, and she felt terrible. It seems like he only treated me as an outsider all along. Both Nicholas and Gregory are the same.

Janet was in a horrible mood after she went back. Nicholas was especially busy the next few days, and Janet found it hard to take action as she didn’t get a chance to meet Nicholas at all. Ultimately, she had no choice but to ask Sally about his matters. “Is Nicholas out on a trip? Why haven’t I seen him home at all recently?”

“He has been staying in the office for longer hours in the past few days. He practically arrives home in the middle of the night.” Sally didn’t bother to conceal the truth. After all, these were things that Janet could find out for herself if she visited Dynasty Gardens. Upon hearing Sally’s words, Janet narrowed her eyes. Then, her gaze lit up as she thought, This is my chancel That afternoon, she boiled some soup for Nicholas before bringing it to Sawyer Group. Edward knocked on the door of the luxurious CEO’s office before entering the room. “Miss Brenner is downstairs. She said she’s here to see you,” Edward said.

“What’s she doing here?” Nicholas frowned upon hearing her name. Despite so, he still told Edward to let the woman up. Soon enough, Edward led Nicholas’ visitor into the office. A look of admiration flashed across Janet’s eyes when she saw the elegant, classy yet intimidating man sitting at his office table.

“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.

“I heard that you’ve been working overtime a lot, so I thought I’d prepare some nourishing soup for you.” Janet spread her red lips into a pleasant smile as she held her Thermos up and walked over to the office table before placing it down. “Why are you still as hardworking as before?” she said as if she were really close to him. “I thought you would have changed after coming out of there. I can’t believe you’re still so invested in your work. You don’t even spend time with Gregory anymore,” she said.

Always Been Yours Chapter 643

Nicholas’ face turned cold and displeased once he heard what Janet said as he felt like lanet had overstepped her boundaries and was meddling with his business. “I can do whatever I want. I don’t like it when others try to direct how I live my life,” he uttered.

The smile on Janet’s face froze once she heard his words. He’s talking about me as if I’m some stranger again! I’m not a stranger! We were once partners who went to hell and back!

“Nicholas, 1-“She wanted to remind him that she wasn’t just any stranger, but he interrupted her before she could finish her words. “This is the last time I’m going to warn you about this. I’m only allowing you to be here because you have to heal from your wounds. You’re not supposed to be running around”

He shot her a cold glare.

When Janet met the man’s dark and icy glare, she no longer felt the urge to say anything. She knew that the man would altogether refuse to see her in the future if she were to be a little more straightforward. At that thought, she silently gritted her teeth and forced her resentment back down her throat. “I got it. I won’t run around anymore, Nicholas. But the soup…” She gazed at him hopefully, praying that he would take it.

Nicholas pressed his eyebrows, forming wrinkles on his skin. “I’ll take it this time, but I don’t want you to do such pointless things in the future.

“I got it. There will be no next time,” she replied while nodding. But, of course, she didn’t entirely mean her words.

Right when Nicholas was about to chase Janet out, Stefania pushed the door open and walked into the room. The moment Stefania entered the room, she saw Janet standing by the office desk. A look of confusion flashed across her face when she saw the flask on the table. “Who’s this, Nicholas?”

“You must be Nicholas’ mother! Hello. I’m Janet, Nicholas’ ex-partner. I’m staying around here to recover from my injuries.” Janet knew who Stefania was, so she introduced herself before Nicholas introduced her. Janet pressed her lips into a pleasant smile. “Since Nicholas has been caring for me for so long, I figured I would make some soup for him,” she commented.

Stefania was pleased to hear Janet’s words-it showed Stefania that Janet was an appreciative and grateful woman. “What a kind girl. Please tell Nicholas if there’s anything that you need,” Stefania uttered with a loving smile.

After that, she turned to give Nicholas a reminder. “You should take good care of Janet as well. She’s a girl, and she’s here all on her own,” Stefania said. He nodded firmly after hearing his mother’s words. “I got it,” he mumbled.

Stefania no longer continued the topic after that. “Where’s Gregory?” she asked instead.

“He’s with Kieran,” Nicholas replied flatly.

She couldn’t help but nag when she heard his answer. “I don’t know what to say to you anymore. Do you think it’s okay to bring Gregory out for a whole day at work? Aren’t you worried that

something might happen?”

“There are people everywhere, and Gregory’s an obedient boy who doesn’t run off on his own So, what could possibly happen?” Nicholas was puzzled by his mother’s accusations.

Stefania seemed racher angry at this point. “Gregory’s still young-this is the age at which he needs the company of his loved ones. Why don’t you just give birth to a farrn animal if you intend to treat your son like one?”

He knitted his brows to show that he was deep in thought.

She continued to nag after seeing the look on his face. “Gregory already lacked motherly love, to begin with. You should take out more time in your day to be with him, yet all you do is focus on your work. Does work matter more, or does your son matter more?”

Janet, who was standing beside them, overheard their conversation. She glanced at Nicholas for a moment before speaking up-she wanted to get into Stefania’s good books.

“That was one of the reasons I’m here as well. Nicholas has been coming back from work in the middle of the night for the past few days, so I was worried that his body wasn’t able to handle it,” Janet said.

Stefania was even more annoyed at Nicholas at this point. “The company is so much more stable now, and there aren’t any big projects going on. Why are you working so hard?” She started lecturing him.

However, he didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he gave Janet an icy glare as if he were trying to give her a warning.

Janet bit her lower lip as she knew that what she had just said had made Nicholas angry.

Always Been Yours Chapter 644

Stefania didn’t realize the odd look on Janet’s face as she was busy scrutinizing Nicholas silently before she parted her lips to question him once more. “Tell me, what are you working so hard for?”

Nicholas looked away from Janet after hearing his mother’s words. “I promised to bring Gregory overseas,” ne uttered,

When Stefania heard that Nicholas was leaving the country, she immediately knew that he was going to look for Tessa. She twisted her face into a frown. “Why are you still thinking about Tessa? I don’t want you to go.”

“No one can stop me from doing what I want to do,” he replied before meeting gazes with his mother. There was a determined look in his dark pupils. When Stefania saw the look in his eyes, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to change his mind either. “You can go if you want to. However, I want you to keep Gregory here.”

Nicholas frowned at her words without responding to them. “Don’t you think you’re being really biased toward Tessa, mom? She’s going to perform at the end of the month, and she’s doing really well now. So, you shouldn’t be biased against her. Furthermore, she’s great at teaching Gregory. I’m sure you can see the changes in the boy.” It was rare to hear Nicholas talking so much. Everything he said had a point, and Stefania found herself speechless.

“One way or another, I just don’t like her. I won’t agree to this no matter what you say!” In the end, this was the only statement she could come up with. Nicholas felt a headache coming as he listened to her speak. However, her words didn’t have any other impact on him-he wasn’t going to leave Tessa just because his mother didn’t like her.

“I don’t care if you like her or not. She’s the only person I’m going to marry in this lifetime,” he said. Janet felt devastated when she heard the man’s firm tone. Does he like Tessa that much? Anger and sadness rose in her chest when she heard Stefania’s angry voice coming from beside her. “Then, I’ll ensure she never becomes part of our family!”

Janet felt like she had hope once more after hearing the woman’s words. I didn’t know Nicholas’ mother despised Tessa so much. Finally, it seems like I might have a chance. Instead, the atmosphere turned cold in the luxurious office. Janet was considering whether to speak up when Gregory pushed the door open and entered the room. The young boy instantly noticed Janet’s presence and furrowed his brows upon seeing her. What is this woman doing in Daddy’s office?

Before he could find an answer to his question, he realized that his grandmother was also in the room. She seemed to be having an argument with his father. Gregory looked all over the place before spreading his lips into a wide grin and jogging over to his grandmother. “Did you come here to see me, Grandma?”

Gregory wrapped his arms around Stefania’s legs before tilting his head upward to look at her. The icy atmosphere melted along with the presence of Gregory’s cuteness as Stefania lifted the young boy into her arms as she beamed. “Of course, I’m here to see you. Do you want to go home with me? Your father is always working. He never takes care of you.”

Gregory blinked a few times. He was smart enough to tell that his grandmother and father were probably fighting over him. However, he didn’t want to leave with his grandmother. If he went with her, he wouldn’t be able to help Tessa keep an eye on his father. “I want to stay with Daddy. Grandma. Daddy takes great care of me. So, don’t worry about it.” Gregory continued to aci cute in front of Stefania after that, and he bombarded Stefania with all sorts of compliments to ensure she wasn’t sad.

Stefania was no match for Gregory’s sweet-talking skills, and she admitted defeat after a short while. She had no choice but to leave the company alone at the end of the day. Nicholas held Gregory in his arms, and the exasperation in his eyes resurfaced when he saw that Janet was still there. “Is anything else the matter?”

“No. You should take care of yourself. I’ll leave now.” Although Janet felt horrible inside, she forced a smile onto her face as she turned around to leave. She still felt rather resentful even after she got home. She couldn’t stop thinking about how Nicholas was about to abandon her to visit Tessa in another country. No. I have to make him stay. But how can I make him stay? He’s losing his patience with me, and I don’t think I have the ability to keep him around.

Always Been Yours Chapter 645

Hospitalized

At that moment, an idea popped up in her mind. I might not have a way to do this, but someone else might. She took her phone over and gave Cole a call. “I’d like to request to return to the army force, Cole,” she said.

“Your injury isn’t fully healed yet. How can you say such a thing? I want you to focus on recuperating,” he replied.

“But I feel like I’m causing Nicholas a lot of trouble,” she mumbled in a rather resentful tone. She was hinting to Cole that Nicholas didn’t genuinely want to take care of her. Cole got the message on the other end of the line, and he sighed for a moment before speaking. “Fine. I’ll come over to visit you in two days. If your injury isn’t healed by then, you’ll have to continue recuperating. You don’t need to care about anything else,” he said.

“…Fine.” Janet pretended to sound like she was unwilling to agree, but she was actually speaking with a wide grin on her face. She had planned for all of this to happen all along. She might not be able to keep Nicholas around, but it didn’t mean that Cole couldn’t do it.

After ending the call, Janet headed over to the washroom. Even with Cole’s help, she would still have to make her injury more severe in order for her plan to go smoothly. She took a glance at the scars on her body before coming to a firm decision. She began tearing her wounds apart without any hesitation.

“Ouch…” She hissed in pain as cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Her cheeks had regained their color a while ago, but she looked extremely pale after hurting herself again. Drip, drip, drip. Fresh blood trickled down to the ground, forming a pool of red. When she looked at her wounds again, they seemed really serious. That evening, Janet had a really high fever. She had showered with cold water after tearing her wounds apart.

Sally wasn’t aware of any of this, and she was shocked when she found Janet lying unconsciously on her bed. She immediately told Kaiden and the rest of the men to send Janet to the hospital. Sally only had the time to call Nicholas after she got to the hospital.

“Miss Brenner is sick, Master Nicholas! She’s in the hospital. Do you want to come over?” Sally asked. “I got it.” Nicholas frowned as he ended the call. He had been about to get off work to go home for dinner with Gregory. However, it seemed like he would have to delay his plans. He didn’t know what Janet was trying to do—she had been fine when she left the office earlier.

“To the General Hospital,” he told Edward after getting into the car. Once they got there, Nicholas rushed to the ward just to find the doctors coming out of the room. “What’s up with the patient in there?” Nicholas asked with an icy look on his face.

“She accidentally tore her wounds, and her wounds got infected. She didn’t come for treatment immediately, so she had a fever because of some inflammation,” the doctor explained.

“Thanks for the hard work,” Nicholas replied flatly. “No worries at all. It’s my job.” The doctor responded with a polite smile before leaving. Nicholas walked into the ward to find Janet on an IV drip. Her face was extremely pale as she lay unconscious on the bed. Both Sally and Kaiden were sitting each on one side of the bed, and they quickly got to their feet when Nicholas came in. “I’m sorry, Master Nicholas. I failed to take care of Miss Brenner.” Sally admitted to her mistakes with a guilty look on her face.

Nicholas had ordered her to take care of Janet, yet she didn’t know that Janet’s wounds had been torn apart. She felt like she had failed to fulfill her tasks. Nicholas didn’t acknowledge the woman’s apology. “How did she tear her wounds?” he asked with a stern expression.

“Well…” Sally didn’t know how to answer this question.

Sally didn’t know how or when Janet had torn her wounds, after all. Kaiden’s eyes lit up at that moment. “She fell while she was on her way back. That’s how she tore her wounds apart.”

Nicholas no longer suspected anything after hearing this. He simply continued to question Kaiden. “Why didn’t she come straight to the hospital if she knew that her wounds had reopened?”

“It didn’t look too serious just now, and she didn’t want to cause any trouble, so she decided not to go to the hospital. We didn’t expect her to get a fever at night,” Kaiden replied.

Always Been Yours Chapter 646

Does He Care?

A somewhat uneasy look formed on Kaiden’s face, and Nicholas no longer said anything after that. He stood around for a while and stood up to leave when he saw the sky turning dark. Gregory was home alone, after all. “You guys can stay here and take care of her. Call me if anything happens.”

“President Sawyer.” Kaiden stopped Nicholas when he saw that Nicholas was about to leave. “Is anything else the matter?” Nicholas turned to look at the other man with a blank look in his eyes.

“…Aren’t you going to stay? Jan’s still unconscious.” Kaiden glanced at the woman on the bed as he spoke.

Nicholas didn’t realize Kaiden’s subtle actions—he simply found Kaiden’s statement rather odd. “It’s just a fever. I don’t think she needs me here, does she?” Kaiden was speechless after that. It’s true—Jan and President Sawyer aren’t related to each other. He’s already showing kindness by coming over. I have no reason to keep him here. In the end, he could only watch as Nicholas walked out.

Janet opened her eyes a while after he left. She hadn’t slept earlier—she had just pretended to be unconscious. She thought that Nicholas would pity her a little more if she did so. However, she hadn’t expected him to leave just like that. She noticed how Kaiden seemed like he had something to say, so she used her hunger as an excuse to send Sally out of the room. Once it was just the both of them, Janet spoke up.

“What do you want to say?” Janet asked as she rested her body against the headboard. She looked really disappointed. “Is all of this worth it, Jan?” Kaiden asked with a frown.

“You don’t need to care if it’s worth it or not. I don’t need your opinion on this!” Janet gave Kaiden a warning glare. All she wanted to know then was the reason Nicholas was so cold to her. Unfortunately, she had no idea what he was thinking.

From Nicholas’ perspective, he figured that Janet would be able to handle a simple fever or flu on her own if Tessa could do it on her own in a different country. Furthermore, since he couldn’t accompany Tessa, he figured that Janet would have no right to expect him to stay by her side.

After he got home, Nicholas had dinner with Gregory before he spent some time revising Gregory’s homework with him. Once they were done with this, Gregory clung to Nicholas’ arm while whining. “I miss Miss Tessa, Daddy. Why don’t we call her?” Of course, Nicholas had no reason to reject this idea since he also missed her.

On the other end of the world, Tessa had just woken up and finished cleaning herself up. She was pleased when she received Nicholas’ call as it was still early, and she had some spare time before she had to head to the orchestra. “I’ve already learned the music sheet that you designed for me, Miss Tessa. I’ll play the songs for you now.” Gregory lifted the violin and began playing it like he was on stage.

Tessa listened to the child’s music attentively, and there were times when she couldn’t even point out a single flaw in the young boy’s playing. On the other hand, Nicholas felt really calm and comfortable when he heard the woman’s gentle voice coming from the phone. There was a tender and loving gaze in his eyes as he watched the woman teach the boy some tips on playing. Later, when it was time for Tessa to head to the orchestra, they ended the call unwillingly.

After Gregory placed the phone down, he rested his chin on his palms while speaking in a gloomy tone. “I wish time could pass a little faster. That way, I’d be able to see Miss Tessa a little sooner.” Nicholas chuckled when patting the back of the boy’s head. “Alright. It’s time to sleep,” he uttered in a gentle voice. The boy nodded and followed his father over to brush his teeth.

…

Nicholas had breakfast with Gregory the following day before he prepared to head out to the office. However, before going there, he visited the hospital first. Janet was already up by the time he reached. The grim look on her face was replaced by a wide grin when she saw the handsome man striding into his office. “You’re here, Nicholas.”

He nodded calmly. “How are you feeling?” he asked out of courtesy. “I’m okay. The fever went down,” she replied. The grin on her face was as bright as the sun when she heard the man caring for her. Does this mean that Nicholas actually cares about me? Otherwise, why would he wake up early in the morning just to see me?

Always Been Yours Chapter 647

Still Outstanding

Nicholas didn’t know what was going on in Janet’s mind. But, he could tell that Janet looked much better than she did the day before and that she was in higher spirits. So, he simply nodded and gave her some orders. “Since you’re feeling better, you should really focus on recuperating from now on. Stop sticking your nose into other unimportant stuff and running around the place.”

The bright smile on Janet’s face dimmed a little after she heard what Nicholas said, as she could tell that he was displeased by her recent actions. Despite this, she nodded obediently while making a promise to him. “Don’t worry. I’ll stop running around.”

Nicholas was extremely busy the next few days—he had to handle all his work beforehand as he wanted to free up more of his time during the end of the month. On the other hand, Tessa was getting busier as her performance date got nearer—her orchestra team was planning to travel to Yvetlava before their actual performance day over there. This time, they were performing for two nights. Group One would perform on the first night, while Group Two would perform the following night. Naturally, the people in the orchestra valued this performance a lot.

In particular, those from Group Two placed more emphasis on this performance since it was their first time appearing as a group in front of an audience. That night would determine if Group Two could successfully build its reputation within the industry. Even though Hathaway had told the members to go easy on themselves, many were tense and nervous as they practiced even harder than before.

As time went by, Hathaway eventually decided on a date to travel over to Yvetlava. Tessa gave Nicholas a call before she headed over. “I’ll probably be busy once I get there. We’ll have to familiarize ourselves with the place, and we’ll be rehearsing a lot. So, I might not have a lot of them to call you,” she told him.

“It’s fine. We’ll be meeting soon.” Nicholas didn’t mind as he was about to be done with all the work on his hands. However, he felt his heart ache when he gazed at the woman’s thin face. “I know it’s important to train yourself, but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. You need to relax a little. Don’t make me worry about you,” he voiced in concern.

Tessa felt a sweet, joyful sensation spreading across her chest upon hearing the man’s gentle reminder. She told him to take care of himself and Gregory before ending the call. In the next few days, Tessa focused on rehearsing with the orchestra. She was so busy that she barely had the time to shower. Nevertheless, they were getting closer and closer to the performance day.

One day, Nicholas was about to get off work when he received a call from his ex-superior. “Hey, Nicholas. I’m going to be in Southend for a few days. Why don’t we meet tonight? We haven’t seen each other since you left the army force. Bring Janet along! I’d like to see how well she has healed.”

Nicholas was rather puzzled, but he accepted the suggestion. “Sure. I’ll book a great restaurant to welcome you to the city tonight,” he replied. That night, they all met in a private room in a high-end private clubhouse. Janet and Nicholas sat directly in front of Cole at the dining table. Cole was in his fifties, and his full name was Cole Spurse. He was dressed in a smart casual outfit. His large body build made him seem like someone with power.

There was gratitude and comfort as Cole laid his eyes on Nicholas. He seems like a competent and influential man now, Cole thought. “I thought it was a shame to let you go when you first left the force. However, it seems like I had been too closed-minded all along—someone as outstanding as you would be outstanding regardless of where you go.”

Nicholas curled his lips into a smile. “You’re exaggerating my capabilities,” he uttered humbly. Janet joined in their conversation every now and then, and the mood was pleasant in the room. After checking in with Janet and Nicholas, Cole began asking about Janet’s condition. “I heard that your injuries had worsened a few days ago and that you had been hospitalized again. How are you feeling now?”

“I’m okay. The doctor told me to lie in bed and not move around so much.” Janet smiled. “You should really rest more if that’s what the doctor tells you to do,” he replied with a nod. Then, he turned to look at Nicholas before praising him. “I’m so thankful that you’re here to care for Janet. It would’ve been hard for us to find others to care for her otherwise,” he professed his gratitude.

“It’s my duty,” Nicholas replied.

Always Been Yours Chapter 648

Bad Move

Nicholas responded indifferently. It was as if he didn’t want to talk about this topic. He changed the topic of conversation instead. “Do you have any major tasks this time around? It’s rare to see you being the one who takes charge personally.”

Cole did not bother to hide anything since Nicholas had once been the most promising member of his team. “I came back this time to protect a witness. This person is of great importance, so I have to be here in person,” he uttered.

Nicholas nodded but didn’t ask any more questions. After a while, the waiter began to serve their dishes, and the three of them chatted while eating. At the table, Janet looked at Nicholas, who was still very cold to her. She gritted her teeth before she asked Cole a question. “Cole, I previously mentioned that I wanted to return to the team. What do you think of that?”

Cole frowned and responded solemnly. “Your wound has not healed yet, and your injuries are in such a fatal spot. I want you to still focus on recovery as I don’t want you to have any complications in the future.”

“If I continue to rest, I may reach the limit of vacations I’m allowed to take in a year, and I would have to continue to trouble Nicholas. Alternatively, why don’t I return to the dormitory to recuperate first? I don’t have to return to the army immediately.” Janet deliberately put on an awkward expression.

Cole squinted slightly and looked at Nicholas. However, Nicholas sat still in his spot without revealing any emotion on his face. Cole thought about the situation for a while. “If you are on vacation, then you have nothing to worry about, right? I have already approved your leave, so you can rest until your injury is healed. I don’t think it’s a good idea to return to the dormitory yet. Your previous identity was exposed, and the remaining problems have not been dealt with, so we may need more time.”

After he said his piece, he turned his head to look at Nicholas. “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with Janet for a while more, Nicholas. I can let her go back once I’m done dealing with these matters,” Cole declared firmly.

“It’s okay.” After Nicholas finished speaking, he glanced at Janet coldly. His eyes were threatening, dark, and a little scary. What Janet said just now had made her seem like she was anxious to return to the team, but in fact, she was hinting at Cole. She was trying to make it sound as if Nicholas hadn’t been very welcoming to her.

His expression darkened slightly. If it weren’t for the sake of Cole, he wouldn’t want to pay attention to this woman at all. “I won’t find it troublesome. As long as she stops going all over the place, then her wounds should be able to recover faster,” Nicholas uttered. Cole was shrewd, and he immediately understood the meaning behind Nicholas’ words.

Obviously, whatever Janet had done during the recuperation period made Nicholas unhappy. After all, Cole knew his disciple well—as long as one didn’t challenge Nicholas’ principles, he wouldn’t care about anything else. So, with a warning gaze and tone, he stared at Janet. “Take good care of your illness, and don’t cause trouble to Nicholas. You will have nowhere else to go otherwise.”

“Got it.” Janet nodded and agreed, but deep down, she immediately regretted her actions. She knew very well that she had just made a wrong move. Especially the way Nicholas looked at me just now… He must hate me now.

For a while, Janet felt really uncomfortable. Clearly, this wasn’t the result she wanted. But no matter how much she regretted it, the meal had to go on. Fortunately, Cole managed to mediate the situation a little, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious afterward. After dinner, the three of them walked out of the restaurant. “Where are you staying, Cole? I’ll send you back first.”

“No, I’ve been busy with some business since I got off the plane, and I haven’t settled down yet. Why don’t you introduce to me a more secluded hotel with high security? I’ll stay there for one night,” Cole voiced.

“Hotels are dangerous no matter how good they are. I have a condominium here, so you should live there.” After Nicholas finished speaking, he briefly explained the situation in his condominium. This condominium, both in terms of location and safety, was very in line with Cole’s accommodation requirements.

Cole did not refuse Nicholas’ offer in the end—he followed Nicholas to the apartment. “It seems like Janet’s not the only one who’s troubling you. I’ll need you to watch after me as well, Nicholas,” Cole said in embarrassment.

“No worries.” They were on the way to the condominium when Cole thanked Nicholas. Nicholas didn’t seem too bothered as it only took him a little effort, after all.

Always Been Yours Chapter 649

Asleep

Once Cole had settled down in the condominium, Nicholas excused himself to head home. “You should get some rest too,” he told Cole. “You can always call me if you need anything.” After they left, Nicholas dropped Janet home before returning to his place since he would have to pass by her villa on his way home. However, there seemed to be a strong sense of resistance that formed a barrier around Nicholas while they were in the car.

Janet could sense it, but she didn’t waste this opportunity as it was rare for it to be just both of them in a space together. Furthermore, she wanted to clarify what she had said in the restaurant as she didn’t want there to be a gap between him and her. “Look, Nicholas. I didn’t mean anything else when I said those words in the restaurant.”

However, no matter how much she spoke, Nicholas acted as if he couldn’t hear a thing. He rested his back against the seat and shut his eyes. It looked almost like he was asleep. Janet glared at him, feeling both angry and sorry for herself simultaneously. She also felt a sense of regret—she shouldn’t have done what she had done.

Soon enough, the car stopped at the front of the villa. No matter how much Janet didn’t want to leave, she still had to get out. After she got out of the car, Edward steered the vehicle back to Dynasty Gardens. Along their trip back to the condominium, Edward had been secretly eyeing Nicholas through the rearview mirror. Could President Sawyer really be asleep? But doesn’t he always have his guard up when there are outsiders around?

Little did Edward know that Nicholas was just finding a way to ignore Janet. His upbringing taught him that it wouldn’t be right to act impolitely, so Nicholas had to find another way to make it seem like Janet didn’t exist at all. When he returned home, he realized how the house was oddly silent.

“Where’s Gregory, Andrew?” Nicholas turned to ask the other man.

“Young Master Gregory is asleep,” Andrew replied honestly.

“Asleep?” Nicholas was somewhat puzzled. He looked at the time to see that it was only 9.00PM. “Is Gregory not feeling well?” Nicholas asked with a frown. Finally, he spoke as he strode over to Gregory’s room. In the past, Gregory would only sleep at such an early hour if he wasn’t feeling well. Otherwise, the young boy’s energy was enough to last him until 10.00PM at least.

Andrew immediately noticed how Nicholas had misunderstood the situation, so he chased after Nicholas to explain things. “Young Master Gregory isn’t ill, President Sawyer. Miss Tessa played a lullaby for Young Master Gregory just now, and he fell asleep while listening to it.”

Nicholas let out an amused scoff as he halted his footsteps. But, once Andrew cleared things up, he still decided to pay a visit to Gregory’s room anyway.

Gregory was in a deep sleep in the child’s room, and Nicholas simply went to fix the blanket covering Gregory. Then, he headed to his room, where he washed up before video-calling Tessa.

Tessa felt her cheeks turning red when she saw the man wearing his night robe that revealed his firm, glowing chest muscles. Nicholas’ eyes lit up when he saw the girl’s rosy cheeks. “Why is your face so red? Are you not feeling well?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. Tessa coughed as if trying to hide something. “I’m feeling fine. I just turned the heater on a little too high today.”

She quickly changed the topic after that. “Why are you home so late today?” Nicholas knew that the girl would get mad if he pushed further on the issue of her red cheeks, so he went along with her topic of conversation. “A superior who had helped me a lot in the past showed up this afternoon. I treated him to dinner just now.” He told her about what happened during dinner.

“Did you drink any alcohol?” she asked. He knew that the girl was worried that the alcohol might trigger his illnesses, so he curled his lips into a handsome smile. “I drank but just a little.”

Nicholas asked about Tessa’s situation in Yvetlava after that. “How have the past two days been for you?” he asked.

“It has been fine. I’m not used to the food here, and my stomach couldn’t take it at first, but it’s fine now.” Tessa told him about the place she was at, and she eventually ended with a smile on her face. “Now, whenever I think of the fact that you and Gregory are coming soon, I feel like my whole body is filled with energy!”

Nicholas chuckled at her enthusiasm. They chatted for a while before Tessa urged Nicholas to bed. He didn’t insist on staying up, so they both said their goodnights before ending the call.

Always Been Yours Chapter 650

Lost Contact

After ending the call, Tessa let out a loud sigh. She gazed at her phone apologetically before looking at the IV drip dangling from above her. She wasn’t lying when she said that her stomach hadn’t been able to handle the food, but the truth was that she hadn’t recovered from it. She had been suffering from acute gastroenteritis, and nearly fainted during one of the orchestra rehearsals. Fortunately, the doctor said that there was no major issue. Tessa simply didn’t want to tell Nicholas about it as she didn’t want him to worry.

Hathaway was in the ward and stepped forward to help Tessa when she saw Tessa walking in from the balcony. “You’re straining yourself too much,” Hathaway complained. Tessa smiled as she sat down on the edge of her bed. “It’s such a rare opportunity. Of course, I have to work hard for it! I don’t want to miss out on this chance.”

Tessa had put in a lot of effort and energy to ensure that there would be no issues in this performance. Hathaway sighed when she heard Tessa’s words. Tessa is such a hardworking girl. If only Kathleen were half as mature as Tessa! Despite such thoughts, Hathaway put on a stern look as she warned Tessa of her actions. “I know that you really care about this performance, but your health is the most important thing. I can’t allow you to neglect yourself like this. If this happens again, I will contact your fiancé directly.”

“I got it. There will never be next time,” Tessa replied. She felt a warm sensation in her chest as she knew that Hathaway was doing this for her own good. After Tessa got an IV drip, Hathaway sent her back to the hotel. “You need to get some rest for today. You’re not allowed to practice alone, do you hear me?” Hathaway uttered before leaving.

Tessa burst out in laughter before giving her teacher an obedient nod.

…

The following day, Tessa felt much better when she woke up. Many of her members hurried over to care for her during breakfast, and she responded to each of them. Even Kathleen came over to ask about Tessa in a somewhat pretentious tone. “You’re fine, aren’t you, Tessa?”

“Yeah, I’m fine now. Thanks for asking.” Tessa responded distantly, and Kathleen didn’t seem bothered by this. “You should take care of your body. The performance is coming soon, so you wouldn’t want an accident to happen, would you?”

“Yeah. I’ll be careful,” Tessa replied flatly. Kathleen’s gaze darkened, and she walked off after a few more exchanges with Tessa. Mona knitted her brows as she watched Kathleen’s figure walking off. “Why do I feel like what Kathleen said earlier sounded rather odd?” Tessa didn’t respond to this—she simply threw a thoughtful gaze in the direction in which Kathleen had walked off. Then, she turned to Mona. “Hurry and eat. We’ll have to go for the theater rehearsal later,” she said. Mona nodded and hastily finished her food before they headed to the theater.

Soon enough, it was just two days until the actual performance. Tessa gave Nicholas a call after she was done washing up. “The performance is on the day after tomorrow. When are you guys going to come?” Tessa asked as she beamed at the man in the video call. She was excited to see them.

He was just as excited, and a gentle gaze surfaced in his eyes as he spoke to her. “We’re leaving tonight, so we’ll arrive tomorrow,” he said. “Great. I’ll go over to greet you guys at the airport.” The smile on Tessa’s face could practically reach her ears when she thought about how she would see Gregory and Nicholas the next day.

The couple chit-chatted for a while more before Tessa ended the call to get some rest. That evening, Nicholas got home from work. He had already packed his luggage beforehand, and was prepared to bring Gregory to the airport. However, he was just about to step out of the hall when Janet ran over frantically.

“Nicholas. Bad news. We lost contact with Cole,” she said.

His expression changed the moment he heard this. “What happened?” he asked coldly.

“I’m not sure. It seems like someone managed to track Cole’s location. The witness Cole was supposed to protect disappeared first, and now Cole is gone as well.”

Janet’s eyes glistened as she spoke. “I’m injured now, so you’re the only one who can deal with this, Nicholas.”

Nicholas frowned. Even though he was worried about Cole’s safety, he still decided to reject her request.