Ch. 681..690

Always Been Yours Chapter 681

The Young Maid

After all, the guest personally told her that she did not need to be attended to. Furthermore, Tessa also hoped to finish the flower arrangement early.

Just like that, one was arranging flowers, while another was reading magazines. The atmosphere was strangely harmonious.

After another ten minutes, Tessa inserted the last flower into the vase. Then, she felt she had accomplished something as she happily admired the bouquet before her.

With the delicate rose wrapped in green leaves and white tulips circling on the outside, the arrangement of the flowers seemed to resemble milk and rose. It looked gorgeous.

The more Tessa looked at it, the more she felt that she had a talent for flower arrangements.

She smiled happily as she admired her handiwork while holding the vase carefully. Then, she couldn't help but lower her head and smell the flowers.

Inadvertently glancing at Tessa, Janet could not help but frown. Doesn't there anyone think this young maid is a little too pretty?

Despite wearing no makeup, the girl's cheeks were alluring under the sunlight, especially with the sparkle in her eyes that made it seem as though she was a fae under the sunlight. It made her appear enchanting and pure.

Moreover, the more Janet looked at 'the young maid', the more she felt like she had seen the maid somewhere. However, she couldn't recall just where she had seen this person before. Perhaps I’m overthinking things again. After all, this young maid said she had just reported for duty yesterday.

Just like that, she retracted her gaze. Nevertheless, she had other plans in her mind.

She was worried about having such a beautiful person besides Nicholas.

Therefore, when she saw him later, she intended to ask Nicholas to deploy 'the young maid" over to her side.

In the meantime, Tessa was unaware of Janet's intentions as she pruned away some of the flower arrangement's unwanted bits before she got up and woke Nicholas.

Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps coming from upstairs that gradually got louder.

Nicholas was dressed in a black suit as he walked down the stairs with a noble air. Each of his gestures exuded a sense of nobility and elegance.

His handsome facial features were like an art masterpiece carved by the deities.

When Janet heard the footsteps, she immediately put down the magazine and stood up with her lips formed into a smile.

However, a cheery voice rang in her ears before she could speak and interrupted her.

"Nicholas..." Then, she saw Tessa run toward Nicholas happily while holding the vase in one hand. "You're awake."

She raised her delicate face and looked at him with a smile as beautiful as a blooming flower.

At the same time, Nicholas looked at the girl’s bright smile, and his cold facial features gave way to a gentle smile at her infectious cheer as he nodded lightly in greeting.

"Look! These are the flowers Greg and I went to pick in the morning. Here, smell them."

As she spoke, Tessa held the vase in front of him.

Nicholas glanced at her dotingly as he lowered his head and smelled the flowers. Then, he said warmly, "They're quite fragrant and beautiful."

"Of course. I was the one who arranged these flowers after all." Tessa raised her chin slightly, looking like a proud kitten. She looked extremely adorable in this state.

Nicholas laughed, and his eyes were tender with affection.

At this moment, Tessa suddenly remembered that there was a guest next to her. So, she palmed her forehead in annoyance and said, "Oh, I'm so forgetful. I was so busy talking to you that I forgot we have a guest."

Nicholas followed Tessa's gaze upon hearing her words and saw Janet standing beside the sofa. At once, the smile on his face faded.

Meanwhile, Janet was so shocked that she was rendered speechless as she looked at the scene playing before her in disbelief.

I have never seen such a gentle and patient Nicholas before. Also, this woman is not a maid at all. She is the woman who seduced Nicholas, Tessa Reinhart! It's no wonder I kept thinking she was familiar just now.

Sure enough, another reason for her not recognizing Tessa instantly was that most of the photos Kaiden showed her before only displayed Tessa's side profile. Therefore, it was normal for her not to be able to recognize Tessa immediately.

Nicholas frowned when he noticed Janet's complicated expressions fleeting across her face and asked, "What are you doing here?" His icy voice was completely different from just now.

Janet's face stiffened at the differential treatment, then clenched and loosened her hands hanging by her side. She repeated the actions several times. Only then was she able to suppress the sorrow and hatred in her heart.

"I brought breakfast for you. It's a medicinal broth that I specially asked someone to brew, and it's really effective for wound recovery." She softened her voice and tried her best to look virtuous.

Always Been Yours Chapter 682

A Family of Three

Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't moved by Janet's effort at all and said indifferently, "Thanks."

Janet was very upset, and finally, she fixed her gaze on Tessa.

As she regarded the girl's delicate facial features and skin as fair as snow, she could not help but be green with envy.

Although she had paid attention to maintaining her skin's youthful condition these years, her years of training had made her skin feel much rougher than that of ordinary girls.

Even so, she still felt Tessa was not much of a big deal.

After all, good looks aren't everything.

Even though she was unimpressed inwardly, she still showed a faint smile. "I didn't expect you to be the person Nicholas constantly misses. Hello, I'm Nicholas' friend and also his closest teammate, Janet Brenner."

While speaking, she reached out her hand and took the initiative to walk toward Tessa.

Tessa raised her brow slightly, reached out her hand, and shook hands with her. However, she immediately pulled her hand in the next second.

She was certainly no idiot. Naturally, she heard the double meaning in the other party's words a while ago.

So, she smiled as she naturally linked arms with Nicholas and said gracefully, "Hello, Miss Brenner. I’m Nicholas' fiancee. A pleasure to meet you."

Despite nodding indifferently, Janet could barely suppress the anger in her heart.

The reason was the word 'fiancee' that escaped Tessa's lips utterly won in terms of status since she was just an ex-colleague.

It seems like this woman isn't as harmless as she looks. She has some brains.

At that thought, she changed the topic of the conversation and asked, "Nicholas, are you going to have your breakfast? Let me have someone serve it."

Tessa frowned inexplicably at her words that made her seem like the host of this house.

"Miss Brenner, have you eaten? Do you want to join us?"

When Janet heard that, her eyes turned slightly cold.

Because of Tessa’s words, she was at a disadvantage again. At the same time, her words also made a clear boundary on their statuses.

Janet was the guest, whereas Tessa was the host.

Nonetheless, Janet could only suppress her anger and agreed to join them for breakfast.

She did so simply because she did not want to let Nicholas be alone with Tessa.

In the brightly lit dining hall, Tessa asked the servants to serve the breakfast she had made.

Of course, she did not forget about the food Janet brought too.

"What would you like to eat, Nicholas? I'll serve it for you." She looked at Nicholas tenderly.

Nicholas looked back at her and smiled. "I want to eat the salmon spinach quiche you made."

Nodding, Tessa then served him a plate of salmon spinach quiche.

As for the breakfast that Janet brought, Nicholas did not even look at it.

Looking at the warm interaction between the two, Janet gritted her teeth secretly.

At this moment, Tessa beckoned with a smile when she saw Janet had not touched her tableware for a long while, "Miss Brenner, help yourself and eat some too."

When she saw Tessa acting like the household's mistress, she felt even more irate by the turn of events.

As she was unwilling to let Tessa win, she pushed the plate over when she saw Nicholas had not tasted the breakfast she had brought.

"Try this, Nicholas. It tastes delicious."

However, as if he did not hear that, Nicholas turned his head to the girl beside him and asked with a warm voice, "Aren't you going to eat some?"

"No, I have eaten with Greg earlier."

Unexpectedly, Gregory had already finished his class just as Tessa finished saying this. He had a skip in his step as he made his way downstairs.

"Daddy, you're awake! Is your body feeling better?” His eyes were full of concern as he looked at Nicholas.

At this moment, he also spotted Janet, and the smile on his face turned distant. However, he still addressed her politely. "Good morning, Miss Brenner."

"Good morning, Greg."

Despite disliking the child, Janet still had to put up a facade.

Gregory nodded and did not wish to pay further attention to her.

Then, he turned to look at Tessa, and his smile turned into a genuine one again.

"Miss Tessa, the teacher taught me to draw just now."

He happily trotted toward Tessa. Then, he threw himself directly into Tessa's arms, raised his head, and chimed, "I drew a family of three. I drew all of us in there. Look."

As he spoke, he spread out the drawing sheet in his hand and handed it to Tessa as if he was offering a treasure.

Tessa smiled as she picked it up to take a look, and she found that the drawing was well drawn.

Although the lines of the portraits drawn on the paper were simple and unsophisticated, the colors matched well.

Always Been Yours Chapter 683

You Meddle Too Much

The color was divided into two parts. The upper half was painted in blue and represented the sky, while the lower half was painted in green and represented the grass.

Gregory also painted several flowers on the grass. Nevertheless, the most prominent part of this drawing was its portraits. Although it was a little abstract, it was not hideous, and everyone had a smile. The painting looked very artistic, with the adults holding the child as they stood side by side.

“Miss Tessa, did I draw it well?" Gregory looked at Tessa expectantly, and his face practically had 'praise me!' written all over it.

Tessa laughed and sincerely praised him, "It's very nice. You're really amazing."

The smile on Gregory's face became sweeter upon hearing her happy words, and he became more motivated. "Then, I will practice and take my lessons seriously so I can draw a portrait that's as pretty as you."

“In that case, I will eagerly wait for that day." Tessa encouraged the little guy. Then, she saw Nicholas looking at them dotingly with a smile on his lips. So, she smiled as she handed over the watercolor drawing in her hand.

“Look at Greg’s drawing. Isn't it beautiful?”

“It's quite good." Nicholas lowered his eyes and glanced at the drawing. The curvature of his lips rose a little once more.

I like this drawing and what Greg said just now even more. A family of three... Aren't we a family of three?

At this thought, Nicholas’ facial expression became even more gentle.

Looking at the three talking and laughing, Janet discovered that she couldn’t interrupt them at all, and her jealousy kept surging to new heights.

Particularly, from her point of view, she was just like an outsider, whereas Nicholas and the others were like a family of three.

Janet really couldn't stomach any more of the constant laughter ringing in her ears.

I don't understand. Why does Greg look distant and indifferent every time he sees me? Yet why doesn't he ostracize Tessa? Furthermore, he even acts so affectionately with Tessa.

At this moment, she felt incredibly left out as she looked at the three interacting harmoniously with each other.

Still, she was very unwilling to leave just like this.

In the end, she forcibly suppressed the churning jealousy in her heart. Instead, she looked at Tessa as she smiled, “Miss Reinhart, I heard that you were away frequently. So, how can you still be so close with Greg?"

“Although I was away often, Greg and I video called each other daily."

No doubt, Tessa could hear that Janet’s words were directed toward her with malicious intent. So, although the smile on her face remained unchanged, the joy in her voice was subdued.

Janet pretended not to hear her warning as she insisted. "Video calls are mere video calls. But it will also be hard for you to take care of him if he encounters any problems. Am I right, Miss Reinhart?"

At this point, Tessa was a little displeased as her brows furrowed slightly before smoothing out as she still gave Janet a courteous smile. “Everyone has different opinions. Besides, I think the technology these days is so advanced that even if we’re not together, it still won't take long if we wish to meet."

Janet did not expect that Tessa would tactfully rebuff her. Hence, she was a little irked.

She inhaled deeply as she continued to find fault in Tessa.

“Greg is at that stage where he lacks maternal love. I heard from Mrs. Sawyer that she hopes to have a daughter-in-law who is family-oriented.”

She looked at Tessa with a mirthless smile, and there were slight traces of smugness in her eyes.

Her words carried two meanings. Firstly, she wanted to tell Tessa sarcastically that she was not Gregory's biological mother, regardless of her close relationship with Gregory. Secondly, she wanted to brag to Tessa that she had a good relationship with Nicholas' family.

Naturally, Tessa comprehended the meaning behind her words. Yet, she was slightly taken aback and didn’t know how to react to Janet's barbed words.

At this moment, Gregory also sensed something wrong with Janet's words. In an instant, his initially smiling little face became fierce.

“I don’t want anyone else. I only need Miss Tessa!"

He glared at Janet angrily with puffy cheeks and defended Tessa through his words. "Although Miss Tessa is usually away, and I will miss her a lot, I don't mind."

Similarly, Nicholas had a sullen look on his face. Even though he did not utter a word, he obviously did not mind that Tessa was away often.

However, Janet was unaware of his thoughts on the matter.

When she heard Gregory's words, she was utterly enraged.

Tessa is truly a remarkable woman. She can coax Greg to stand up for her to this extent before she even married Nicholas.

“You don't mind, but does that mean Nicholas won't mind?"

“Why would you care whether I mind or not? You're way out of bounds."

Always Been Yours Chapter 684

Whistleblower

Nicholas directly criticized coldly, "Greg doesn't even mind. Who do you think you are to say those things?"

He said those words so frigidly that it made Janet feel a chill down her spine, and she could no longer maintain the smile on her face.

In an instant, the atmosphere turned absolutely awkward.

Despite disliking the woman’s passive-aggressive manner of speech, Tessa helped to mediate the situation as the woman was still their guest.

“Come, let's eat. Otherwise, the food is going to get cold."

However, Janet no longer had the appetite to eat at this moment.

So, she ignored Tessa and looked at the indifferent-looking man opposite her with a forceful tug on her lips. "You are right. I have completely overstepped."

Nicholas didn't spare her a glance and enjoyed his salmon spinach quiche on his own.

Janet only felt even more embarrassed when she saw his actions.

Since she didn't want to continue to make a fool out of herself in front of Tessa, she immediately came up with an excuse to leave.

Once she stepped out of the gate of Dynasty Gardens, she suddenly stopped and abruptly turned her head to look at the majestic manor behind her. When she remembered the scene she witnessed in the dining hall a while ago, her gaze was gloomy, and her expression twisted into a ghastly look.

Meanwhile, in the dining hall, Tessa frowned slightly as she looked in the direction that Janet had left.

She could feel that Janet was miserable when she left. So, she asked in concern, "Is it alright for Miss Brenner to leave like that?"

"She’s no one of importance. So, don’t bother much about her," Nicholas said as he ate another mouthful of the salmon spinach quiche.

Similarly, Gregory, who was next to her, nodded in agreement and took the opportunity to confess. "Miss Tessa, you can just ignore her. I don’t like her anyway. I only like you."

"Aw, Greg, did you eat candy today? Why is your little mouth so sweet?" Gregory's flattering words overjoyed Tessa.

With that, she pinched the little guy's cheek affectionately.

Gregory did not mind his cheek being pinched either. Instead, he smiled even joyfully. "I didn't eat any candy. Everything I say is true. Miss Tessa, I like you the most!"

As Tessa listened, she simply felt charmed deep down as if her heart had drank nectar.

Later, Nicholas wanted to get up and go to work in the study after he was done with his breakfast.

Due to the injury on his body not completely healed yet, he planned to stay at home for this period of time.

Tessa did not stop him when she saw that and only urged, "Don't get too tired and don't sit for too long as well. You need to get up and exercise a little."

Nicholas nodded with a smile upon hearing her fussing over him. Then, he went to his study.

About noon, Edward came to the residence to report to his boss.

When he saw Tessa and Gregory playing in the living room, he greeted them before heading upstairs.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door once he stood before the study's door.

“Come in." Nicholas' stern voice sounded from inside.

Edward pushed open the door and went in. Then, respectfully, he stood in the center of the room and started reporting company-related matters.

Once he had finished with his report, he talked about the disclosure of Cole's whereabouts from last time. "President Sawyer, according to the investigation done by our men, it is confirmed that there is indeed a whistleblower in Mr. Spurse's team. But we haven't found out in detail who it is yet."

Nicholas narrowed his eyes once he heard that.

After he pondered the matter for a while, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and he ordered, "You can directly instruct our men to investigate Janet."

Previously, he didn't feel something was off. However, when he carefully thought about the whole incident, he realized that Janet acted oddly during this period.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt this woman's behavior was suspicious, especially when she kept stopping him from leaving after he was injured. This made him feel relatively disgusted.

As Edward was unaware of these, he was a little stunned and asked, "Are you suspecting that it was Miss Brenner who disclosed the information?"

"You’ll be able to know whether it was her or not after you've investigated."

Although Edward didn't believe that Janet would do something like this, he still received the order and left to investigate her.

That afternoon, Cole also visited Nicholas as he was concerned about Nicolas' injury; he was here to check up on him.

After he took a seat, he couldn't help but nag, "You're too reckless. It's quite out of your character, considering you don't look like someone who's so impulsive on normal days."

"Well, my impulsive behavior is selective." Nicholas curled the corner of his mouth slightly, and his eyes turned gentle.

Cole instantly knew that there was something up with Nicholas once he saw this.

Just as he was about to ask, a knock on the door interrupted him.

It turned out that it was Tessa who brought tea over for them.

When he saw her, he immediately stood up from the sofa and wanted to help.

However, she avoided his help. "No, it's fine. I'll do it. You should be more mindful of your injuries."

Always Been Yours Chapter 685

Once Tessa finished saying that, she placed the tray in her hand on the coffee table carefully.

Meanwhile, Cole had been quietly observing the interaction between the two from when Tessa walked in. At this juncture, he practically didn't need to guess as he could see through the relationship between the two, especially when the unconcealed tenderness in Nicholas' eyes was crystal clear.

And thus, he carefully observed Tessa.

This girl looks young and petite. Yet, she has the unique gentility of a girl coming from Jedburgh. Wearing a simple long-sleeved dress, she exudes an indescribable comforting aura all over her. He could not help but feel a little surprised when he observed until this point. Well, I never expected Nicholas to actually fancy this type of girl.

"Nicholas, aren't you going to introduce her?" Cole coughed lightly and looked at Nicholas with a smile. Nicholas stepped forward and hugged Tessa upon hearing that remark. Then, he introduced her with an inexpressible gentleness. "This is my fiancee, Tessa Reinhart."

He paused momentarily, then continued to introduce Cole to Tessa. "This is the superior I mentioned to you before. You can call him Mr. Spurse."

Tessa greeted with a gracious smile. "Mr. Spurse."

Cole nodded in greeting as well. "Hello."

The three exchanged simple pleasantries for a while. Later, Tessa excused herself as she could sense that the two had something important to discuss.

After Nicholas saw Tessa off, he sat back down on the sofa.

He went straight to the point and directly discussed the matter regarding the disclosure of Cole's whereabouts last time after taking a sip of tea.

"Have you found any information about the matter relating to the disclosure of your whereabouts this time?"

When Cole heard that, his facial expression froze slightly. Shortly after, he regained his composure. "I handed the investigation of this matter over to my subordinates, so I am still unsure about the specific situation."

Nicholas stared straight at Cole upon hearing that.

Even though Cole masked his expression well just now, he still captured something unusual, especially how he froze before speaking

At that moment, he thought of his previous guess and cast him a meaningful look. "Mr. Spurse, do you not want to say it? Or are you trying to cover for her?"

Since Cole was already feeling a little guilty in the first place, his eyes flickered even more now that he had heard these words.

Without a doubt, Nicholas caught everything and was even more confident in his guess. "That person is Janet, isn't it?"

Although Kis words sounded like an inquiry, the expression on his face showed clear affirmation.

Cole was rendered speechless by his question.

The moment Nicholas saw this, he instantly knew that he was right.

So, he frowned as he said in a disapproving manner, "Do you think it's the right thing to do to cover for her like this?"

"I really can't hide anything from you." Cole sighed. At this moment, he knew it was pointless for him to hide the truth anymore, so he admitted it frankly. "Janet did this because of you."

"Go ahead and keep spoiling her. She has already violated the principle that makes a human being by acting unscrupulously."

Nicholas showed apparent disdain for her actions and also expressed his stance. "After the mission is complete, you can take her away. I have helped you take care of her long enough." Cole hesitated for a while because he knew Janet had gone too far this time.

However, he felt that he could justify Janet's action since she had a reason behind it.

"Nicholas, I think you can see through Janet's thoughts. Be it when you two were comrades in arms in the past or based on the family background, I have always felt that you two are good together. But I never expected you to fall in love with someone else suddenly."

When Nicholas heard those words, he frowned and said bitingly, "There’s nothing to say about the matter. Not to mention that I already have someone I love, and even if I don't, I won't develop feelings for her."

Cole didn't know what to say to that for a moment.

Even so, Nicholas was not bothered by his silence and continued. "Furthermore, regarding the incident this time, I know you can ignore Janet scheming against you because she is your apprentice. But I can't." Cole showed a resigned look on his face. At the same time, he dismissed his inner thought of trying to persuade Nicholas.

From his point of view, he knew that there was no going back on this matter.

As he thought about it, he stood up and said solemnly, "I'll return and report to the higher-ups in a few days. By then, I'll take Janet with me."

Nicholas nodded as he stood up to see Cole off at the door.

When Cole saw this, he seemed to have thought of something and sighed, "Let's have a meal together before I leave. Otherwise, we won't know when we will meet next time."

Always Been Yours Chapter 686

For Cole's sake, Nicholas accepted the request.

After Gole left Dynasty Gardens, he visited Janet.

"Mr. Sparse, what brings you here?" She found it odd, but still, she invited Cole to take a seat. Meanwhile, Sally served them some tea and left the room.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip before he asked in concern, "How's your injury?"

"I'm a lot better now. So, don't worry too much about me," Janet replied, smiling

He nodded. "That's great. I came to tell you that I'll be heading back to the headquarters in a few days and that you'll be coming with me."

Her smile froze on her face upon hearing the news. However, she quickly returned to her senses and realized that he must've had his reasons for saying so.

After all, he did agree to let her stay here and recover before this.

"Mr. Sparse, did Nicholas ask you to take me with you?"

"We've overstayed our welcome. You should return with me now that you're feeling much better." Cole did not deny her question.

However, Janet didn't want to leave as she mumbled with a frown, "But that wasn't what you said before."

"Back then, I could see that you didn't want to leave, so I let you be. However, you can't continue to stay here anymore." As he could see right through her, he tried to persuade her, "Plus, Nicholas is engaged now. It's about time you give up on him."

"What doesn't he like about me?"

She didn't like what she was hearing. Jealousy kept growing within her as she questioned, "Just how is that woman better than me?"

Cole frowned and looked at her with a troubled gaze. He was worried that she would be overly stubborn on this matter and that she would do something irreversible. "Janet, don't be too stubborn. You should really stop pushing Nicholas' limits."

"I have never done that," Janet rebutted reflexively.

Unfortunately, Cole had enough of her behavior as well as he warned in a stern tone, "Regardless of that, you know Nicholas better than anyone. He hates it when someone forces him to do something through underhanded means."

At the sound of that, she bit on her lower lip hard. "I just want to fight for my own happiness. Is it so wrong of me to do so?"

She was unwilling to back down from her stance as she looked up at Cole. Her pretty eyes had turned moist, and she looked extremely aggrieved.

At the sight of that, Cole let out a sigh since it was rare for him to see Janet in such a fragile state.

In his impression, Janet had always been a strong girl.

He understood that Janet was only acting this way because she genuinely liked Nicholas a lot, but no matter how much she liked him, she had missed the opportunity to be with him.

"Janet, it isn't wrong for you to like Nicholas. The problem is that Nicholas doesn't like you and even has a fiancee. So, you shouldn't bother him anymore."

Cole didn't want to continue on this subject, so he changed the topic and reprimanded her, "Moreover, the main reason why you failed the mission this time is that you allowed your emotions to be in the way of the mission."

She instantly felt guilty once she heard that, so she lowered her gaze and tried to avoid eye contact with him.

He spoke even more solemnly, pretending that he did not realize what Janet was trying to do.

"Your personal feelings have affected your judgment during the mission. Since you're injured in the line of duty, I only gave you a warning instead of reporting it to the higher-ups. However, I hope you can collect yourself in the coming days and be in tip-top condition when you return to work. Also, I don't wish to see such a thing happening again. Just use the next few days to clear your head." Janet remained silent throughout his lecture.

The shadows of her eyelashes covered her dark eyes that were filled with viciousness as she had a terrible mood too.

On the other hand, in the Dynasty Gardens, Tessa went over to Nicholas immediately after he had sent Cole out.

"Nicholas, did something happen?"

She was worried that Cole had asked Nicholas for help, just like he did before.

Nicholas knew that she was just concerned about him, so he smiled and comforted her, "It's nothing. Cole came over to say goodbye. Janet will be leaving this time as well."

"That's great." Tessa let out a breath of relief. She was worried that Cole had asked Nicholas to go on missions again.

As for Janet, Tessa couldn't care less about her.

That was because she trusted Nicholas and their feelings for each other.

As she thought of that, she stepped forward and circled her arms around his waist as she leaned her head against his chest.

Nicholas also took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her in a warm embrace.

The sun shone on them, and the two lovers hugging was a beautiful sight.

Tessa could hear Nicholas' heart beating while her nose was filled with his clean scent. Then, softly, she said, "Promise me that you won't get hurt anymore. I won't be able to take it."

"Don't worry. I won't be involved in any of it in the future."

Nicholas tightened his embrace around Tessa in reassurance and love.

The couple was being lovey-dovey as they enjoyed each other's company in tranquil silence.

At this time, Gregory woke up from his nap.

When he went downstairs and saw the two locked in each other's arms, he ran towards them with slight jealousy.

"Miss Tessa, I want a hug too."

At the sound of that, Tessa broke into chuckles as she let Nicholas go. "Come here. Let me give you a hug."

As she said that, she bent down and embraced Gregory.

He cuddled in her arms happily, not forgetting to play up his adorableness.

Always Been Yours Chapter 687

"Miss Tessa, I want a kiss too."

"Sure, I'll give you a kiss."

Then, she smiled as she gave Gregory a peck on his cheeks.

He chuckled happily as his round eyes curved up into the shape of crescent moons.

Sure enough, he didn't hesitate to throw a triumphant look at his father.

Nicholas found it hilarious that his son was competing for Tessa's attention with him.

Tessa had no idea that a secret battle between the father-son duo had taken place right under her nose. With Gregory in her arms, she walked toward the living room and sat on the couch.

Nicholas followed behind and took a seat next to her naturally.

He was worried that Tessa's arms would be sore from carrying the boy as he recalled that Gregory had gained some weight recently. Hence, he stretched out his hands and offered, "Your arms are probably sore by now after carrying him. Let me take him."

"I'm fine. Plus, you have not fully recovered yet and can't carry anything heavy. Have you forgotten what the doctor said?"

She glared at him with feigned anger.

When he heard that, he lowered his gaze and smiled at Gregory, who was still in Tessa’s arms, "Get down. You're a big boy now, and Miss Tessa would tire carrying you everywhere."

Although Gregory was reluctant, he slowly slid down from her embrace obediently.

He couldn't bear to be the reason Tessa became tired.

"Miss Tessa, are your arms sore? Let me massage it for you."

As he spoke, he had already started to give her a massage.

Tessa's heart softened at the sight of this.

At this moment, the three interacted harmoniously like a family.

Their cheerful laughter traveled beyond the living room, making Andrew, who was delegating tasks in the garden, let out a relieved smile.

It had been long since he last heard Nicholas and Gregory laugh so heartily.

Later in the day, Tessa asked Nicholas, "Do you have any other plans in the evening?"

"I'm planning to take Gregory to visit Old Master Sawyer at the hospital later," Nicholas told her honestly.

Tessa nodded. "Then I'll go and meet Tim. He doesn't know that I'm back yet."

"I'll get Andrew to arrange a driver for you."

"Sure."

With that, the two took Gregory with them and left the house.

At Reinhart Group, Tessa arrived at her brother's office successfully without any obstacles.

In order to give her brother a surprise, she made sure everyone in the company kept her visit a secret.

When Timothy's assistant noticed her sudden appearance outside the office, she was also shocked.

"Miss Reinhart?"

"Shush."

Tessa motioned for her to lower her voice as she whispered, "Is Tim in his office?"

The assistant nodded and replied softly, "He is."

"Don't mind me. I'll head in by myself."

After Tessa said that, she went to knock on the door.

Knock knock

"Come in."

Timothy's cool voice traveled from his office.

When Tessa entered the office, she saw her brother swamped with work. As she had not been able to watch his growth daily, to her, it seemed as though he had matured overnight.

On the other hand, Timothy couldn't help but frown when he only heard footsteps but no one announcing themselves.

Always Been Yours Chapter 688

Timothy raised his head, and just as he was about to question the visitor, a stunned expression appeared on his face.

"Tess, what are you doing here?" He looked at "Tessa in disbelief.

She gave him a sly smile and asked him in return, "Are you surprised?"

"You bet I am!"

He immediately got up from his seat and happily pulled her towards the sofa.

She grinned as she expressed her concern, "Did you take good care of yourself?" "Of course."

"Tess, why didn't you tell me you were back?"

"I came back in a hurry this time because Nicholas' grandfather is sick," she explained.

"Is his grandfather okay?"

"Yeah, he is fine."

Then, she proceeded to tell him briefly about Remus' condition.

Timothy nodded and inquired, "How is Nicholas' recovery going?"

"He's recovering well. Don't worry."

With that said, the two continued to chat about their everyday lives.

Later, Timothy's assistant knocked on the door and came in.

"Mr. Reinhart, there's a slight problem at the technical department. You'll need to take a look at that."

That put a frown on Timothy's face as he seemed unwilling to leave.

Tessa understood why he was reluctant and persuaded him, "You should go and settle things first. I'll wait for you here."

He could only nod in resignation. "Okay. I'll go and take a look at what's happening."

With that, he turned and instructed his assistant, "Get someone to serve some snacks and fruits to my sister. Oh, and bring some magazines too."

His assistant nodded agreeably and then left to carry out his tasks.

Timothy said a few more words to Tessa before he left for the technical department.

A moment later, one of the employees brought snacks and fruits for Tessa.

Tessa sat on the couch in relaxation as she ate the fruits while scrolling through her phone.

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise from outside not long later.

"Miss Turner, please don't make things difficult for me. Mr. Reinhart really isn't in his office."

"Get out of my way."

Yvette ignored Timothy's secretary and strode towards his office.

She believed that Timothy deliberately got his people to tell her that he was not in his office because he did not want to meet her.

With that, she barged into his office.

"Timothy Reinhart! Why are you like this? I've looked for you several times, but why do you have to avoid me every time?"

After she vented her anger, she finally realized that Timothy was nowhere to be seen in his office. Instead, a beautiful woman was sitting on the couch.

Tessa was surprised to see Yvette barge into the office too.

So, Tessa naturally began to take a good look at the strange woman.

Yvette was young, probably in her early twenties, adorned in luxury clothes. Her brown, wavy hair draped behind her effortlessly while her face was small, and she had delicate features. All in all, she was a gorgeous lady.

But the only downside about her was that she had a contemptuous gaze which made her appear arrogant.

While Tessa was still trying to figure out who Yvette was, Yvette had already questioned her, "Who are you? Why are you in Timothy's office?"

Yvette looked at Tessa with hostility as a sense of insecurity surged within her.

That was because she had never seen Timothy with any woman. But now, a woman was sitting in his office without a care in the world. She's even snacking in his office openly!

Most importantly, Yvette thought that Tessa was prettier than her.

Tessa didn't miss the hostility in Yvette's eyes. Therefore, she raised her brows as she retorted, "Who are you? This is a workplace. Don't you think it's impolite of you to barge in here?" Yvette was speechless and shot Tessa a glare. "That's none of your business!" Tessa frowned in slight displeasure when she heard this.

The atmosphere in the office turned tense all of a sudden.

Timothy's secretary quickly explained the situation to her in a hushed voice when she saw this.

"Miss Reinhart, she is the daughter of one of our clients. After she met Mr. Reinhart, she had constantly been harassing him ever since."

"Oh?"

Tessa found it odd yet fascinating at the same time.

After all, it was great news that her brother had an admirer. Although, this girl might be more then in a little troublesome.

Always Been Yours Chapter 689

Who Should Leave?

However, this lady before Tessa seemed to be too unruly.

Moreover, Timothy also seemed somewhat avoidant of her, judging from his secretary's expression.

At this point in her train of thought, Tessa devised a scheme.

While she sat on the sofa calmly, she remarked in a cold voice, "This isn't a place where you can make a scene. If you have no business here, you should leave."

At the sight of Tessa, who was acting like the lady boss of this place, Yvette could not help but feel slightly aggravated.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you ask me to leave? You should be the one leaving instead!" Not only that, she was going to drive Tessa out of here.

So, Yvette glared at Tessa fiercely.

Although Tessa did not know Yvette's exact thoughts, she could guess what Yvette wanted to do.

"Tell me. Which one of us should leave— her or me?"

Tessa was in the mood to fool around with Yvette, so she turned to look at Timothy's secretary.

When she heard Tessa's outrageous remark, she turned to look at the secretary. Then, in a vicious tone, she questioned, "Yeah. Tell us. Should she or should I leave?"

The secretary was crying silently within. It felt like a disaster just hit him out of the blue.

Plus, he could not afford to offend either one of them.

Even so, he still made a choice.

After all, one was his boss' sister, while the other was only a client's daughter. So, even an idiot would know whose side to be on.

“I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll send her out right now."

The secretary apologized to Tessa respectfully first before stepping forward and said, "Miss Turner, please come with me. Otherwise, Mr. Reinhart might get angry at you when he returns later."

Yvette looked at the secretary in disbelief.

"You're telling me to leave?"

At this moment, she was so furious that she looked at Tessa with an even harsher gaze.

If even Timothy's employees are so protective of this woman, she must be special to him. In that case, that is more the reason I cannot leave!

With that thought in mind, Yvette ignored the secretary and strode towards Tessa. With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she looked Tessa up and down in an arrogant manner.

It was just that the more she looked at Tessa, the more envious she became of her.

She had to admit that Tessa was indeed more beautiful than she was.

Even so, she still warned, "I don't care who you are, but Timothy is the man I like! So, get in line if you want to compete with me! But I'm telling you that I will be the one who wins him over in the end!"

Tessa frowned in displeasure when she heard the arrogant declaration. "Liking him doesn't automatically make him yours, does it?"

"Of course it does! Since I like him, he is mine. Everyone can only dream about taking him away from me!"

Yvette was indeed arrogant and self-centered.

Tessa was so angered that she almost let out a scoff. "How confident of you to say that. I've lived with him for so many years, and no one has ever dared to say such a thing to me. Who do you think you are to ask me to get in line?"

"What? You live with Timothy?"

Yvette seemed to be appalled and went into a trance for a moment.

Then, she glared at Tessa in jealousy and questioned her through gritted teeth, "What's the relationship between you and Timothy?"

Tessa did not like her attitude at all and asked her back lightly, "Why should I tell you that?"

At the sight of Tessa, who had been extraordinarily calm the whole time, Yvette took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.

This woman must be provoking me on purpose, she thought.

Yvette had done her research before and found that Timothy had no romantic relationships with anyone.

With that, she seemed to have regained her confidence again and threatened Tessa haughtily, "It's true that you don't need to tell me that, but do you know who I am? I've always gotten whatever I want, so I'd advise you to give up on Timothy now, or you'll be the one suffering in the end."

As soon as she said that, the secretary broke out in a cold sweat.

At the same time, he was speechless as well.

He thought, Did she not learn about Mr. Reinhart's family when she decided to pursue him?

He could not help but think that Yvette's reaction would definitely be interesting once she learned about Tessa's identity.

Always Been Yours Chapter 690

It's None of Your Concern

Tessa had no idea what the secretary was thinking.

She looked at Yvette with even more displeasure in her gaze.

What does she take my brother for? An object?

Tessa's expression unconsciously turned cold as she rebuked, "I don't care who you are, but you better follow the rules now that you are here. This isn't a place where you can do whatever you want."

"It isn't a place for me to do that, but is it yours?"

Yvette retorted without even thinking; the anger within her continued to grow.

How dare this b*tch reprimand me? Who does she think she is?

Tessa narrowed her eyes and confronted Yvette with hostility, "If you're not convinced, I can get someone to throw you out right now. After that, you'll see if I can be the boss around here!"

No matter what, Tessa had to let Yvette understand that this was not a place for her to be rambunctious.

It would affect Timothy's work in the future.

However, Yvette did not think about that.

All she knew was that Tessa was relying on Timothy's influence around here to bully her, and it pissed her off very much.

"Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you lecture me?"

Yvette strode forward angrily and raised her hand, about to slap Tessa.

Tessa's gaze turned sharp at the sight of the hand getting closer to her face.

Just as she was about to raise her hand to protect herself, a slender hand appeared and caught Yvette's wrist accurately.

Timothy stood in front of Tessa, his expression solemn as he berated, "Yvette Turner! What are you doing?"

He did not expect to see his sister about to be slapped as soon as he returned. It made him furious beyond words.

He had always been unwilling to see his sister upset. Yet now, someone was trying to slap his sister in his territory. Did they have no regard for him at all?

When the secretary noticed his boss was back, he breathed a breath of relief.

If Yvette had really slapped Tessa, things would have become complicated.

It startled Yvette when she saw Timothy, who was furious.

She quickly retracted her hand and hid her arrogant temperament, and her expression changed entirely as well.

"Timothy, I came here to wait for you, but I saw this woman in your office. She was so rude to me."

As if she had just found someone to back her up, she made her claims first and looked at Tessa triumphantly, "She was going to use your influence at the office to kick me out earlier. Plus, she only approached you because she had bad intentions. So, you should get her out of here quickly."

Timothy actually laughed out loud from anger when he heard this.

Is this woman asking me to kick my sister out? Who does she think she is?

"I told her to stay in my office. Also, she does not need to rely on my influence around here. She has the right to handle anything and everything in my company!"

Tessa felt a wave of warmth wash over her when she heard her brother protecting her.

So, she merely sat silently by the side and waited for Timothy to settle things with Yvette.

However, Yvette looked at Timothy in disbelief, unwilling to accept what she had just heard.

It distressed her, especially when she felt that Timothy would protect Tessa at all costs.

"How could she?" Yvette questioned as she bit her lower lip, unwilling to accept the truth. "What's the relationship between the both of you?"

"That's none of your concern."

Timothy believed this was his personal matter, and there was no need to explain things to Yvette.

As Yvette looked at Timothy, who was so distant from her, she became even more upset while her anger grew.

She remembered that Tessa used the same tone and said similar words to her earlier.

"How is it not my concern when I like you?"

"Because I don't like you," Timothy rejected her without hesitation as his impatience started to show in his gaze.

It was a pity that Yvette missed it.

She pointed at Tessa angrily and asked, "If you don't like me, then do you like her?"

"Who I like is none of your business," Timothy retaliated. His patience had finally run out as he said, "I won't pursue this matter of you barging into my office for your father's sake, but this is the only chance you get. See her out!"

The secretary didn't dare to dally in his task a second longer because he noticed that Timothy was utterly enraged.