Ch. 711..720

Always Been Yours Chapter 711

I Missed You So Much

After speaking with Hathaway, Tessa carried her violin as she made her way to Group Two’s training room to practice.

Even though she took so many days off, with her capabilities, her skills didn’t regress. Instead, she even showed improvement because she would take some time every day to practice in the music room with Gregory.

Later in the day, Mona also came to the orchestra.

She was elated when she noticed that Tessa was back. She also knew of the conflict between Tessa and Kathleen some time ago, so she said comfortingly, “Don’t pay any mind to Kathleen’s words. She’s just exaggerating. Quite a number of us just came back a few days ago, and even she herself only came back three days ago.”

Tessa never really took the incident to heart. However, when she heard Mona trying to comfort her, she was still quite happy about it.

“Let’s not talk about Kathleen anymore. Come, let’s start practicing.” She invited Mona to practice together, to which the latter agreed without a second thought.

Later in the day, the other members of Group Two also arrived to officially begin rehearsing. Time always flew by when they practiced, and in an instant, the day was over.

After bidding Hathaway and the other orchestra members goodbye, Tessa went to Louis’ manor with her violin.

In the luxurious living room sat Louis with a stoic expression. When he saw Tessa, whom he hadn’t met in a long time, hints of a smile bloomed on his face. “When did you come back?”

“Yesterday. I began orchestra practice today, and I rushed over to see you first thing after practice.”

She probably saw Louis as family, so when she spoke, her tone sounded ever so loving. The two chatted for a while before Louis suddenly changed the subject as he asked, “What did you feel about performing in Yvetlava?”

“Quite good. I’m one step closer to the stage of my dreams.”

At the mention of her dreams, Tessa could barely hide the twinkle in her eyes.

Seeing that, Louis was a little curious as he asked, “Where is the stage of your dreams?”

“My dream is to get into Wiener Musikverein, and to hold a solo concert there!”

Tessa was one to reach for the stars.

Louis was a little surprised, but he also thought it reasonable. After all, every successful musician would hope that they would hold their own concert on the topmost stage.

“This dream isn’t too difficult, but nor is it too easy. Do work hard to get there.”

“I will.” Tessa nodded enthusiastically. Then, she seemed to have remembered something as she produced an exquisite porcelain teacup and a container of top-grade tea leaves. Placing them on the table, she clarified, “This is the present I prepared specially for you. I hope you like it.”

When Louis saw the teacup on the table, he was immediately fascinated by it. It was a teacup with strong motifs that resembled ancient Xerthania. Its base color was azure, and there were faint lines of varying thickness all over the porcelain cup. If one held it to the light, the cup would look like water in a lake with ever-changing ripples.

“I love it. Thank you so much.”

Smiling, he put away the teacup and asked the butler to carefully take it to his study.

After that, he invited Tessa to stay for dinner. Tessa didn’t decline, but just as they were about to dine, Angus arrived.

When Louis saw his handsome nephew, he had a tone of disdain as he said, “You rarely drop by, but now that Tessa is back, you came as soon as you could.”

“Can I say that this is pure coincidence?” Angus shrugged, his eyes twinkling. Even though he really did come for Tessa, he couldn’t admit to it.

Louis humphed, not believing his nephew’s words for a second. However, he didn’t expose the latter either. When Angus saw that, he proceeded to ignore his uncle.

Straightaway, he took a seat opposite Tessa, and with sparkling eyes, he smiled and said, “I missed you a lot these few days when you weren’t around.”

Tessa smiled, not thinking too much about it because she saw him as nothing but a friend. The three continued chatting, and the atmosphere was bright and friendly.

After that, when they had taken their dinner, it was late in the evening, so Tessa decided to take her leave.

“I’ll send you back.”

Angus took his coat as he moved to leave with Tessa.

Always Been Yours Chapter 712

Remus’ Ulterior Motive

Tessa smiled and said, “No need for that. My driver is waiting for me outside.”

After hearing the lady’s words, Angus had no choice but to forget about the idea of taking Tessa home. He then walked Tessa to the car and stood there without moving for a while. Not long after that, Louis came closer with a pair of furrowed brows on his face.

“After so many rejections, you still won’t give up, will you?” Nonetheless, Angus only responded with silence to his uncle’s question.

Meanwhile, Tessa received a video call from Nicholas as soon as she arrived home. Gazing at the lady on the phone screen, the man asked in a concerned manner, “How do you feel today?”

Pretty good, but I’m still adjusting to life without you and Gregory.” Tessa looked at Nicholas in a disappointed manner.

Feeling sympathetic for the woman he loved, he comforted her and said, “It’s okay. I’ll always be by your side whenever you need me.”

“But I don’t want you to tire yourself out.” She shook her head as she didn’t want Nicholas to do anything reckless for her.

“What are you going to do when you miss me then?” He smiled in embarrassment.

“I’ll call you like what I’m doing now.”

“I’ll be on standby with my phone twenty-four seven for you.” Nicholas’ sweet talking slowly lifted Tessa’s mood. After a few more moments of chatting, he looked at Tessa, who was sleeping in a lovely manner, and whispered with a gentle voice, “Good night, my girl.”

…

After that, Tessa had been busy with her tight schedules of training courses as usual, while Nicholas was occupied by his work most of the time. While Remus’ birthday was just around the corner, everyone in the Sawyer Family gathered around one night, which also happened to be their weekly family dinner.

Then, Stefania brought up Remus’ birthday celebration for discussion and suggested her own idea. “Father, Tobias and I are planning to organize a grand birthday feast for you.” After all, Remus had been in bad health throughout the year, and she was hoping that the uplifting occasion would improve his luck.

However, she didn’t speak her mind about why she wanted to hold a grand birthday feast for him. Despite Remus’ unawareness of Stefania’s true intention, he had no objection to her suggestion.

On the other hand, Kieran was surprised to hear Stefania’s proposition. He then leaned closer to his brother and whispered in confusion, “Hey, I thought Grandpa had always preferred to keep a low profile, even for his birthday celebration. So, why is it different this year? Are there any strings attached?”

As Nicholas knitted his eyebrows in an unconcerned manner, Kieran’s suspicion turned out to be correct. In fact, Remus was indeed up to something. The reason why he agreed with Stefania’s idea to hold a grand birthday feast was that he wanted to turn the occasion into a huge matchmaking session for Nicholas, considering how dearly the young man still missed Tessa. I’m sure he is going to find a lady who catches his eye by then.

“Ian, have our people send out an invitation tomorrow. Any lady at a marriageable age is cordially invited to my birthday feast.” Remus gave his butler an order as soon as Nicholas and his family left.

Knowing what Remus was up to, Ian hesitantly expressed his concern and explained, “But, Old Master Sawyer, I’m afraid that Master Nicholas is not going to be happy when he finds out about your plan.”

“No, he won’t be,” Remus responded confidently.

After hearing the older man’s firm response, the butler decided to do as he was told without saying a single word more.

Two days later, most of the women whose family was rich and established in the city received Remus’ invitation to his birthday feast as the event became a viral topic around the country. After all, Remus had never held such a grand birthday feast in a while. For that, many people who were invited were proud of receiving Remus’ invitation, while some of them couldn’t help guessing about the older man’s ulterior motive behind the occasion.

Not long after that, there were speculations and rumors circulating in the town, with some people thinking Remus was organizing his birthday feast to help the Sawyer brothers find their soulmates. Meanwhile, the others opined that the birthday feast was merely just a front for some businessmen to meet up.

Nevertheless, a lot of people were inclined to believe the first speculation, thinking whoever could form an alliance with the Sawyer Family would thrive under its protection. In a matter of days, Remus’ birthday feast was widely known across town as it was all over the news, with the media broadcasting every charitable action the older man had ever done.

Always Been Yours Chapter 713

The Classic Literature

Out of all the charitable things that Remus had done, he once spent a fortune purchasing a lot of stolen antiques from overseas and gave them back to the country for free. Because of that matter, the netizens gave the older man his blessings as a token of respect. In the meantime, Tessa was also aware of Remus’ birthday feast but had no idea she should buy him as a present. Fortunately, she soon found out from the press that Remus had a liking for collecting vintage antiques. Thus, she began to wonder where she could buy some authentic antiques for him.

While Tessa was preoccupied with that matter, Mona was able to see through what was bothering her. Thus, the latter showed her concern and asked, “Are you alright, Tessa? What seems to be bothering you? You looked distracted in the past two days.”

“Well, there is someone whose birthday is just around the corner in my family, and he is in love with vintage antique collections. However, I don’t know where I could get my hands on one of those things. Do you know any place that sells antiques?” Tessa came clean with what was keeping her preoccupied.

At that moment, Scott, who happened to be walking in Tessa’s direction, overheard what she was saying and replied, “You’re in luck because I know a place where there will be an auction for antiques tonight.”

“Mr. Brooks? When did you come here?” Tessa and Mona were both surprised when they heard the man’s voice.

“When you both were busy talking to each other,” Scott smiled and replied to the ladies, setting his eyes on Tessa gently. “If you’re free tonight, I could take you there to have a look.”

While Tessa had nothing else better to do, Mona couldn’t make it because she was occupied by some other plans, even though she was interested in tagging along. Later that night, Tessa and Scott arrived at a five-star hotel where she was seen wearing a gray dress with a pair of furry shoulder laces. Besides that, her long dark hair, coupled with her beautiful make-up, only served to make her seem especially elegant and gorgeous as she smiled and stood beside Scott. As soon as the duo showed up, their unique appearances immediately turned many heads.

Soon, a few musicians, whom Tessa had known earlier in the bar, walked up to her and greeted her. “Hello, Miss Reinhart. We meet again.”

“Greetings, fellas,” Tessa responded politely.

In the meantime, Scott reacted to those musicians without any signs of awkwardness, smiling while nodding to them naturally. Not long after the few of them exchanged pleasantries, the auction began as Scott and Tessa sat in the first row of the seating area. Minutes later, the host officiated the event with his excellent sense of humor, successfully lightening up the atmosphere before he went on to introduce the first item to be sold.

It turned out that the first item was a piece of jewelry with a unique oriental design that immediately caught the eyes of many as soon as it was presented to the audience. The next moment, those rich women quickly raised their bidder card and shouted the price they were willing to offer, whereupon the item was eventually sold for three million.

As the host continued to introduce the antiques, each item was found to be more expensive than the previous one. Nonetheless, they were all rare jewelry that could never be found elsewhere. Therefore, the place was filled with excitement and thrill as everyone was delighted to witness those precious items.

Meanwhile, Tessa was in awe to see so many rare and priceless valuables but hadn’t come across anything that caught her eye. Even so, she patiently waited, occasionally discussing the items onstage with Scott in whispers. Soon, Tessa finally saw something that attracted her when the host introduced it to the crowd. “Now, we’re going to take a look at an ancient piece classic literature text from Xerthania. With centuries of history, I’d say it’s an antique worthy of collection. For that, it’s going to be for sale, starting from 700,000.” As soon as the host finished his words, a lady standing on the stage held the book and showed it to the audience.

Unlike the previous items, the literature didn’t receive the acclamation it deserved, with a handful of people who raised their bidder cards. After all, they were put off by its old and unattractive appearance, thinking it wasn’t worthy of their collection at all. However, there were some those who understood its value as they began to name their price for the item. “One million.”

“One million and two hundred thousand.”

“Two million.”

“Two million and six hundred thousand.”

As the competition began to get intense, Tessa raised her bidder card and shouted, “Three million.” Nevertheless, there were more and more bidders who showed their interest in the literature book when they saw how well received the piece was getting. When someone offered five million to buy the book, the others stopped and gave up, except Tessa. “Five million and seven hundred thousand.” As soon as her words were heard, the bidder who offered five million immediately gave up.

Always Been Yours Chapter 714

Tessa’s Secret Admirer

After all, the person, who initially wanted the classic literature, was only willing to pay no more than five million for the book, thinking that was only so much it was worth. Therefore, Tessa became the eventual buyer, who would be the classic literature’s new owner.

When the auction was over, she confronted the staff members and got her hands on her prize. She then carefully kept it and smiled at Scott in gratitude. “Thank you so much for taking me here tonight. If it weren’t for you, I would still be scratching my head, wondering what I should buy for someone’s birthday present.”

“It’s not a big deal, actually. You helped me a lot too when I needed you.” Scott reacted to Tessa with a gentle look, but deep down, he didn’t like her politeness in front of him, deeming her overly courteous.

However, Tessa didn’t know what was on the man’s mind as she was relieved to have taken care of what had been bothering her. She then decided to treat Scott to supper as a token of appreciation for his company throughout the night. On the other hand, Scott, who wanted to spend more time with her, of course, agreed to her suggestion.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they began to chat happily during their enjoyable meal. Since both of them were violinists, most of their topics revolved around music. For that, Tessa consulted Scott for guidance, asking him for help, particularly about some methods to improve her techniques when playing the violin.

“Well, your finger placements will get better and more precise with practice, but there is no way you can rush it. Furthermore, your current level is more than enough for you to play the violin, so just take it easy.” Upon answering Tessa’s question, Scott went on to remind her to take care of her fingers. “Besides, you might want to do your finger a favor by giving them some treatment or remedy every time you’re done with your training, otherwise they’re going to hurt over time.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that, which is why I always massage them when I’m done with my practice.” Tessa nodded with a smile.

Soon, they unknowingly changed their subject and talked about Kathleen as their conversation went on. “I heard Kathleen has been at odds with you lately. What’s going on between you both?”

“Well, there is actually nothing wrong between us, but I guess the reason she opposes me is that she has a crush on you. After all, you and I are friends, but she won’t have it at all.” Tessa appeared to be helpless when she talked about Kathleen.

While Scott knitted his eyebrows and frowned at Kathleen’s unpleasant attitude, Tessa was prompted by her curiosity to ask the former about his feelings for Kathleen. “Anyway, don’t you feel the same way for her, Mr. Brooks?”

Scott gazed at the curious lady and shook his head. “Well, as much as I’d like to spend time with the person I’m in love with, Kathleen is just a friend to me. For that, we’re not meant to be together,” he said, looking sentimentally at Tessa, but the lady failed to notice anything unusual with the man’s gaze.

Soon, Tessa nodded in agreement and replied with a smile, “You’re right, Mr. Brooks. Love can’t be forced, after all. Everyone deserves to be with the person they love.”

Although Kathleen didn’t do anything wrong falling in love with Scott, it seemed to Tessa that she had expressed her love for him in the wrong way. Instead of proving her worth and fighting for the love she craved, Kathleen was obsessed with pointing her finger at the others without reflecting on her own mistakes, much to Tessa’s disappointment.

Upon murmuring to herself deep down, Tessa eventually grew tired of discussing Kathleen. She then changed the subject and asked, “Well, judging from your reply, it seems that you have a crush on someone else. Aren’t I right?”

Scott was stunned for a second but somehow decided to admit it. “Actually, you’re right.”

Tessa couldn’t believe her ears. After all, she was initially just trying to pull Scott’s leg, only to be surprised by an unexpected answer from the man. Thus, she curiously pressed on with her question. “Is she among those whom we hang around with?”

“She is an outstanding violinist too,” Scott said with a sympathetic look on his face.

Tessa was surprised, smiling and saying, “I bet you must be in love with this girl so much, Mr. Brooks. I can tell that from your sweet smile.”

“Yeah, I like her very much.” Scott nodded at Tessa in a serious manner but with a brittle smile on his face. Too bad she doesn’t know I’m in love with her.

After their meal, Tessa got home and tidied up her belongings before giving Nicholas a video call. “You’re back late tonight.”

“I went to an auction and bought a book, which is about classic literature,” Tessa revealed her plan earlier that night to Nicholas without hiding anything.

Always Been Yours Chapter 715

An Important Place in Her Heart

After hearing about Tessa’s night, Nicholas asked in confusion, “Why would you go to an auction?”

“Your grandfather’s birthday is just around the corner, and I know he is in love with antique collections. So, I went to the auction to see if there was anything I could find, which I did, to my surprise.”

Upon listening to the lady’s explanation, Nicholas was happy on the inside. In fact, he did mention Remus’ birthday feast to her in the past but hadn’t discussed it with her, thinking they both had a tacit understanding about the matter. While Tessa hadn’t brought Remus’ birthday up since then, he didn’t expect her to keep that in mind despite his grandfather’s dislike for her.

I can’t imagine she took the time and trouble to learn what Grandpa likes so that she could prepare him a present, although she isn’t exactly his favorite all the time. At that moment, Nicholas was delighted, thinking he had an important place in Tessa’s heart. “That’s so sweet of you.” He looked at the lady with a sentimental gaze.

Meanwhile, Tessa, who appeared to be slightly bashful with the man’s loving eyes, pursed her lips and smiled. “I’ll get someone to deliver the present tomorrow, so please don’t forget to sign for the package when it arrives.”

Nicholas nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell Edward to keep an eye out for its arrival.”

As the couple continued their chat, Gregory’s unhappy voice was suddenly heard. “You’re such a naughty boy, Daddy. Why do you always leave me out when you talk to Miss Tessa?” The child then forcibly made some space for himself so that he could see Tessa on the screen. “I miss you, Miss Tessa.”

“I miss you too, Greg. Have you been a good boy recently?”

“Of course I have. I haven’t forgotten what you told me, Miss Tessa.”

While the child and the lady wouldn’t stop going on and on about how much they missed each other, Nicholas began to feel annoyed with his son. I guess I must call Tessa only when I’m in the office next time.

However, Gregory had no idea that his father had other plans to keep him from interrupting his call with Tessa ever again. Enjoying his conversation with Tessa, he wouldn’t stop bringing up new subjects with her and even played her a song on the violin. Needless to say, Tessa also corrected the mistakes he made at the same time, but as the night was getting late, she started to feel sleepy.

Seeing Tessa repeatedly yawning, Nicholas felt sympathetic toward her. Thus, he snatched the phone away from Gregory and said, “Alright, that’s enough for today. Miss Tessa needs to rest now, so you can talk to her next time.”

While Gregory’s smile on his face faded immediately, Tessa couldn’t bear to let the child down. “It’s alright. I can sleep later.”

“No way! That’s going to take a toll on your productivity the next day, and more importantly, it’ll break my heart.” Nicholas stared at Tessa in a commanding manner.

When Tessa heard Nicholas’ words, her heart melted. Not long after that, Gregory came closer to the camera and sensibly said, “Hurry up and take some rest, Miss Tessa. I don’t want you to tire yourself out.”

“Alright, I’ll go to bed now. Remember, Gregory. Be a good boy.” Tessa hung up the call as soon as she finished her words and lay in bed.

…

The next day, Tessa left home early in the morning. Upon delivering the classic literature book to Nicholas, she made her way to her orchestra training and resumed her hectic days as usual. On the other hand, Nicholas was also occupied by his work every day like he usually was. As time went by, the day on which Remus’ birthday feast was held finally arrived.

The birthday feast was held at a six-star hotel that belonged to the Sawyer Group because there was a banquet hall that could house over five hundred people. For the sake of the grand occasion, the place had been beautifully decorated ahead as the Sawyer Family took the event seriously. While everyone in the family was there, Tobias and his wife were the first to enter the banquet hall before the rest of the family members did.

In the meantime, the waiters, who were each wearing a tuxedo, appeared to be busy with the arrangements in the banquet hall. While some of them were going through the silverware, the others were inspecting the place to ensure nothing would go wrong during the feast.

On the other hand, the chefs in the kitchen were occupied with the food preparation as all of them were top-notch cooks and bakers who were specially hired from overseas. Apart from that, all the ingredients and wine were also freshly delivered from overseas by air.

Before the clock even struck ten, the hotel was already crowded with guests and luxury cars, along with the press and reporters.

Always Been Yours Chapter 716

Something Wrong Somewhere

When the press saw the crowd of guests, who were mostly powerful and influential people, they were agitated and excited. After all, most of them were hard and rare to be captured on camera.

Meanwhile, the guests were unfazed by the shutters and flashes from the press as they went on and exchanged pleasantries with the others, walking on the red carpet with a smile on their faces. When they arrived at the hotel’s entrance, they were greeted by the usher, who would later lead them to the banquet hall.

In the meantime, Nicholas was seen wearing a decent black suit with an emotionless look on his handsome face. At the same time, he radiated an attractive and manly aura that couldn’t be ignored by those around him. On the other hand, Kieran was also wearing a black suit like Nicholas was, but unlike his older brother’s cold demeanor, he was always seen with a bright smile on his face and an approachable attitude.

While the brothers each stood next to their grandfather, Remus, the older man was wearing a classic suit that made him look especially jubilant and jaunty. With his gray hair combed, his eyes lit up with exhilaration and happiness. He then brought the brothers with him and greeted the guests just as everyone began to exchange pleasantries with a glass of champagne in their hand in the banquet hall.

While the place was full of socialites from all over the country, every one of them dressed themselves up attractively and beautifully for the occasion. Thus, the occasion looked exactly like a fashion show if it weren’t for Remus’ birthday feast. After all, most of them were wearing custom-made dresses with valuable jewelry.

Staring at the ladies, Kieran leaned closer to his brother and whispered to the latter. “Hey, Nicholas. Is it just me, or are there a lot of ladies among our guests?” Nicholas looked around him when he heard Kieran’s words, realizing his younger brother’s words were true. Then, he heard Kieran’s confused voice again. “What do you think Grandpa is up to? Why did he invite so many ladies to his birthday feast?”

“You want to know why?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Think about it yourself.”

Kieran speechlessly looked at Nicholas, responding in an annoyed manner, “You could have just told me you don’t know anything. It’s not like I’m going to laugh at you for that or something.”

Meanwhile, Nicholas shook his head helplessly, refusing to waste his breath debating with his brother. He held his glass of champagne and caught up to his grandfather, somehow feeling a little skeptical about what Remus was doing. Nonetheless, he decided not to pay much attention to it despite his doubts.

When it was almost time, the guests gathered around the stage, where a famous host appeared and officiated the event by trying to lighten up the atmosphere. “For now, let’s welcome our star of the night—Mr. Sawyer to the stage!” As soon as he finished his sentence, he retreated from the stage, whereupon the audience responded with a round of applause.

Soon, Remus walked up to the stage with a smile on his face and raised his hand as a gesture of silence. He then spoke with an energetic voice. “I’m happy and honored that everyone here has made time to attend my birthday feast. So, instead of boring you all with some mundane pleasantries, I hope every one of you will enjoy yourself tonight.”

It was then that the birthday feast went on without a hitch. In the meantime, Remus continued to interact with the other guests with the brothers after his speech.

As Nicholas realized every guest they chatted with was a single lady, his face turned cold a little, even though he didn’t say anything about that. However, his brother, Kieran, hadn’t noticed anything wrong with him.

Not long after that, Remus seemingly noticed a lady whom he thought was an outstanding one, praising her in front of her parents. “Your daughter is an exceptional lady. What’s her plan for the future? Is she engaged?”

Clever enough to catch on to Remus’ question, they happily answered, “Oh, our daughter is currently not engaged. In fact, we’ve arranged for her to intern in a company because we’re hoping she could help her future husband manage his business.”

“You’re right. After all, there is a woman behind every successful man.” Remus nodded in satisfaction. While they didn’t avoid the other guests during their conversation, the bystanders quickly understood what was going on and desperately introduced their daughter to the older man.

“Mr. Sawyer, this is my daughter. She is currently managing my company for me.”

“My daughter, Jinny, has also started a company with her friends. Perhaps she could work with your grandson one day if she has the honor.”

Always Been Yours Chapter 717

Horace and His Granddaughter

“Exactly. After all, young people simply have to interact with each other more.”

As more and more people tried to introduce their daughter to Remus, the ladies were eventually able to guess what the birthday feast was about. Thus, they all bashfully looked at Nicholas and Kieran, although most of the attention was focused on the former.

After all, they were attracted by the cool and indifferent aura from Nicholas, which was something lacking in Kieran’s approachable and amiable nature. However, Nicholas didn’t bother to even look at them despite their interest in him.

Nevertheless, Kieran was able to sense something wrong because he finally understood what his grandfather was up to. This is not a birthday feast at all. Grandpa is trying to organize a matchmaking session for Nicholas instead. At the thought of that, he nervously peeked at his brother, only to notice the calm look on his face. “Nicholas, did you already know what Grandpa is up to from the beginning?”

Nicholas looked askance at Kieran without saying a single word, although the look on his face gave him away. Despite his frustration with Remus’ action, Nicholas reluctantly accompanied his grandfather while greeting the other guests with Kieran. During the break, he found a chance to confront Remus about his ulterior motive behind his birthday feast. “What’s all this about tonight?”

“It is whatever you think it is,” Remus said with a cold grunt. “If you won’t do it, I’ll do it for you.”

While Nicholas’ face darkened glacially, Kieran quickly sensed the tension between his grandfather and brother. Worried that Nicholas might just walk off in a fit of pique, he immediately approached the former and whispered, “Look, you don’t have to take Grandpa’s words so seriously because there is nothing he can do either if you won’t cast an eye on those ladies.”

“Kieran, what did you say to your brother?” Remus glared at Kieran with a stern look on his face.

In response, Kieran only timidly rubbed his nose and replied, “N-Nothing.”

Remus then shot a gaze at Kieran while something seemingly crossed his mind. “Your brother will stay with me while you help your parents with the guests. Go now.” Upon hearing the old man’s words, the brothers could sense his determination to find Nicholas a woman he could marry, but in order to do that, he needed Kieran out of the way.

However, Nicholas wasn’t having any of it as he glared at Remus and showed his stance. “You’re only wasting your time and energy because I won’t change my mind, no matter what you do.”

At that moment, an old man showed up at the entrance with his granddaughter. It turned out that the guest was Remus’ long-lost friend, Horace Muller, who had been living abroad over the years. His granddaughter was Wanda Muller, Nicholas’ schoolmate back in the day.

While Wanda had returned from overseas to visit her grandfather, they happened to catch Remus’ birthday feast just in time and eventually decided to come for the occasion. When the old man walked up to Remus, he apologetically said, “I was a little occupied during the day, so I apologized for coming this late.”

“No worries. I’m still happy that you made it in the end.” Remus gave the older gentleman a pat on the shoulder and sighed. “It’s been a while since we last met.” He then shifted his attention to the lady standing beside Horace and smiled amiably at her. “This must be Wanda, I presume. You’ve grown to become a pretty girl since we met years ago.”

“Happy Birthday, Mr. Sawyer,” Wanda responded to Remus elegantly like a graceful princess.

“Great. Great,” Remus replied with an affirmative hum, expressing the satisfaction he felt toward Wanda. Gazing at the tender lady before him, he then turned his attention to his charming grandson, Nicholas, whom he thought would be a perfect match with Wanda. “Nicholas, why don’t you say hi to Mr. Muller and Wanda?” He tried to urge Nicholas.

“Greetings, Mr. Muller and Miss Muller.” Nicholas nodded at the duo.

In the meantime, Horace sized Nicholas up, feeling amazed to see the latter. “Your grandson’s reputation precedes him. After all, I kept hearing people say how Nicholas was more outstanding than his seniors were when I was living abroad. Now that I finally meet him in person, it seems to me he is even more charming now than you were back then.”

Always Been Yours Chapter 718

Nicholas’ Savior

“You’re too kind,” Remus humbly responded although he was proud of his grandson deep down.

Seeing his old friend’s reaction, Horace smiled in embarrassment and said, “Anyway, you must be delighted now because Nicholas is the most outstanding kid among our grandchildren.” He went on to express his envy for Remus and added, “The Sawyer Family is in luck to have someone as exceptional as Nicholas as its descendant.”

Upon hearing his friend’s words, Remus couldn’t agree more with him. After all, the Sawyer Group had been thriving better and better over the recent few years under Nicholas’ leadership, which far exceeded his expectations. When the two older men talked about that, they went on to reminisce about their old times together since they hadn’t met each other in a while.

In the meantime, Nicholas and Wanda silently stood beside the two old men as the lady couldn’t stop peeking at the man bashfully. A few moments later, she finally mustered the courage to make the first move in greeting Nicholas. “Hey, Nicholas. Long time no see.”

However, Nicholas only nodded indifferently without any intention of speaking after a brief pause, much to Wanda’s disappointment. At the same time, Remus witnessed what was going on and thought of something that might help him with his plan. “Nicholas, Mr. Muller and I have some catching up to do, so I’m going to leave Wanda to you.”

When Nicholas heard his grandfather’s response, his face darkened because he knew why Remus left Wanda to him. Although he couldn’t reject his grandfather, he intentionally distanced himself from Wanda by remaining formally courteous all the time. While the duo took a stroll around the banquet hall, Nicholas, who was the center of the focus himself, managed to turn many heads. As soon as the other guests noticed the lady beside him, they all whispered their bewilderment and curiosity in murmurs with each other. “Who’s that lady over there? She doesn’t look familiar at all.”

“Nope, I can’t place her face. Does anybody else know her?”

“Could she be the fiancée Mr. Sawyer arranged for his grandson?”

Nonetheless, Wanda didn’t hear the gossip as she continued to follow wherever Nicholas went. Sensing the man’s indifferent attitude, she desperately sought a topic she could talk to him about to bond with him. “You’ve gotten more and more outstanding over the years. I’ve always heard about you from my grandpa.”

Nevertheless, Nicholas continued to react indifferently, but even so, his every moment still seemed graceful, like he was born naturally with that aura. Besides that, his good looks only served to make him the most eye-catching man in the banquet hall. Enchanted by Nicholas’ handsome appearance, Wanda was seen with her eyes lightening up. After all, Nicholas had been an outstanding child when he was little, but after so many years, he had grown to become an attractive man who could steal any woman’s heart with just a look.

Meanwhile, Gregory, who heard the gossipy murmurs around him, didn’t feel happy when he saw his father with an unfamiliar woman. He then pursed his lips and scurried toward him. “Carry me, Daddy.”

As Nicholas looked down, he lightened up a little at the sight of his adorable son and bent over to carry him in his arms. On the other hand, Wanda paused for a few seconds before she realized the child was Nicholas’ son. With a faint smile on her face, she gently said, “This must be Greg. I can’t believe he’s grown up so much.” She took a closer look at the boy while speaking.

With a decent-looking appearance, Gregory was an exact spitting image of his charming and handsome father. Wearing a formal suit with a black bow tie around his collar, the boy looked just like an educated gentleman trapped in a child’s body.

Nicholas nodded at Gregory and gently told him to greet Wanda. “Why don’t you say hello to Miss Muller?”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Muller.” The boy politely greeted the lady but did nothing else more than that. After doing what he was told, he turned his attention to Nicholas and asked, “I’m bored here, Daddy. Play with me, would you?”

Unwilling to accompany Wanda any longer, Nicholas decided to seize the opportunity to lose her by agreeing to play with his son. Nevertheless, Wanda didn’t feel the same way as she didn’t want to pass up the chance to spend some quality time with Nicholas. Therefore, she suggested that she could accompany the father and son. “Perhaps I could join you and play with Greg.”

Just when Nicholas was about to respond, Gregory’s reluctant voice was heard. “It’s okay. We’re good without you because I only need Daddy. You could play elsewhere instead.” Upon finishing his words, the child looked at his father once again and urged him to play with him. “Hurry up, Daddy. Our little game awaits.”

Always Been Yours Chapter 719

Tessa’s Gift

When Nicholas heard Gregory’s words, he looked down and fixed his gaze upon his son. Meeting the child’s eyes that were brightening up, he instantly understood that his son was trying to get him out of the difficult situation. “Gregory is right. Since you’re our guest, you mustn’t be troubled to look after my kid.” He rejected Wanda euphemistically by intentionally stating the differences between their positions in the feast.

In the meantime, Wanda’s smile stiffened on her face as she didn’t know what to say with her purse in her hands. Seeing the father and son walk away, she bit her lip and gently pleaded, “But, what am I going to do without you by my side? This place is a total stranger to me.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Muller. I’ll get my assistant to show you around the place right away.” As soon as Nicholas finished his words, he immediately sent for Edward.

Looking handsome, Edward walked up to Nicholas and asked, “How may I be of help, President Sawyer?”

Nicholas pointed at Wanda and said, “This is Miss Muller. Please show her around the place, would you?”

“Sure. Miss Muller, this way, please.” Edward nodded and courteously showed Wanda the way, but the latter stood still unenthusiastically. Instead, she was left behind in disappointment as she watched Nicholas walk away with Gregory.

On the other hand, the father and son soon found themselves in a place where there was no one else and sat down, whereupon Gregory struggled to break free from Nicholas’ embrace. As soon as he stood on his feet, he began to preach to his father with an annoyed look on his face. “You weren’t behaving yourself, Daddy. You promised Miss Tessa that you wouldn’t let any other woman get close to you, yet you failed to keep your word. Did you know that you could have been misunderstood if the others had seen you with that woman? Don’t forget. You still have Miss Tessa, and she would be heartbroken if she found out about what happened. Fine, I’ll keep an eye on you for Miss Tessa in her absence.”

While Nicholas was amused by the child’s lecture, Gregory frowned on his father’s smile and expressed his frustration. “Daddy, I’m being really serious with you, so stop laughing!”

Nicholas burst into laughter once again, but when he noticed the angry look on his son’s face once again, he quickly faked a cough and kept a straight face. “Alright, I heard you, Boss.”

After the father and son played for a few moments, they returned to the banquet hall just when they were greeted by Remus, who was irritated by their disappearance. “I told you to keep Wanda company, but you left her to your assistant instead. What kind of gentleman are you?!”

“You can’t blame this on Daddy, Great-grandpa, because I wanted Daddy to play with me.” Gregory stood up for his father, playing on Remus’ sympathy by acting coy. Meanwhile, Remus’ heart melted in front of his adorable grandson as the sour look on his face was instantly replaced by a bright smile.

Later that night, the feast went on as usual, ending with a session in which the Sawyer Family members and guests presented their gifts to Remus. Soon, Tobias and his wife presented an ancient painting to Remus as his birthday gift. “We wish you a long life full of happiness.”

“Thank you so much.” Remus smiled happily and told Ian to keep the present. Later on, Nicholas and Kieran both gave their grandfather a valuable gemstone and a vintage antique, which put a huge smile on Remus’ face, whereupon Ian was told to receive them on his behalf as well. While Nicholas was supposed to leave the stage with Kieran and make way for the others to present their gifts, he surprisingly stood still in place.

“Is there anything else, Nicholas?” Remus asked.

Nicholas nodded and produced a sophisticated-looking gift box, which he handed over to Remus. “This is a present Tessa prepared for you. She knows you have a liking for classic literature, so she bought you this.”

Although the book caught Remus’ eye when he first laid his eyes on it, he pretended as if he didn’t like it when he knew the gift was from Tessa. In the meantime, Tobias and his wife also knitted their eyebrows while everyone else couldn’t help wondering who Tessa was. As the atmosphere in the banquet hall started to stiffen, Gregory seemingly sensed Remus’ dislike for Tessa’s present and scurried toward him. “Great-grandpa, I thought classic literature had always been your favorite. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and accept it.”

Always Been Yours Chapter 720

An Unexpected Visitor

As Gregory’s adorable look and coy attitude began to soften up Remus, the older man eventually accepted the present. He then carried the child in his arms and playfully asked, “I’ve accepted a lot of presents from the others, so where is yours?”

“My present is with Daddy. Come on, Daddy. Let’s bring my present to Great-grandpa.” Gregory eagerly waved at his father, who nodded and took the present from his assistant, whereupon he stepped forward with it. “See, Great-grandpa? My teacher taught me how to write this calligraphy. I wrote hundreds of words here as a blessing of long life to you, Great-grandpa.” The child proudly presented his gift, which was a paper with rows of calligraphy writings on it.

While Remus liked the present very much, he told Ian to frame it and hang it in his study. Then, the other guests proceeded to present their gifts to the older man until the feast came to an end. After that, Nicholas was about to walk away with Gregory asleep in his arms, only to be called out to by Remus. “Take Mr. Muller and Wanda back home for me.” Worried that his grandson might disobey him again, Remus added, “See them home by yourself and leave your assistant out of this.”

While there were others around, Nicholas was bound by his respect for his grandfather to obey the latter. Therefore, he was forced to leave Gregory to Stefania and took Horace and Wanda home by himself. As they were on their way to their destination, Wanda seemed to have forgotten about the awkwardness she went through earlier that night and went on to start a conversation with Nicholas once again. Out of courtesy, Nicholas responded with brief replies instead of leaving her in the cold. On the other hand, Horace, who was silently watching their interaction on the side, smiled brightly at the thought of a perfect couple they would make.

By the time Nicholas returned home, it was almost midnight. Then, he went on to take his shower shortly before he received Tessa’s video call. “Are you back? How was the feast?”

“Everything went well.” Knowing Tessa’s concern about Remus’ birthday feast, Nicholas proceeded to tell her what had happened earlier that night.

When Nicholas talked about the part in which everyone presented their gifts to Remus, Tessa nervously asked, “Did your grandpa like my present?”

“Yeah, he likes it, of course.” Although Remus acted as if he didn’t like the classic literature, Nicholas knew Tessa’s present was up his grandfather’s alley.

Meanwhile, when Tessa heard from Nicholas that Remus liked her present very much, she felt over the moon. After that, both of them went on to chat for a bit until she realized it was getting late and urged Nicholas to get some rest. “It’s been a long day for you. Go to bed now.” Nicholas nodded in response and said goodbye to her before hanging up the call.

…

The next morning, Edward knocked on the door outside the president’s office at the Sawyer Group and entered, greeting Nicholas politely. “President Sawyer, Miss Muller is here.”

“What’s she doing here?” Nicholas was surprised to hear about Wanda’s arrival but still instructed Edward to bring her to his office.

A few minutes later, Edward entered the office with Wanda, who appeared to be wearing a trendy striped dress with a fancy pink sweater on the outside to keep her warm in the air-conditioned environment. She then set her eyes on the man who was sitting behind the desk in a glacial yet graceful manner with a smile on her face. “Good morning, Nicholas.”

Nicholas nodded and asked, “What brings you here?”

“Old Master Sawyer arranged for me to visit your company, but I hope I didn’t come here at the wrong time.”

“No, you didn’t. Don’t worry about that.” Nicholas assured Wanda that she wasn’t a disturbance and sat her down on the couch.

After taking a seat, Wanda went on to start a conversation by asking, “Where are we going to start later?”

“My secretary will show you around later.”

As soon as Wanda heard the man’s answer, the smile on her face faded almost instantly. Nevertheless, she hid her disappointment and gazed at Nicholas with a pair of smiling eyes. “Aren’t you going to be the one showing me around?”

“I have a meeting to attend later,” Nicholas responded tersely.

Wanda’s face darkened when she heard the man’s reply. However, she was mature and sensible enough to show her consideration with a faint smile. “Okay then, you should go ahead and do what you must. I’ll be fine managing everything by myself.” Nicholas nodded in response after hearing her words and summoned his secretary shortly after.