Ch. 861..870
Always Been Yours Chapter 861
Wanda’s Plans
In the video call, Nicholas was already sitting in the office. His white shirt was buttoned meticulously, and his features were cold yet seductive. However, when he saw the two on the screen, his indifferent expression instantly softened.
“Have you eaten?”
“I have. Are you busy?” Though Tessa looked at Nicholas with a smile, she was filled with longing on the inside.
Naturally, Nicholas didn’t miss the affection in his wife’s eyes. His thin lips curled into a smile as he replied softly, “I’m not busy.”
After the two exchanged a few words of concern, Tessa told Nicholas that she had gone to meet her senior apprentices that day. From beginning to end, Nicholas looked at her affectionately and listened quietly.
Once she was done, he asked worriedly, “Were they easy to talk to?”
“I haven’t met the other three seniors, so I’m not sure about them, but Jenny and the others were quite easy to get along with, and we also exchanged our numbers,” Tessa answered with a smile, but did not mention anything about Susan.
Nicholas nodded slightly, feeling happy that his wife was able to make friends.
Then, he turned the topic to Gregory. “The home tutor is basically ready now. How is Greg’s studies? Has he been obedient?”
Upon hearing his father asking about him, Gregory pouted in dissatisfaction before Tessa could speak. “Daddy, your last question is wrong. Of course I’d listen to Mommy obediently. I like Mommy the most, you know.”
Tessa smiled happily at his words, her heart feeling indescribably warm.
Nicholas grinned before he continued, “How is your homework coming along?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been doing all of them. My teacher even praised me.” Gregory jutted his chin out pridefully.
Falling in love with the adorable sight, Tessa cuddled him in her arms for a moment. And just like that, the family laughed and chatted with one another.
Later in the evening, Nicholas saw that it was late and urged them to rest. After hanging up, he immediately resumed his work. Although he told Tessa before that he was not very busy, he actually had much to deal with.
Not long after he began going through his documents, he found a huge problem with the project that Wanda had submitted and couldn’t help but frown. Because the two companies were going to work together on a large project, they had been discussing this matter for a few days and even revised many areas, but the proposal that was now in his hands still had many loopholes, which made him doubt Muller Group’s working capabilities. At that thought, he dialed the internal line to ask Edward to come over.
Soon, Edward knocked on the door before entering. “President Sawyer, do you need anything?”
“Send this document back to Muller Group. Ask them to take care of the loopholes in it and send it back after they’ve looked through it.”
Edward nodded and brought the document to Muller Group.
Meanwhile, after learning that Edward had arrived, Wanda went to greet him in person. “Why are you here, Mr. Jackson? Does Nicholas perhaps have any plans?”
Edward nodded as he handed the document over, saying professionally, “There’s a huge problem with this document. President Sawyer hopes that your company will revise it carefully and make another copy.”
As Wanda looked at the document that was handed over by Edward, her eyes flickered. In fact, the error in this document was deliberately made by her to increase her chances of speaking to Nicholas.
“I see. I’ll have someone amend it immediately.” She took the document with a smile, but she had other plans in her heart.
However, Edward was not aware of her thoughts and left after he had finished what he came for.
That afternoon, Wanda deliberately dressed up and went to Sawyer Group with the document.
In the office, Edward knocked on the door and entered. “President Sawyer, Miss Wanda is here.”
Nicholas frowned, but he still asked Edward to let her in. A few minutes later, Wanda followed Edward into the office in high heels.
Always Been Yours Chapter 862
Progress
“Hey, Nicholas.” Wanda greeted him with a smile.
Nicholas nodded before asking her with an indifferent expression, “Do you need anything?”
“My employees aren’t sure of how to complete the document that you asked Mr. Jackson to send over this morning, and neither do I have enough experience in this area, so I can only ask you. I hope you can help me with it.”
At her words, although Nicholas thought that Wanda’s staff was inefficient, he did not refuse as it was a business matter. Hence, the two sat on the couch and began discussing.
“Over here, the framework clearly isn’t realistic…” Nicholas neatly pointed out the loopholes in the document in professional terms.
Wanda quickly made the corrections with a humble expression, then deliberately used the problems to extend the topic. In short, she had done this in order to spend some time alone with Nicholas.
However, Nicholas didn’t notice and patiently answered her questions. Of course, he did this because he didn’t want Wanda to look for him routinely in the future.
Unaware of his thoughts, Wanda looked at the man who was patiently answering her with eyes full of joy, and she couldn’t be happier. This counts as progress, right? Although they were just talking about business, Nicholas seemed to be more patient with her than before.
Later, at the end of the discussion, Wanda pretended to apologize and said, “I’m sorry for bothering you today. In the future, I’ll urge my employees to try not to have such problems at work again.”
She paused for a moment before continuing a little bashfully, “Although I’ll push my staff more, I still hope you’ll take care of me in the future. I’ve just started my company, so my staff aren’t skilled enough yet, and I’m also lacking in experience. I may have to trouble you for a little longer. I hope you won’t be too bothered by it.”
After hearing that Wanda was going to trouble him even more, Nicholas frowned greatly. He could understand that a novice like Wanda would have many questions, but if she looked for him every time she faced any problems, it would greatly impact his work efficiency. Moreover, he wanted to take advantage of this time to finish his work in advance and go to Vienna to meet Tessa and Gregory.
“In that case, I’ll send someone to Muller Group to assist you.”
After speaking, Nicholas decisively called Edward over and ordered, “Later, go to the secretary’s office and send a skilled person to follow Miss Muller and let them assist her in Muller Group for the time being.”
Glancing sideways at Wanda, Edward could guess what Nicholas was thinking. Instantly, he took his orders with a nod and went out to make the necessary arrangements.
However, Wanda looked at Edward’s back as he left, and asked after a moment of hesitation, “Isn’t this too much trouble?”
Although she said that, she was secretly rejoicing on the inside, thinking that Nicholas had already begun to pay attention to her, and that if she worked harder, she might be able to snatch him back from Tessa. However, she wasn’t aware that the reason why he arranged things this way was that he didn’t want her to bother him with these trivial things too often.
Not long after, Edward returned and reported, “President Sawyer, the staff has been arranged. They will report to Muller Group tomorrow.”
“Good. If you face any more troubles, just ask the secretary to handle it.”
The latter words were obviously directed at Wanda.
Feeling grateful, Wanda smiled and changed the topic. “By the way, Old Master Sawyer invited me over for dinner in the evening. Do you want to come with me? Old Master Sawyer would be very happy to see you.”
“I’m going to meet with a client tonight, so I don’t have time to go back.” Without even considering it, Nicholas refused indifferently.
He couldn’t be clearer about Remus’ intention behind inviting Wanda for dinner, and he naturally wouldn’t give him the opportunity.
On the contrary, although Wanda had expected this answer a long time ago, she still felt a little downcast. Still, her expression remained the same, and she pretended to be understanding as she replied, “Business is more important. We can just have dinner next time.”
Nicholas pretended not to hear and asked coldly. “Is there anything else?”
His words implied that she could go if she didn’t need anything else, and Wanda naturally understood what he meant. In an instant, her excited heart turned cold again.
Always Been Yours Chapter 863
Play the Long Game
Wanda had thought Nicholas’ feelings toward her were gradually changing, but it seemed that she had just been imagining things. Because she had no reason to stay any longer, she simply left lest Nicholas got upset.That night, she went to Sawyer Residence with a gift in hand. “Old Master Sawyer, I’m here to visit you. How has your health been in the past two days?”
Feeling pleased by her thoughtfulness, Remus replied kindly, “I’m doing great. How about you? Has the company been progressing well? Did anyone cause any trouble for you?”
“It’s going quite smoothly. Besides, with Nicholas’ and Master Kieran’s help, nobody would dare to cause any trouble for me.”
Wanda knew what Remus wanted to hear and tactfully praised the two young masters of the Sawyer Family.
After she finished speaking, she added bashfully, “Speaking of which, I feel embarrassed for troubling Nicholas so often these days.”
“Why should you feel embarrassed? If you need anything in the future, just go to Nicholas. After all, he promised your grandfather to take good care of you.”
Remus hoped that the two of them would spend more time together as he hoped that the woman who would stand next to Nicholas would be someone who could assist him in his business compared to Tessa who usually dabbled in music.
Hearing this, Wanda thought that Remus was supporting herself as always, and her smile turned even sweeter. “Since you’ve said that, Old Master Sawyer, I won’t hold back with Nicholas in the future.”
However, despite her words, she was well aware that Remus’ support wasn’t enough for her to get together with Nicholas; she needed Nicholas’ feelings for her to change. At that thought, she suddenly pretended to look downcast and hesitated to continue speaking to Remus.
When he sensed her abnormal behavior, a glint flashed past Remus’ eyes, and he asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Why are you unhappy all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing much, actually. I just feel that whenever I look for Nicholas, he seems to have his guard up against me. I was wondering if he has misunderstood me emotionally.”
After Wanda finished speaking, she looked at Remus expectantly, hoping that he would help her. At the same time, she also wanted to take this opportunity to make things clear. Unexpectedly, he said nothing in reply.
Of course, it was because he had seen through Wanda’s thoughts at a glance. Although he wanted her to approach Nicholas, the current situation was no longer suitable for him to interfere any further. Besides, ever since Gregory was taken away, along with their previous quarrel, Nicholas hadn’t come to apologize to him yet.
Upon seeing that Remus had fallen silent and didn’t seem to plan to stand up for her, Wanda felt her heart drop all of a sudden. Could it be that he had already begun to accept Tessa’s existence? She frowned slightly, thinking to herself that this was not a good sign. However, as Tessa was training abroad, there weren’t many opportunities for her to pounce on her mistakes. At that thought, Wanda gritted her teeth secretly, feeling deeply displeased.
Even so, she did not show it on her face, and she accompanied Remus for dinner. At the table, she no longer mentioned Nicholas, but talked about things he liked to make him happy.
Noticing Wanda’s tactfulness, Remus felt satisfied.
Once she had finished her meal, Wanda saw that it was getting late, so she offered to leave. As soon as she left the mansion, her face instantly darkened. In the beginning, she thought Remus was supporting her, but from the current look of things, she had to play the long game instead.
Meanwhile, Tessa was unaware of this situation. After meeting her senior apprentices, she resumed her daily training life. Similarly, Gregory took violin classes in the morning and received lessons from his home tutor in the afternoon, making his workload extremely heavy.
Tessa felt distressed that Gregory had to learn so many things every day, and she came back as early as possible in the evening to take care of him herself.
Because he had her company, Gregory was very well-behaved every day and studied hard.
“Mommy, I got full marks in my quiz today.” When Tessa returned home today, Gregory looked at her expectantly, waiting for her praise.
Always Been Yours Chapter 864
Warm Weekend
Naturally, Tessa didn’t hold back on the praise and replied, “Greg, you’re so amazing. I can’t believe you got a full score in your quiz again. As a reward, Mommy will make your favorite sweet pork ribs later, okay?”
“Okay! I love the food that Mommy makes!” Gregory cheered happily before obediently following her into the kitchen. “Mommy, I’ll help you clean the vegetables.”
Tessa did not refuse, and she took out the vegetables she planned on using from the refrigerator and handed them to Gregory. After he happily took the vegetables from her, he moved a small stool at the side and stood on top of it to wash the vegetables by the sink with a serious expression, as if he was doing something important. Beside him, Tessa prepared the other ingredients, glancing sideways at him from time to time.
Each day, this warm scene would occur as Gregory liked the food that Tessa made, so she cooked for him every day. Just like that, their days went by happily and peacefully.
On the weekend, as they didn’t have classes and Tessa had made plans to rearrange their garden, she took Gregory to the garden to plant some flowers.
“Look, Mommy, did I do a good job?” Gregory pointed at the four small flower seedlings he had just planted, and said in an adorable tone, “The one on the left is Daddy, the right one is Mommy, and the two little ones in the middle are my little sister and me.”
PlayvolumeAdSeeing that, Tessa smiled gently at him.
Just then, her phone rang with a video call from Stefania. Taken aback, she quickly answered the call. “Mom… Do you need anything?”
“Are you not at home?”
Upon seeing that Tessa seemed to be outside, Stefania frowned. As a matter of fact, she had called because she missed Gregory.
Tessa could guess the purpose of her mother-in-law’s phone call, and said with a smile, “I’m at home. I’m planting flowers in the garden with Greg.”
As she spoke, she handed the phone to Gregory. “Greg, say hello to Grandma.”
“Good evening, Grandma,” he greeted sweetly.
Stefania’s heart softened at his voice, and her face turned wrinkled with a smile. At the same time, she also realized that he seemed to have grown plumper than before. At first, she was worried that Gregory would not get used to living abroad before, but she could now rest assured. Although she had let go of her worries, she still asked about Gregory’s life abroad with concern.
“In the morning, I take violin lessons with Mommy at Miss Sofia’s house, and I come back for my private tuitions in the afternoon. Also, two days ago, my teacher gave me a quiz, and I got full marks,” Gregory reported with an expectant look at Stefania.
His eyes that were as bright as stars made Stefania’s heart melt, and she praised, “You’re so amazing, Greg.”
Feeling pleased, Gregory excitedly told her more about his daily life, and Stefania noticed that he was now a lot more cheerful than before. Clearly, Tessa was taking good care of him. As the thought occurred to Stefania, her impression of Tessa changed for the better.
Unusually, she began to worry for Tessa and advised her, “You’re pregnant, so you shouldn’t tire yourself too much. You have to prioritize your health and the child in your stomach at all times.”
As Tessa noticed the change in Stefania’s attitude, her smile grew even wider and she nodded obediently. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely take good care of the baby and myself.”
Stefania nodded, and after talking to Gregory for a while, she became tired and went to rest due to the time difference between the two countries. Just like that, their pleasant and warm weekend went by quickly.
On Monday, Tessa took Gregory to Sofia’s manor. Upon seeing them, Sofia was in no hurry to start the class, but beckoned them to sit on the sofa instead.
Tessa felt a little puzzled when she saw this, but before she could speak, Sofia slowly explained her plans for the day. “Starting from today, you and Greg will train in the orchestra.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 865
Special Treatment
Tessa was a little surprised and asked, “Did something happen?”
“Not at all. It’s because Group Six is about to be established, but Kellen is still too young and needs me to take care of him, so I will stay in the orchestra during this time,” Sofia explained the gist of things.
Hearing that, Tessa nodded. “I see. I’m fine with it.”
Gregory didn’t have any problems either as he would follow Tessa wherever she went. Hence, they set off for the orchestra.
In the orchestra, Kellen had already received the news and was waiting at the door. Upon seeing Sofia exiting the car and walking over with Tessa and Gregory behind her, he hurriedly rushed over to them.
“Hello, Miss Sofia, Tessa, Greg,” he greeted cheerfully.
Tessa and Gregory greeted him as well. “Hello, Kellen.”
After they finished exchanging their greetings, Sofia asked, “Have you prepared the practice room for Tessa?”
“After receiving your order, I asked someone to do it as soon as possible. It has been sorted out now.” Kellen looked at Sofia as if he was taking credit for the task.
On the other hand, Tessa was a little flattered. She didn’t expect Sofia to prepare a practice room for herself and thanked politely, “I’m sorry for causing trouble for you, Kellen.”
When he saw how polite his junior was, Kellen’s goodwill toward her soared. “You’re welcome. This is what I should do as your senior.”
Next to them, Sofia nodded approvingly and smiled at Tessa. “Not bad. If you need anything in the future, you can just ask your seniors.”
Upon feeling the care her teacher and senior apprentice had for her, Tessa felt warm on the inside, and greatly enjoyed the atmosphere.
After entering the orchestra, Sofia suddenly instructed, “Since the practice room is ready, you should take Tessa to have a look, Kellen.”
Kellen nodded and took Tessa to the practice room, which was a private room on the fourth floor. Although they didn’t have much time to prepare, the room was fully equipped, and it was clear that they had put a lot of thought into the decorations as well.
Standing next to Tessa, he said with a smile, “Have a look, Tessa. If you need anything else, feel free to tell me.”
As Tessa looked at the spacious and bright practice room, she felt grateful enough to have such a luxurious and private practice room to herself, so she didn’t have the heart to be picky either.
“I think you’ve prepared everything I would need, Kellen, and I don’t need anything else. Thank you so much.” She thanked him again, and her sincere attitude made Kellen’s impression of her improve greatly.
“Since there’s nothing more you need, you can practice here with Greg. Just give me a call if you have any problems.” After speaking, Kellen left.
When he exited the room, many members of the orchestra outside craned their necks curiously to investigate. Ever since Sofia showed Tessa around the orchestra last time, everyone in the orchestra knew that Sofia had accepted a new student. They were also aware that this student was Tessa, the Virtuoso who was well-known in Vienna.
All of a sudden, many of them were envious of Tessa. Usually, they would be happy as long as Sofia commented on their playing. However, Tessa was now receiving personal lessons from Sofia, and this treatment made them extremely jealous.
Of course, Tessa was unaware of this, and she quietly practiced in the room with Gregory.
On the other side, after Kellen left, he went directly to Group Six’s training hall to meet up with Sofia.
Upon seeing him, she asked in concern, “Have Tessa and Greg settled down? Are they happy with the practice room?”
“Yes, and Tessa is happy with the practice room as well,” Kellen reported, feeling surprised. It seemed that Sofia paid a lot of attention to Tessa and Gregory.
Meanwhile, as they didn’t hide their conversation, the members of Group Six became even more envious of Tessa. However, the most envious of them all was Susan. She originally thought that she could gain an advantage by entering the orchestra one step earlier than Tessa, but now it seemed that her plans had been in vain.
Always Been Yours Chapter 866
Susan and Kathleen Are Too Similar
However, even if that was the case, Susan refused to give up!
On the other hand, Sofia had begun talking to Kellen about Group Six’s progress.
“I’ve confirmed the specific members of Group Six, but I haven’t decided on the concertmaster and associate concertmaster yet as I’ve been uncertain about the candidates for these two positions.” Kellen told her about the biggest problem he was currently facing.
Hearing that, Sofia thoughtfully scanned the members standing next to her and ordered, “Play a piece for me.”
Saying that, she walked to a chair at the front and quietly listened.
After a brief pause, the members immediately became excited. It was clear that Sofia planned to guide them.
Not long later, the practice room was filled with the pleasant sound of music as everyone showed their best performance and played even better than usual. Among them, Susan stood out the most. If someone from outside the industry listened to them, they would only think that their playing sounded beautiful, but Sofia found many problems, and the biggest of them all was Susan.
At the end of the piece, everyone looked at Sofia expectantly. Living up to their expectations, she pointed out the problematic musicians and gave them some simple advice.
When it came to Susan, she frowned and said objectively, “There is no denying that your performance is the best in the entire group. Whether it is your skills, musicality, or stage presence, you’re quite seasoned, but you stand out too much. Besides, your playing style sounds too much like someone else, and you can’t blend in well with the rest, causing your performance to stand out from the rest of the orchestra.”
After hearing Sofia’s words, the other members of the orchestra began discussing in soft voices.
“It’s true that Susan’s playing style is too powerful. She doesn’t blend in well with us.”
“I don’t know why, but I keep getting the feeling that she’s a lot like Kathleen.”
“You felt so too? So did I. I thought that it was my imagination.”
“Now that you mentioned it, Susan and Kathleen’s playing styles are indeed very similar.”
Hearing their conversation, Susan became ill at ease all of a sudden. Of course, she knew that this was indeed her own problem. After all, she had been Kathleen for more than 20 years, and some habits had been integrated into her bones. Even if she deliberately changed it, she would always inadvertently carry the shadow of her past.
At that thought, she suppressed her unusual emotions and explained, “I’ve always liked Kathleen’s playing style in the past, so I’m used to imitating her interpretation. But don’t worry, Miss Sofia. I’ll adjust my playing style as soon as possible so that it’ll fit the orchestra.”
Sofia nodded and continued to guide the others. Before they knew it, the morning had already gone by. After she finished instructing them, Sofia took Kellen to the practice room where Tessa was in.
“Hello, Miss Sofia, Kellen.”
“Hello, Granny Sofia, Mr. Kellen.”
Upon seeing their arrival, Tessa and Gregory stopped practicing and greeted them politely.
Sofia nodded before asking them concernedly, “How’s everything going? Have you gotten used to this place?”
“We’re doing pretty well,” Tessa replied with a smile before she voluntarily reported her and Gregory’s progress.
Feeling satisfied, Sofia nodded and said, “Come, let’s go and have lunch.”
Tessa didn’t refuse and went out with her while holding Gregory’s hand. Besides them and Kellen, the other two senior apprentices had followed along as well.
At the table, Jenny and Daniela asked him worriedly, “Kellen, Miss Sofia personally came to help you look after things. How did it go? Have you chosen the concertmaster and associate concertmaster?”
“Not yet.” Kellen shook his head.
He was nearly tearing his hair out from nominating candidates for these two positions. At first, he had greatly favored Susan, but Sofia was not satisfied with her.
As if seeing through his thoughts, Sofia suddenly spoke up. “Susan isn’t bad, but she’s still not good enough to become a concertmaster. She’s not as skilled as Tessa.”
Upon hearing the praise for his mother, Gregory said with a look of pride from the side, “My mommy is really amazing. Every piece she plays sounds good.”
Always Been Yours Chapter 867
Tessa’s Performance
As everyone looked at his boastful attitude, they only thought that he was extremely adorable. At the same time, Jenny and the others became more curious about Tessa’s skills. They could tell that Sofia greatly favored her, but it was a pity that none of them had heard her performance in person.
Kellen couldn’t help but encourage her, “Tessa, why don’t you come and give it a shot at my group later in the afternoon?”
The moment he finished speaking, his words immediately received Jenny and Daniela’s approval.
The two joined in to egg her on with a smile, saying, “If you were able to gain Miss Sofia’s recognition, you must be fantastic.”
“Tessa, you should play a piece for us later so that we can enjoy your performance.”
As she faced her senior apprentices who were curious about her, Tessa had no problem with their suggestion, so she nodded graciously and said with a smile, “I’ll listen to anything Kellen says.”
Kellen, Jenny, and Daniela adored their junior’s sweet and polite behavior.
“Sure. When I go back later, I’ll have everything arranged for you.” Kellen happily agreed.
Seeing that, Sofia nodded with a smile as well. “That’s a good idea.”
After lunch, Kellen went back to inform the members of Group Six. Later that afternoon, the members of Group Six gathered during their training.
Meanwhile, the fact that Tessa was going to perform with them spread to the entire Sofia Symphony at an incredible speed during the noon break. In addition, the two groups that were not performing heard of it as well, and many of them wanted to watch the performance as they wanted to see what skills Tessa had that helped her gain Sofia’s favor. Before it was even half past two, Group Six’s practice room was already full of people, and even the hallway outside the door was packed.
At this moment, Tessa took to the stage with her violin under their heavy anticipation. Although she only wore a simple beige sweater with jeans, her aura changed from the moment she stepped onto the stage, turning from casual to solemn and elegant.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Tessa, Miss Sofia’s newly accepted student. For the next piece, I’ll play the violin with the members of Group Six.” She bowed and introduced herself in a steady and soft voice.
At this moment, she was actually a little nervous. After all, this was the first time she was performing in front of everyone after being trained by Sofia, and many of these people were renowned musicians who had been around in the industry for a long time. Although she was on the edge, she was filled with passion and was even more excited for her performance as she wanted to see how much she had improved after training for so long.
Thunderous applause sounded after Tessa’s words, and everyone looked forward to her performance later. However, Susan was not included in their ranks. She stood in the crowd and glared intently at Tessa, her resentment almost overwhelming her sanity. Though her fingers were digging into her palms, she didn’t seem to feel the slightest pain.
Why? Why was she still not as good as that b*tch, Tessa, after she had done so much and worked hard in the orchestra for so long? She cursed hysterically in her heart, her eyes turning red with hatred. As expected, the existence of this woman was a hurdle in her life, and she had to get rid of her!
Tessa wasn’t aware of this. After she stood still on the stage, she heard Sofia’s instructions. “I only have one requirement for you, and that is to blend in with the others. As for everything else, do as you see fit.”
“I understand,” Tessa replied with a nod.
Gregory then sent her a flying kiss from the audience and cheered her on. “Good luck, Mommy!”
When the others saw his adorable behavior, they erupted in a bout of friendly laughter, and Tessa felt her heart warm at the sight as well.
On the other hand, the other members of Group Six beside her were also adjusting their mindset. It wasn’t just Tessa’s first time performing in front of everyone, but also their first time playing in front of such a huge crowd after training for so long. Hence, they would not allow any errors to occur.
Always Been Yours Chapter 868
Praises All Around
Soon, the practice room was gradually filled with a lively melody. As each member of Group Six brought their best foot forward, they demonstrated to everyone the results of their team efforts. With the melody steadily growing aggressive, the audience was blown away by their imposing performance.
Standing at the center of the stage, Tessa did not immediately begin her performance, as she started playing her violin only when the performance reached its second theme. Though the tune of the violin was heart-touching and beautiful to those it touched, it naturally blended well with the group’s melody. Focused on the strings of her violin on stage, Tessa made wonderful, heart-moving tunes each time her slender fingers plucked the violin strings in succession and fascinated the audience.
Naturally, her musical style was highly distinctive as well. Unlike Susan’s style where it would overshadow and even disrupt the harmony of the whole melody, Tessa’s style of playing was akin to a shepherd trying to lead the entire orchestra from the front seat.
Even though Tessa had never practiced with the members of Group Six, their chemistry was undeniable. In conclusion, the performance here was very much successful to the extent that it would not be a lie to say that it was a performance to die for.
Under the stage, Kellen finally understood the reason Sofia had taken Tessa under her wing as he looked at Tessa who was radiant with confidence. “This junior of mine does have a trick or two up her sleeves. Miss Sofia, your insight is as sharp as ever!” He praised Tessa without mincing his words and flattered his mentor while he was at it.
Standing beside him, Jenny nodded approvingly before she said with a smile, “I’ve once seen her performance when she was still with Hathaway Philharmonic. Back then, she was just as agile and skilled. However, she was not as experienced in her performance as she was today. She has really improved a lot since then.” After that, she went on to compliment Sofia as well. “Honestly, this is all thanks to you, Miss Sofia. Your training has boosted Tessa’s overall performance.”
Daniela also nodded in agreement. “I’m now looking forward to the day when Miss Sofia has thoroughly tempered Tessa’s overall ability. I wonder just what kind of surprise she would show us then.”
Listening to those under her wing singing praises for Tessa, Sofia looked at Tessa with a satisfied expression. “Tessa does have the tendency of surprising others. I am looking forward to seeing what she’ll achieve in the future as well.” Then, she paused briefly before she turned her head slightly to Kellen and said, “If you’re planning to choose someone to be the concertmaster of Group Six, I would suggest for that person’s musical style to be just like Tessa’s. Not only would it be compatible with the orchestra, but it would also show off its distinctiveness as well.”
“I will keep that in mind, Miss Sofia.” Kellen nodded to confirm he understood what Sofia was telling him.
As the audience slowly came back from their senses during Group Six’s performance, each and every one of them became in awe of Tessa.
“Just as expected of the ‘Virtuoso.’ She’s just too amazing.”
“I’ve heard her performance before when she was still with the Hathaway Philharmonic. But, I’ve always felt that there was something lacking in her performance. Now, I think she’s perfect.”
“No wonder Sofia took her under her wing. Tessa’s skills would make anyone jealous.”
“Rumors say that she has only been learning from Sofia for less than a month. I wonder how terrifying she would be after Sofia’s done training her.”
“I’m already looking forward to that day.”
Listening to everyone showering praises over his mother, Gregory puffed his chest out proudly. Mommy is amazing. There are so many people that’ve been saying good things about her. One day, I’ll be just as good as Mommy is, so she’ll be proud of me too. Thinking that, he looked at the stage with his eyes lit, and thought to himself just how beautiful his mother was right now.
On the other side of the room, Susan, who was also performing right now, was bewildered as she looked at the radiant Tessa from a short distance away. She couldn’t accept how Tessa had improved by leaps and bounds in such a short period of time. As a result, she started playing several wrong notes.
Always Been Yours Chapter 869
Apprentices’ Approval
Fortunately, Susan managed to come back to her senses and correct her mistakes after one of the members beside her gently nudged her. However, her heart was still in panic and confusion. As the performance came to an end, they were received with thunderous applause from the audience, as the audience felt that they were perfect in their performance. In particular, they all felt that Tessa’s performance was outstanding and excellent.
“That was amazing.” Everyone sang similar praises.
Gregory was also clapping his small hands in excitement. Although his palms had turned red from clapping a little too hard, he did not feel even the slightest pain. “Mommy’s the best!”
As though she had heard Gregory’s praise, Tessa smiled sweetly at him before her eyes went to her mentor in hopes of her evaluation of the performance. The rest of the group members followed suit as they all looked at Sofia expectantly.
Sofia then waved her hand as a signal for the others around her to be quiet. As soon as everyone quietened down, she started her evaluation. “The overall harmony was on point. However, you’ll still need to improve your riffs and runs. Whether it’s playing the notes a beat faster or slower, it would give a different feeling to your audience. Kellen, you’ll be in charge of following up on this point in their training.”
“I understand. I will focus their training in that aspect.” Kellen nodded.
PlayvolumeAdAfter a nod at Kellen, Sofia turned her attention to Tessa.
As Tessa knew her evaluation was next, her body inadvertently became tense.
“Although you’ve performed very well, there were several flaws you’ve made during the transition from the second theme to the third theme. By all rights, you should’ve been able to perform better than that.”
“It’s true that I didn’t handle that part well. I’ll pay more attention to my transitions in the future.” Tessa humbly accepted her mentor’s teachings.
The others who heard the conversation between Tessa and Sofia couldn’t help but sigh.
“I finally understand why Miss Sofia took Tessa under her wing.”
“Right? I already thought that it was a perfect performance, yet Sofia still said that it wasn’t good enough. It’s no wonder Sofia wouldn’t take us as her apprentices.”
“I’m just so jealous. Ah…”
Hearing these words, Tessa smiled as she came down from the stage with her violin in hand.
The moment they noticed her, Kellen, Jenny, and Daniela began singing Tessa’s praises.
“Your performance just now was amazing.”
“I’m very much looking forward to what you’ll be able to do when Miss Sofia’s done with your training.”
“My hunch tells me you’re gonna surpass me at some point.” Saying that, Kellen pretended to be nervous. “I’m done for. I’m suddenly feeling a sense of danger creeping up on me. If I’m surpassed by my junior, Miss Sofia would definitely have me undergo harsh training at that point.”
Although Tessa was amused by Kellen, she still needed to practice modesty. “I’m improving, but you are improving as well. So, it would be difficult for me to catch up with you, Kellen.”
As Sofia looked at her apprentices getting along with one another from the side, she discreetly nodded, as she knew that they had truly accepted Tessa as one of their own. Then, she turned her attention to the members of Group Six and said in an imposing tone, “As for the selection for the concertmaster, nothing has been set in stone yet.
However, all of you can see that you must at least have the same standard as the ones under me. As the final selection for the position would be in a month’s time, I hope all of you would work hard and improve yourself before then. Only those who are truly capable would be selected as the concertmaster!”
The members of Group Six immediately became invigorated by Sofia’s words, as they had all thought that Susan was to be the concertmaster. Her performance was much more seasoned when compared to theirs, after all. But now, they knew they still stood a chance to become the concertmaster.
“Nice, we’re still in the run for concertmaster.”
“For the sake of becoming a concertmaster as well as for my dreams, I’m gonna give it my all this month.”
“I’m going to work hard too. I’m going to increase my practice time by two hours a day, no, by at least four hours.”
Excited, everyone was planning their training schedules for the month.
However, among the excited members, only Susan was wearing a slightly twisted expression. All this while, she had thought that she would be the one in demand with her capabilities, regardless of where she went.
However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as she had been facing countless obstacles one after another the moment she entered Sofia Symphony. Not only that, but she was being selected as though she was just some common woman.
Always Been Yours Chapter 870
Catching Up With Scott
Susan had never received such humiliation ever in her life. Yet, Tessa, who shared the same situation of having to start over in a new environment, was doing much better than her in every way. Not only was Tessa accepted as an apprentice of the industry’s titan, but she was also sought after by many other people. Just who does she think she is?!
The more Susan thought about it, the more she felt that it was unfair. At this point, Susan was on the verge of going insane with the resentment she harbored against Tessa. However, she didn’t dare expose even the slightest emotion she was experiencing, and could only clench her fist with all her strength. One day, I will have Tessa go through a humiliation a thousand times worse than this! She stared daggers at Tessa while determined to go through with her words.
Elsewhere, after Sofia finished giving her instructions, she gestured for the crowd to leave the room. When the audience left, she brought Tessa and the other apprentices out from the practice room as well.
After Sofia’s group left the room, Tessa thought that the training for today was over, so she went over and greeted Sofia before returning home for Gregory’s classes. However, she received a call from Scott not long after she had gotten into her car.
“I heard you’re back in Vienna. Are you free to have a meal with me?”
“Sure, just give me the address.” She accepted the invitation, as she thought back on how much of a help Scott was during the previous incident.
After Scott told her the address of a certain restaurant, he ended the call.
Sitting beside Tessa, Gregory asked puzzledly, “Mommy, are we not going home?”
“Not yet. I’ll be bringing you to meet an old friend of Mommy’s. He has helped me out a lot in the past.”
Not long after, the mother and son arrived at the restaurant.
Noticing the mother-son pair walking in, Scott became slightly stunned. Once Tessa took a seat along with Gregory, Scott looked at the latter and nodded as a greeting.
Tessa patted Gregory on his head and said with a smile, “Come on, Greg, say hello.”
“Hello, Mr. Brooks.” Gregory obediently greeted Scott with his black round eyes looking straight at him. He looks handsome, but still not as handsome as Daddy, Gregory thought. For some reason, he felt the way this man was looking at his mother was similar to how his father had looked at her. This won’t do. I must help Daddy protect Mommy.
Naturally, Scott couldn’t have known what the little child was thinking. After Tessa’s introduction, a gloomy look flashed in his eyes, but he soon pulled himself together and greeted Gregory gently. “Hello. Is it okay if I call you Greg?”
In fact, Gregory was rejecting the man inwardly, as he knew this bad man was eyeing his mother. However, as he was a well-behaved child, and couldn’t bear to put his mother in a tough position, he reluctantly nodded in the end.
During the meal, Scott asked with concern, “When did you come back?”
“It’s been some time since I came back,” Tessa replied with a smile.
Nodding, Scott continued, “I only knew you’ve returned when I went and met Hathaway two days ago.” He was immediately filled with regret after saying that, as he felt that talking about Hathaway would affect Tessa’s emotions.
Just as Scott was about to say something, Tessa asked with concern in her tone, “Is Miss Hathaway alright?”
“She is. She’s been fully focusing on the orchestra these days.” Seeing that Tessa didn’t seem to mind when Hathaway was brought up, Scott told her about what Hathaway’s situation was in general with Tessa nodding occasionally. However, he himself didn’t want to continue the topic after a while, so he changed the topic with a smile. “I heard that Sofia took you in as her apprentice a while ago?”
Tessa immediately knew that it was probably Hathaway who had told Scott the news, so she nodded and admitted to it. “It’s just as you heard.”
“So, how does it feel to have Sofia as your mentor?” With a concerned expression, Scott looked at Tessa.
Tessa knew Scott was worried about her. She smiled. “It’s going well. Although Miss Sofia is strict, I know she’s doing it for my sake.”
Noticing Tessa wore a relaxed expression, Scott heaved a sigh of relief as he said, “Glad to hear that. I’m relieved to see you’re taken in by someone amazing. Before this, I was worried you might not have a place to go, so I wanted to introduce you to a few orchestra groups.”