Ch. 931..940
Chapter 931 Don’t Punish Yourself for Others’ Fault
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” Nicholas looked at Tessa worriedly, who shook her head and said, “I didn’t. Miss Sofia came not long after we got into a fight.”
Relieved, he turned to his son and admonished, “Next time you see that woman and Mommy’s not with you, walk away, okay?” “I got it, Daddy.” Gregory nodded obediently.
The family of three chatted for a while longer when the food delivery Tessa ordered arrived. After lunch, Nicholas took Tessa and Gregory out for some fun.
The little guy was in seventh heaven with his parents by his side, and he had forgotten about the episode in the morning.
Meanwhile, Tessa and Nicholas kept Gregory company at the kindergarten playground the entire afternoon.
During that time, the little guy made a few friends and had a wonderful afternoon, giggling joyfully away.
On the other hand, Tessa and Nicholas rested on the bench with holding hands, watching Gregory play affectionately.
The scene looked so warm and homely that it gave off a serene vibe.
When it was time to leave in the evening, Gregory felt reluctant. “Mommy, can I exchange my contact number with them?”
He looked at his mother expectantly, his eyes abnormally bright as though there were stars in them.
“Of course.” Tessa couldn’t bear to turn him down at all, struck by his adorableness.
“You’re the best, Mommy!” Elated, the little fellow hurriedly went off to exchange his contact number with his newfound friends, even admonishing wistfully before parting ways, “You guys have to call me and play with me, alright?”
Meanwhile, Tessa and Nicholas looked at Gregory in amusement.
After leaving the kindergarten, the family headed to a restaurant for dinner.
Perhaps because of his good mood, the little guy had a much better appetite than he did during lunch.
Seeing so, Tessa finally eased her worried mind knowing that he had thrown the morning’s episode out of his head.
After dinner, the family of three took a stroll along the Danube River, only going home when Gregory was exhausted.
On their journey back, Gregory succumbed to sleep and dozed off, leaning against Nicholas as he carried the little guy into the nursery upon arriving home.
Tessa had wanted to give the little guy a quick wash-up, but Nicholas stopped her, not wanting her to wear herself out.
After settling the little guy down, the two walked out of the room and into their bedroom, to which Tessa tugged on Nicholas’ hand upon entering as she apologized, “To be honest, I kept something from you about this morning’s incident.”
Not waiting for the man to give her a response, she continued with self-reproach, “I was still upset from what happened last night when I saw Eunice in the morning, so I approached her and made things clear with her. Thinking back now, my ill-consideration pissed Eunice off and led her to lash out at Gregory.”
Nicholas got a good picture of what happened after hearing his dear wife’s confession, and he smiled. “This is not your fault at all; she was the one who started it. Also, I’m very happy you went to her and laid your claim.”
At that, he pulled Tessa into his arms and kissed her forehead affectionately.
However, Tessa still felt awful, and Nicholas could tell. He continued coaxing, “Alright, don’t think too much about it. Gregory’s not in the wrong, and neither are you. Don’t punish yourself for others’ faults. It’s not worth it.”
Tessa thought he was right and gradually let it go.
After all, what happened had already happened. It was too late for her to be rueing now.
“I’ll try my best to steer clear of Eunice next time. That way, Gregory won’t get involved.”
Nicholas couldn’t help frowning at that, for he didn’t want her to suffer in silence.
He believed that with his ability, Tessa wouldn’t need to tolerate anyone at all. However, he didn’t speak his thoughts as he saw the remorse in her eyes.
“Since it has already happened, there’s no use dwelling on it. Go and shower; you must be tired after a day of fun.” He intentionally changed the subject, not wanting to see her dwelling on the issue.
Chapter 932 Meeting With Nicholas
Sure enough, Tessa’s attention had been diverted, and she nodded in agreement before hitting the shower. The following day, Nicholas dropped Tessa and Gregory off at the orchestra after breakfast.
After arriving, he followed the mother and son out of the car worriedly and went up to Tessa, reminding her, “Call me if anything happens, alright? Don’t let yourself suffer any grievances.”
Tessa nodded in acknowledgment, feeling touched, for she knew Nicholas was concerned about her and Eunice getting into another fight.
It wasn’t until he watched Tessa and Gregory enter the building that he returned to his car and drove away.
Minutes after he arrived at the company, Edward knocked on his office door and walked up to his desk deferentially, reporting, “Mr. Addison arrived half an hour ago, insisting that he wanted to see you, President. I’ve arranged for him to wait at the antechamber. Would you like to meet him now?”
Nicholas was a little surprised, for he had expected Addison to take a few days to sort things out after shaking hands on the project at the cocktail party. Who would have thought he’d get it done after a day?!
At that, he nodded and headed to the antechamber, only to find both Addison and Walter sitting there.
The latter had deliberately tagged along when he learned that Addison was meeting with Nicholas on this day, for he had a project he wanted to collaborate with Nicholas too.
“Put in a few good words for me to President Sawyer, will you? If this works out, I’ll owe you one.”
He wished Addison could help him out, and the latter didn’t turn him down either.
As the two chatted, they heard footsteps coming from outside, and in seconds, Edward entered with Nicholas following right behind.
Following the CEO’s entrance, both Addison and Walter felt an invisible sense of intimidation hurled at them, rendering them stumped for a second before coming to themselves.
“President Sawyer.” The two stood up and exchanged pleasantries.
Nicholas nodded in response.
He was rather surprised to see Water present as well, but he said nothing.
“Have a seat.” At that, he turned to Addison and cut to the chase. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll have a look at the contract now.”
Addison nodded in acknowledgment and handed Nicholas the document. “Please verify it. If there are any issues, I’ll amend it right away.”
Nicholas nodded and lowered his head to check.
Then again, since they already shook hands on the deal during the cocktail party, there were barely any issues with the contract.
After going through the necessary procedures, Nicholas signed the paper right away.
He had a handsome signature, magnificent and flowy.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” said Nicholas while standing on ceremony. He then returned the document to Addison after signing it.
Addison, on the other hand, hurriedly took it from him and beamed so brightly that wrinkles formed at the corner of his eyes. “The pleasure is all mine.”
One couldn’t blame him for being elated, for the profit made in this deal was equivalent to the money his company could make in one season.
Nicholas nodded and stood up, planning to leave. “I still have other things to attend to. Please help yourselves to the door.”
“President Sawyer, please hold up.” Walter became anxious when he noticed that Nicholas was leaving.
“Yes, Mr. Walter?” Nicholas stopped in his tracks and looked icily at Walter, who gulped, feeling somewhat panicky.
It could just be his imagination, but he thought the young man’s gaze at him was rather unwelcoming.
It’s just my imagination, right? I’ve never crossed this guy before.
Despite letting his mind wander elsewhere, he stated his purpose of being here. “I hope you can spare me a few minutes, President Sawyer. I have a pretty decent project that I’d like to collaborate with you.”
Addison had chilled at this point, and he hurriedly put in a good word for his friend, saying, “My friend’s project is pretty decent, President Sawyer. If my company had enough funds to back it up, I would’ve wanted a slice of it as well.”
Nicholas didn’t turn Walter down after hearing their words and instead sat back down on the couch, saying monotonously, “Do you have the proposal with you?”
“I do. Here, if you’ll please have a look.” Walter handed Nicholas the papers, which the latter looked through on the spot.
Chapter 933 He’s Not Someone You Can Afford to Mess With
Walter hurriedly described his company’s product at that. “Though it’s still just a prototype, its functions are still currently unavailable on the market. Plus, we can work on customization development at a later stage and also upgrade it continuously. It has a very high growth value.”
Nicholas, on the other hand, listened and made no comments. As much as Walter wanted to realize this collaboration, he knew being eager would lead him nowhere, and he didn’t want to annoy Nicholas either.
Thus, he sat quietly on his seat after briefing the product features and value. Nicholas was pretty pleased seeing that the man was astute.
Moments later, he closed the folder and announced plainly, “I’ll keep this with me, and I’ll have my team do an evaluation on this later. If it’s viable, I’ll invest in it.”
“Alright, I hope to hear from you soon then, President Sawyer.” Walter nodded non-stop, feeling elated.
If Nicholas was willing to have it evaluated, it meant that he had a fighting chance. If anything, he was confident in his product and was certain that Sawyer Group would approve of it.
Addison, too, congratulated Walter after the two left the antechamber. “Once your product passes the evaluation, Sawyer Group invests in it, and it goes into the market, your net worth will very likely rise by a few hundred million by the second half of the year! Don’t forget to give your old pal a slice of that cake by then, alright?”
“If this works out, I won’t forget about you,” Walter answered with a smile, his mood visibly cheerful.
At that, the two chatted for a little while more before going their separate ways.
Even after returning to his company, Walter was still wearing a smile on his face.
Much to his surprise, he rode the elevator to his office and found his daughter inside.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the orchestra?” he asked.
“I was. I came after assigning their tasks,” Eunice answered her father as she slouched on the couch. But very quickly, she noticed something amiss about her father.
“Where were you, Daddy?” She sat up from the couch while asking, turning from lazy to sober in a snap.
He was looking so giddy that she couldn’t help thinking otherwise. “Mommy might not be home lately, but I am. Thus, I hope you won’t betray her.”
Walter flipped out upon hearing so, and he chided, “What are you talking about?! Do you think your father is like the men you hook up with?!”
“Where have you gone to, if not to look for hookups?” she reiterated.
“I went to Sawyer Group with Addison to ask for a collaboration. If things work out, the market value of our family business will rise several folds,” Walter said concisely, not hiding it from her.
Eunice was surprised that her father would decide to work with Nicholas on the project.
She had a good understanding of the project. If it was done right, the profits made would be immense, and for the long term at that. It was only delayed until now because they couldn’t find the right collaborator last year.
While being happy for her father, a notion also came to her.
Though she had constantly received setbacks from Nicholas, her desire to make him hers only grew.
She was determined to win his heart, and she was certain Tessa’s countenance would be one she’d enjoy very much.
At that, she smiled coyly. “Daddy, if things work out, let me deliver all the collaborative documents with Sawyer Group.”
“Why would you want to do that when you don’t know anything about this?!” Walter tucked away his smile upon hearing his daughter’s request.
Clearly, he didn’t want her to do so, for he was well aware of her plans. It was evident she still hadn’t given up on that man.
However, Eunice made nothing of it and still smiled. “I haven’t had any performances lately. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for me to come over and run some errands for you?”
“No!” Walter refused without a second thought and admonished her, “Don’t go around thinking I don’t know what you’re planning. I’ve already told you to stay away from married men, especially Nicholas Sawyer. He’s not someone you can afford to mess with!”
Chapter 934 What If Nicholas Takes a Liking to Her?
“So what if they’re married? They might not even love each other. I heard the only reason they got married was that he got Tessa pregnant,” Eunice said with pity. “What a waste of such a good man to be with a woman like her.”
Walter frowned, amused with anger by his daughter’s absurd logic. “Whether they love each other or not has nothing to do with you. Don’t you dare bother President Sawyer.”
The potential jeopardy of the collaboration aside, Nicholas was already a married man! How ugly would it sound if people learned that his daughter interfered in someone else’s marriage?!
Seeing that it was still a hard no from her father, Eunice, unwilling to resign, pulled out her trump card at once.
“Daddy, I know what you’re worried about. I promise you I won’t cross the line. I just want to win over the person I like. What if Mr. Sawyer takes a liking to me? You can’t say that I’ve ruined their marriage then, can you?” At that, she wrapped her arms around Walter’s, whining and pleading in every way possible. “Come on, Daddy… Please… Just say yes…”
A doting dad himself, Walter gave in in no time and ultimately agreed to it. “Alright, you can deliver the documents but with conditions.”
“You’re the best, Daddy!” Elated, Eunice hugged her father, who enjoyed her fawning.
As for why he would agree to her request in the end, her words enlightened him and had him thinking. What if Nicholas actually takes a liking to Eunice? It can possibly happen, after all…
By then, their strong alliance would make them the overlords of the Vienna market!
Moments later, he nudged her away and admonished, “I might have agreed to it, but you can only do this as a training assistant. Also, you can’t meddle in this project or piss President Sawyer off and jeopardize our collaboration.”
“I got it, Daddy. Don’t worry.” Eunice nodded with a smile, her amber eyes twinkling brightly.
Sometime later, she left Walter’s office while feeling elated.
…
Inside the CEO’s office of Sawyer Group, Edward looked hesitantly at Nicholas after he was done reporting work, to which Nicholas noticed and asked, “Do you have something to say?”
“President, are you seriously considering working with Walter?” Edward voiced his doubts at once.
He thought it was weird as he knew Nicholas hated Eunice, but now, his boss had decided to collaborate with her family’s company.
At that, Nicholas answered plainly, “Business is business; a collaboration is still possible. Besides, I won’t be in charge of this in the end. Taylor will see to it once it’s finalized.”
Edward understood it at once and nodded, leaving the office to return to his work.
Later in the day, Nicholas had Edward return home after clocking out while the former picked Tessa and Gregory up at the orchestra.
However, who’d have thought he’d find Eunice approaching him as soon as he got out of his car?
“We meet again, Mr. Sawyer.” She smiled alluringly, seeming like she had forgotten about the episode the other day.
Nicholas, on the other hand, said nothing but only took an icy gander at her with displeasure laced in his eyes.
Her smile stiffened for a second, but she recovered very quickly and teased, “Don’t you think you’re being a little cold, Mr. Sawyer? We’re future partners, after all, no?”
However, the man still wouldn’t bother himself with her.
Meanwhile, Tessa and Gregory were coming out of the building, and the former turned grim, for she found Eunice pestering her dear husband again.
Gregory, too, was far from happy as he grumbled, “Why does that woman keep going up to Daddy?! Daddy’s clearly very annoyed with her.”
Albeit, Tessa said nothing but led the little guy over to them.
Meanwhile, having lost all patience, Nicholas was about to snap when he noticed his beloved wife and son approaching in his direction, and the frost in his eyes melted instantly.
Chapter 935 To Sawyer Group
“When did you come out? Why didn’t you call and tell me to carry your stuff?” Nicholas disregarded Eunice entirely and went up to Tessa, taking her violin case from her in a natural manner.
Tessa, too, pretended to not have seen Eunice and smiled at Nicholas. “It’s just a few feet away. Besides, the case isn’t heavy at all.”
Eunice, on the other hand, thought the picture of the loving couple was exceptionally blinding as jealousy surged within her.
What does Tessa have that I don’t?! How can she have Nicholas treating her so gently?!
Since she couldn’t stand it anymore, she cleared her throat coyly and said, “Tessa, how can you not even say hi when I’ve been standing here all day? To think Miss Sofia always praises you for being courteous.”
“Oh, you’re still here, Eunice.” Tessa looked at Eunice with feigned surprise, then smiled half-heartedly and said curtly, “I’m so sorry. I thought you’d walk away with guilt when you saw me approaching.”
It was obvious that she was insinuating Eunice for her wantonness and desire to seduce Nicholas repeatedly.
Naturally, Eunice understood her implication and flew into a rage out of humiliation.
However, because Nicholas was present, she could only swallow her raging anger.
After all, she knew this man would surely shield the wench named Tessa. Other than that, she had to keep her father’s collaboration in mind.
It was Tessa who was surprised by Eunice’s behavior. But then, it dawned on her pretty quickly that the woman probably wanted to keep a positive image in front of Nicholas.
Disgust surged within her as the thought crossed her mind, and she didn’t want to stay another second longer. “If there’s nothing else, Eunice, we’ll be taking our leave.”
With that, she led Nicholas and Gregory to the car, not caring if Eunice had something to say.
“What did Eunice say to you just now?” she couldn’t help asking during their journey home.
Nicholas smiled faintly at the sight of his jealous wife. Of course, he wouldn’t hide it from her and recounted, “Her father came to the company yesterday to propose a collaboration. I thought it looked decent, so I had my team make an evaluation. She must’ve heard about it and decided to cotton up to me.”
At that, he took a purposeful glance at Tessa but couldn’t make out her expression. He continued after some thinking, seemingly worried that his beloved wife would get upset. “If it upsets you, I can drop the collaboration.”
Stumped, Tessa shook her head. “It’s fine. This is work, and business is business. There’s no need to screw it up just because of personal reasons.”
“Alright.” Nicholas nodded and let her in on his plan. “I’ll hand the project to the managing director here once it’s finalized. I won’t get involved.”
The following morning, Walter glanced at Eunice during breakfast and asked, “We have a document we need to deliver to Sawyer Group later. Do you want to go?”
“Of course!” Eunice exclaimed without a second thought as her eyes twinkled, and she asked for leave with the orchestra the next second.
An hour later, she arrived at Sawyer Group in tight-fitting office wear with her father’s employees.
Many of the Sawyer Group employees noticed her the second she appeared, for she was exceptionally striking.
Her tight-fitting office wear showed off her curvaceous body perfectly. Coupled with her delicate makeup, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say she was a bombshell.
“That woman seriously has a body that makes every woman envious.”
“I wonder who she works for.”
“What, are you thinking of wooing her?”
Although they were whispering, many of them were talking about Eunice, after all. As such, the woman heard a thing or two. Realizing they were all praises, she couldn’t stop her lips from curving upward.
Well, these people have better taste than their boss.
As her mind wandered, she and the team arrived at the front desk.
After going through the necessary procedures, the receptionist escorted them to the antechamber.
“Please hold on for a moment. Our managing director will arrive shortly.”
With that, the receptionist closed the door behind politely and left.
Meanwhile, Eunice pulled out some makeup products from her bag for a touch-up, assuming that the managing director was Nicholas.
Chapter 936 The Managing Director of Sawyer Group
The team frowned slightly upon seeing so, but neither of them said anything in the end. A few minutes later, footsteps could be heard coming from the other side of the door, and Eunice hurriedly fixed her hair while gazing expectantly in that direction.
Soon, the door opened, and Taylor entered with his assistant. “Sorry to keep you guys waiting,” he greeted the team with a professional smile.
The team was stumped for a moment before returning the greeting enthusiastically despite not knowing who they were dealing with.
Only Eunice was still reeling in bewilderment as her smile stiffened. “Who are you?” she questioned with a frown, displeased.
Taylor was taken aback for a second by the beauty before his eyes, and he introduced himself, not really minding her tone. “Cheverell. I’m the managing director of this company.”
But lo and behold, Eunice flew into a rage the next second. “I don’t care who you are. The person we’re meeting is supposed to be President Sawyer. Tell him to come and see us.”
Forget that she had deliberately come for Nicholas; she felt undervalued when the man sent a random guy to dismiss them.
Taylor’s countenance turned somewhat awful in turn. It was his first time being so disrespected after becoming a managing director.
The team also turned slightly grim as displeasure laced their eyes.
However, because of who Eunice was, not only could they not say anything, they even had to pick up after her.
As upset as the team leader was with Eunice, he could only go up to Taylor and apologize, “I’m really sorry, Mr. Cheverell. This is our CEO’s daughter, Miss Eunice. We have been liaising with President Sawyer all this while, so she might be a bit confused with you here today.”
As shrewd as Taylor was, he naturally got the gist of it at once. This woman has clearly come for the president.
A hint of contempt flashed across his eyes at that, and he said indifferently, “Is that so? President Sawyer has left this project wholly in my hands, though.”
His words stumped Eunice, for she hadn’t expected this from Nicholas.
Ultimately, she had no choice but to put up with it. She sat quietly aside while listening to everyone else discuss the details of their collaboration.
Later, she left the building in a seething rage with the team.
Meanwhile, Taylor went to Nicholas’ office after seeing Eunice and the others off, and he stood hesitantly on the spot after reporting the project’s progress.
“Yes?” Nicholas asked with a quirked brow upon noticing his abnormality.
“Well, from what I can tell, our collaborator seems to be more inclined to work with you, President.” At that, he related what happened earlier concisely.
Nicholas smirked disdainfully after hearing so, for he had obviously expected that from Eunice. “No need to bother yourself with her.”
Taylor nodded in acknowledgment and returned to his work after that.
Just then, Nicholas’ phone, which he had placed on the desk, rang. It was a video call from Tessa. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much. I’m just calling to let you know that you don’t have to come so early. I’ll be practicing for a few more hours tonight,” Tessa said briefly.
“Got it.” He nodded. “I’ll go over later. Don’t wear yourself out either.”
Tessa beamed, seeing how concerned he was. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
The two chatted for a while longer before Tessa returned to her practice.
“It’s nearing lunch. Don’t forget to eat, alright? I will go over and check on you when I have the time,” she admonished before hanging up.
Nicholas burst into a chuckle in response, happy about her enjoin. “Be my guest.”
He looked at her with twinkling eyes and a charming smile, leaving her in somewhat of a trance until a deep, magnetic voice traveled to her ears. “Is your husband good-looking, hmm?”
Tessa met his teasing gaze upon coming to herself, and she blushed, glaring at him with feigned anger. “I’m hanging up now. I have to go back to practice.”
Chapter 937 Stop Being Fixated on Someone Who Isn’t Yours
The call ended the next second, and Nicholas chuckled under his breath, knowing well that his beloved wife had gotten bashful. At that, he put his phone away and returned to work in a brighter mood than before.
At some time between 7.00PM and 8.00PM that night, Nicholas drove to the orchestra after working overtime. But to his dismay, he bumped into Eunice once again as he exited the car. He frowned in response, thinking she was everywhere.
Eunice, on the other hand, became livid upon seeing Nicholas; she felt absolutely humiliated when the man disregarded her time and time again, yet he treated a woman far beneath her with utter gentleness.
As the thought crossed her mind, the anger within her burned ablaze. With that, she stomped over to him in her four-inch heels.
“What is the meaning of this, Nicholas Sawyer?!” She snapped right in his face the second she got close to him. “How can you hand my daddy’s project over to someone else?!”
Nicholas drooped his eyelids and looked impassively at Eunice, his countenance less than bright. Despite not saying anything, the aura he exuded made Eunice silent at once, seeming as though someone was squeezing her throat.
However, she recovered very quickly. As fearful as she was, her desire to win him over intensified.
She really wanted to see what this recalcitrant man would look like the day he groveled at her feet.
With that in mind, she conjured up a plan and smiled. “Of course, I can overlook this if you apologize and treat me to a meal.”
“Apologize and treat you to a meal?” Nicholas sneered, and the frost in his gaze only thickened.
However, Eunice was absolutely oblivious to it, nodding. “That’s right. It’s your fault for snubbing me earlier today.”
“Huh, I believe you’re mistaken, Miss Eunice. Every Sawyer Group branch has a managing director overseeing everything. It’s never my responsibility to oversee the work. What fault do I have, and how have I snubbed you?” Nicholas took a plain glance at her, the repugnance beneath his eyes long unvarnished.
Eunice froze on the spot, rendered speechless.
Meanwhile, Tessa walked out of the building in the latest fashion items and her violin case in her hand.
Her smile dropped the moment she saw the scene in front, and grim enveloped her. I swear this woman is everywhere!
At that, she approached the two with displeasure.
At the same time, Nicholas noticed his upset wife and immediately went up to her, shaking off the relentlessly badgering Eunice.
“You’re out.” He took the case from Tessa very naturally. Unlike a few minutes ago, his gaze was now beyond gentle.
Tessa nodded impassively, then drifted her gaze to Eunice to find jealousy and loathe, which the latter had yet to tuck away, on her face.
Meanwhile, panic enveloped Eunice’s face as she hadn’t expected Tessa to suddenly turn to her. But she recovered in two shakes and smiled assertively. “Have you only just finished your practice, Tessa?”
However, Tessa was in no mood to act along with her. Just how benign does this woman think I am? Does she not think I’d get upset when she hits on my husband repeatedly—even right in my face sometimes?!
“Eunice, allow me to remind you again. Stop being fixated on someone who isn’t yours. You’re somewhat of a celebrity yourself, so have some self-respect.”
Eunice’s smile froze on her face at once, and she hit the roof.
Nicholas, on the other hand, was taken aback, for Tessa had always been pretty friendly toward others.
Then again, he understood pretty quickly that his beloved wife was being jealous, and his countenance turned exceptionally gentle and doting.
“What do you mean?” Eunice said through gnashed teeth as she glared at Tessa.
“I’m sure you know well what I’m trying to say.” Tessa stared icily at Eunice, done walking away. “I don’t want to make things sound unpleasant because I don’t want to put Miss Sofia in a difficult position. As such, I hope you can know where you stand and have some self-respect. Otherwise, something as scandalous as interfering with someone else’s marriage wouldn’t blend well with the future of your career, don’t you think so?”
Chapter 938 Cancel the Collaboration
“Is that a threat?” Eunice narrowed her eyes, beyond livid. “I’d like to call it advice,” said Tessa indifferently. “Hands off a married man!”
Her latter words made Nicholas’ heart melt, and he thought that his jealous wife, who was laying claim, was absolutely adorable. Tessa didn’t know what was running through Nicholas’ mind; she only felt better after giving Eunice a piece of her mind.
At that, she led Nicholas to the car, not giving a d*mn about how awful the woman looked. However, even after leaving, Tessa’s face was still tense with displeasure written all over it.
Of course, it hadn’t gone unnoticed by Nicholas, and he pulled her into his arms while cooing, “Still upset? How about we turn back around and give her another round of scolding?”
Tessa glared at the man, who seemed to be in a good mood at that. “Happy, are we? How can you have so many women throwing themselves at you?!”
While speaking, she pinched his cheeks in exasperation.
Nicholas, on the other hand, didn’t fight back but let her do as she pleased.
Moments later, Tessa got bored of it and let go of her husband. However, her displeasure hadn’t been alleviated.
After some thought, she then said, “Don’t come and pick me up anymore lest Eunice pesters you again.”
Nicholas frowned and opposed the idea at once. “If you don’t want to see her, leave it to me. There’s no need to jeopardize our alone time because of some insignificant people.”
Tessa thought he was right, and so she nodded in agreement in the end.
The next day, Nicholas had Edward call Taylor to his office the moment he arrived.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Turn Walter’s project down,” Nicholas ordered impassively.
Taylor frowned in response, baffled. However, when he saw the displeasure his boss was oozing, he swallowed his words back down and said, “Got it. I’ll see to it right away.”
Following that, Walter received news of the termination in less than an hour.
Shocked, he hurriedly called Taylor. “Mr. Cheverell, haven’t we already shaken hands on the project? Why is it being terminated all of a sudden?”
“President Sawyer said so. I’m just a messenger,” answered Taylor concisely before ending the call at once.
Surprised that Nicholas was the one who terminated the collaboration, Walter rushed to Sawyer Group without even thinking.
At the CEO’s office, Edward knocked on the door and entered. “President, Mr. Walter’s here. He said that he wants to have a word with you.”
Nicholas frowned in response, having a good hunch as to the purpose of the man’s visit. In the end, he agreed to it.
Minutes later, Edward escorted Walter into Nicholas’ office.
“President Sawyer, may I please know the reason you’ve terminated our collaboration?” Walter asked at once upon seeing Nicholas. “Have we done something wrong?”
“I thought you’d know, Mr. Walter.” Nicholas’ icy voice made Walter inexplicably fearful, and his gaze flickered. However, the man decided to play dumb. “Do tell if there’s anything that has displeased you, President Sawyer. We will work on it.”
“I hate being pestered.” Nicholas shot him an icy glance and continued, “Also, my wife will get upset by it.”
Walter understood at once. His daughter must’ve done something to piss off Nicholas.
“I understand now, President Sawyer. It’s my fault for not disciplining Eunice. I’m sorry to have caused you trouble, and I will correct her once I go back.”
He apologized in every way he could, trying to salvage the collaboration. However, Nicholas remained unmoved.
On the other hand, Walter wasn’t willing to let go of this golden opportunity.
In the end, he suggested through gnashed teeth, “I know my daughter has offended you, but how about this, President Sawyer? Our company will concede another three percent of the profit.”
A glimmer flashed across Nicholas’ eyes as he looked at how much it pained Walter to make the offer, and he suddenly changed his mind.
Chapter 939 Inspiration for Nicholas’ Present
Business was business, after all. There was no reason to turn down money, wasn’t there? Besides, Eunice should pay the price for her actions.
“Alright, I can give you another chance, but I hope there won’t be a next time!” Walter, who was still upset about the loss a second ago, hurriedly nodded. “Rest assured, President Sawyer. There certainly won’t be a next time.”
That night, Eunice came home to find her father sitting on the couch, looking upset. “Daddy, who is it that upset you?” She sat on the couch across from him while speaking.
Walter, on the other hand, flipped upon seeing her. “Who else can upset me other than you?!”
“What have I done?!” Walter’s accusation baffled Eunice, for she believed she was innocent.
Seeing so, Walter cut to the chase. “Don’t pester President Sawyer ever again! Our collaboration was nearly ruined thanks to your pestering in the last two days!”
At that, he briefly recounted what had happened earlier in the day.
As upset and unwilling to yield as Eunice was, she dared not act rashly anymore after hearing it.
Sure, she was a wild one, but she still knew what was crucial.
Over the next few days, Tessa noticed Eunice had indeed quieted down and no longer pestered Nicholas.
She had a good hunch as to what her husband did, but she didn’t concern herself with it, for she had something more important to focus on.
Nicholas’ birthday was approaching in a few days, and she needed to seriously think about what to get him. However, what could she give a man who already had everything?!
For two days straight, the issue had been troubling Tessa gravely, and in the end, she decided to go to a friend for help.
She deliberately told Nicholas not to pick her up that day and headed to Louis’ manor alone with her violin.
Though she hadn’t visited lately, she had been calling and texting the man frequently, and because of that, they had gotten much closer—more than just mentor-mentee.
Louis sized Tessa up in the lavish living room amiably and complimented, “Not bad. You looked like you’ve gained a few pounds since the last time we met. I’m sure your mister has been taking very good care of you.”
“Naturally.” Tessa nodded with pride, leading Louis to chuckle to himself.
They chatted a little while longer when Louis’ butler came, announcing that dinner was ready.
With that, the two shared a delightful meal until Louis suddenly teased, “Alright, dear, you’ve had your food and also seen my face. Don’t you think it’s time you let me in on your purpose of visiting?”
“How did you guess?” asked Tessa as she rubbed her nose after a split-second stump.
“I’d like to think I know you well enough by now.” Louis looked smugly at her as though saying he had long seen through her nature.
As helpless as she was at his reaction, she still told Louis her purpose of visiting.
“Well, what do you think I should get him?” She looked expectantly at the man, who only teased, “You’re already his. Do you still need another gift?”
“Mr. Louis, I’m serious.” Tessa felt so embarrassed by the teasing that she stomped her feet, only causing Louis to guffaw.
It wasn’t until he had enough of laughing that he proposed, “Since the mister lacks for nothing, you should get him something memorable.”
“Something memorable?” Tessa mumbled with a frown.
Louis nodded in response. “You’re learning to compose with Simon, aren’t you? You can write a piece for him and even pass the music down. Anyone who hears this song in the future will think of your love story—there’s the memorable part. Also, you can listen to it again after you two grow old.”
Tessa couldn’t help picturing Louis’ description as she listened, thinking it was a brilliant idea.
At that, she decided to compose a piece about her and Nicholas as his birthday present.
However, she didn’t plan on letting him know until his birthday, so she composed the piece when she was learning from Simon.
Chapter 940 Not Going Back Home
However, probably because Tessa had really high standards for this piece, she still hadn’t decided on the composition after pondering for two days.
In the evening, Simon came to check on her progress, to which she scratched her head embarrassingly. “I still haven’t come up with anything,” she said.
“Nothing?” Simon was rather surprised, for knowing Tessa’s ability, coming up with a draft no longer posed a difficulty to her. The hard part was only the tweaking.
“Have you encountered some problems?” He frowned. Tessa didn’t hide it from him either, telling him the struggles she had met in the past two days.
Simon instantly knew she had what was called writer’s block, so he gave her a few pointers. “Think about the mood and imagery you want to convey through this piece.”
Nicholas’ birthday was no minor event as he was the patriarch of the Sawyer Family, after all.
Previously, the Sawyers would hold a grand banquet. However, Nicholas had been staying abroad this entire year, so the Sawyer elders were at a loss for what to do.
On this day, Kieran was forced by his parents to make a call to his brother. “Nick, Mom and Dad wanted me to ask when you’ll be back. Also, your birthday’s coming up. How do you plan on celebrating it?”
“I won’t be going back any time soon. As for my birthday, I’m thinking of celebrating it here in Vienna with Tess and Gregory.”
“Alright, I’m going to tell Mom and Dad you won’t be coming back, then.”
To that, Nicholas hummed a response, and the brothers talked about work for a while before ending the call.
That night, Kieran related the call earlier in the day when he returned to Sawyer Residence for dinner. “Nicholas said he won’t be coming back for his birthday. He’ll be celebrating it with Tessa and Gregory in Vienna.”
Tobias didn’t make much of the news, but his wife, on the other hand, became down in the dumps. “So be it that he doesn’t come back for Christmas. How can he not come back for his birthday either?! Is he going to live there permanently and abandon the company?!” she ranted with a frown.
“Come on, Mom, you’re exaggerating. Nick just wants to spend more time with Tessa. After all, they’ve just gotten married.” Kieran hurriedly put in a good word for his brother, seeing that things were heading south. “Besides, he’s still getting work done even when he’s in Vienna. All credit to Nicholas that the profit our Vienna branch is making is increasing by the day.”
But how could Stefania not know what her youngest son had in mind? At that, she glared at him with vexation. “Sure, go ahead, save your brother’s *ss.”
Kieran rubbed his nose embarrassingly in response. I’ll be the unfortunate one if I don’t stick up for him.
Just then, Remus snorted with displeasure. “Why would he bother himself with us anymore when he already has his own little family?!”
Keiran felt absolutely troubled when he saw that his grandfather had become evidently pissed.
“Come on, Grandpa, you can’t possibly still be holding that over him,” he grumbled, not forgetting to put in a good word for his brother. “Nicholas isn’t like that. He has you in his mind all this while. He even asked me to look out for the latest tea collection Arden’s has in store and get them for you at once.”
Remus’ mood brightened upon hearing so. “That’s more like it.” Despite snorting, there was a hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.
Kieran, on the other hand, chuckled under his breath seeing his grandfather put on airs but very quickly stopped, for he’d die a tragic death if Remus found out he was ridiculing him.
At that, he changed the subject. “Since Nick isn’t coming back, are we going to celebrate it with him in Vienna or scratch it off entirely?”
“Why would you want to go there? Didn’t you just say that he wants to celebrate it with his wife?” Remus refuted, rendering Kieran speechless.
At that, Remus sized the young man up like something had hit him. “Speaking of which, you’re only a few years younger than Nicholas. Shouldn’t you be thinking of your marriage now when your brother already has two children?”
The urge for him to get married came so suddenly that Kieran was rendered stumped.