Ch. 971..980
Chapter 971 Wanda’s Vision
Nicholas didn’t hesitate in refusing her offer indifferently. However, Wanda was still unwilling to give up. She really wanted to show her capabilities in front of him so he would realize that she was a more suitable candidate to be his wife than Tessa.
But Nicholas wasn’t giving Wanda any chances. In the face of his aloof and distant demeanor, eventually, she ran out of things to say and could only remain silent for the rest of the trip.
Soon, the plane took off. Nicholas’ stunning appearance attracted the flight attendants’ attention, who came to serve him frequently. “Sir, do you need a drink, or do you prefer red wine?”
“Sir, do you need a blanket?”
“Sir—”
When given all these luxuries, Nicholas simply ignored them and handed them to Edward. On the other hand, Wanda, who was sitting next to him as well, was infuriated by their overly friendly service.
She obviously knew what the flight attendants were thinking. The only reason why she reigned in her temper and kept her mouth shut was that Nicholas was sitting next to her.
Regardless, she had already made up her mind to complain to customer service right after the flight! Have these women never seen a man before?
Throughout the whole flight, Nicholas barely talked to Wanda.
She had tried to use work to stir up a conversation a couple of times, but he ignored all of it. So instead, he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.
The man’s handsome facial features attracted everyone’s attention under the dim light.
Wanda stared at him in a daze. The love that she had for him was apparent for all to see.
She couldn’t help but reach out to trace the outline of his face.
When Edward noticed that she was about to touch Nicholas, he was so frightened that he quickly let out a cough.
If Edward had allowed her to touch Nicholas, Nicholas would definitely make him pay with more workload. He really didn’t want more work on top of his already hectic schedule.
Wanda was also taken aback by the sudden interruption and withdrew her hand guiltily.
When she looked at Nicholas and noticed that he was still asleep, she let out a sigh of relief. Then, she shot an annoyed glare at Edward.
Nevertheless, Edward feigned ignorance of everything and merely continued perusing the files in his lap.
After that little interlude, she didn’t try anything else and, most importantly, kept her hands to herself.
Later, by the time Nicholas had awakened from his light doze, the plane had already landed.
He deliberately ignored Wanda as he left the plane with Edward in tow.
She walked behind the two, feeling shunned and awkward.
When she noticed that they were about to leave the airport, she didn’t want to leave Nicholas’ side just like that, so she chased after him.
“Nicholas, can I take a ride back with you? My trip home was rather abrupt, and I forgot to notify the driver to pick me up.”
Nicholas furrowed his brows slightly as he regarded the woman looking at him expectantly before him and ordered, “Edward, bring Miss Muller home.”
“What about you?” Edward asked.
“I’ll take a cab.”
When Wanda heard Nicholas’ resolute answer, she froze on the spot.
On the same day, Tessa and Gregory were practicing in the practice room.
Therefore, when Sofia came, she saw that the two were harmonizing.
So, she stood by quietly and listened, surprised.
She was shocked that Gregory could play alongside Tessa so quickly.
Although Sofia could tell that Tessa was deliberately trying to match his pace, Sofia could not deny that the little boy had made very rapid progress.
At the end of the song, Sofia let out a round of applause for the two, indirectly alerting them of her presence.
“Granny Sofia, when did you come?”
“I’ve been here for a while. But, Gregory, you’re so good now. You can even harmonize with your mommy,” she praised Gregory lovingly.
He smiled shyly at the compliment and answered modestly, “Actually, it’s Mommy that tried to match my pace.”
Sofia nodded, then pointed out his mistakes.
After she thoroughly explained where he could improve, she sent the little guy off to practice.
Tessa watched this from the side before humbly inquiring, “Teacher, are there any flaws you can point out from my performance just now?”
“There aren’t any major issues. Just a few small mistakes.”
Then, Sofia began to analyze Tessa’s mistakes one by one and corrected them.
All this while, Tessa listened earnestly, giving Sofia her utmost attention.
“I feel that I am still not very good with my fingers. I’ll keep practicing.”
As she said this, she was about to head off to practice but was stopped by Sofia.
“Wait. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
Tessa tilted her head as she looked at Sofia curiously.
Sofia did not beat around the bush. “This morning, my assistant came to report that the song you posted on our official website has been downloaded more than five million times.”
Chapter 972 First Solo Album
“Five million times?” Tessa exclaimed, completely taken off guard. The number of downloads for her songs could be said to have absolutely exceeded her expectations.
As Sofia finally saw Tessa’s rare state in which she lost all her poise, Sofia burst into laughter and teased, “You’re now the darling of our orchestra.”
However, Tessa shook her head and declined modestly, “Miss Sofia, that’s too high of a praise. I’m not the darling of the orchestra. The true sensations of our orchestra are you and the rest of the seniors.”
Sofia nodded in satisfaction as she looked at Tessa, who was neither arrogant nor impetuous despite achieving such heights after a short period of time. After that, with a bit of fondness in her tone, she added, “My dear… You’re too modest.”
Tessa only smiled in response.
At this moment, Sofia suddenly changed the topic of the conversation and said, “You’re almost done with your training now. Initially, I’ve been contemplating which route you should take for your musical career development, but seeing that you’re now so popular online, I plan to let you go solo for the time being. What do you think?”
“I’ll listen to your suggestions, Miss Sofia,” replied Tessa sincerely, for she genuinely believed that Sofia only meant well and she wouldn’t stoop so low as to harm her career.
Once again, Sofia nodded in gratification. “Since you’re fine with the idea, I plan to produce an album for the songs you have composed so far. We’re going to test the water first, and if the album receives a good response from the public, then you can hold a solo concert.”
When Tessa heard that, she was momentarily stunned—shocked yet delighted at what Sofia had in store for her future.
“Miss Sofia, I certainly will do my best in composition and live up to your expectations.”
“I have faith in you.” Sofia patted Tessa on the shoulder, both in reassurance and encouragement.
Then, the two further discussed the details of Tessa’s future album for a moment longer.
At the end of their discussion, Sofia suddenly recalled something and offered her weighty advice. “Although you’re very popular now, you still have to settle down and focus on your musical training. You still have a long way to go, so don’t be infatuated with temporary fame.”
Tessa knew that Sofia was worried that she would become arrogant by the achievement she’d accomplished, so she nodded earnestly and replied, “I understand.”
Once she arrived home that night, she eagerly shared the great news with Nicholas. “I’ll probably be quite busy after today, so there’s a chance I may not be able to chat with you on the phone daily.”
It would be a lie that he didn’t mind that their time together would be cut short further, but he still replied in approval, “It’s alright. You can call me when you’re free, but you must not wear yourself out and make me worried.”
As Tessa’s loving husband, Nicholas naturally supported her dream. The only thing that he worried most about was Tessa’s health.
Gregory, too, was happy for Tessa. As he sat beside her, he flattered Tessa in every possible way that he could, “Mommy, you’re really amazing!”
Later, in the following days, Tessa began to focus her mind and soul on her new composition.
Sofia was there for her and gave Tessa advice to improve her composition when she needed some help. Suffice to say, she was as invested in the preparation of the album recording as Tessa.
This album meant the world to Tessa since this was her first solo album. Hence, Sofia also attached great importance to the music production process.
Because of this, the recording process this time focused heavily on the details—which was entirely different from the casual recording they did previously.
Soon, news about Tessa preparing for a solo album spread in the orchestra.
“I’m really envious. Why am I not Miss Sofia’s student?”
“With Miss Sofia personally orchestrating the music production, Tessa seems to be one step closer to becoming a total celebrity.”
“What should I do? I’m super duper jealous of her.”
“It’s pointless for you to be envious and jealous. We can’t blame Tessa. It’s us who aren’t as talented as her.”
“You’re right. Gosh, sometimes comparison could cause one to lose sight of themselves.”
As everyone discussed this piece of hot gossip, they still didn’t forget to congratulate Tessa on the milestones she’d achieved.
Meanwhile, as Tessa’s senior apprentices, Kellen and Daniela also planned to congratulate her personally.
They had initially asked Eunice to join them, but Eunice declined their invitation.
After all, Eunice had always disliked Tessa. So, why would she bother to congratulate Tessa?
As for Tessa’s other seniors, they couldn’t congratulate her in person as they weren’t in Vienna as they were busy with their own musical performances overseas.
Tessa, on the other hand, knew nothing about this. Yet, she was still thrilled when she saw her two seniors paying her a visit.
“Kellen. Daniela. What brings you two here?”
At the same time, Gregory, who was beside Tessa, also addressed the two obediently. “Mr. Kellen. Miss Daniela.”
“Hey, Greg. You’re as charming as ever.”
After the two greeted Gregory, they began stating their purpose of visit and began kindly, “We heard that you’re going to release an album, so we drop by to congratulate you and check if you need our help with anything.”
Tessa felt a rush of warmth flowing in her heart when she heard Kellen and Daniela’s caring words. “I think I’m doing alright for now. But the future is always uncertain, so if I need your help in the future, I certainly won’t hesitate to ask you guys for all the help I need.”
“Not a problem. Don’t ever think of yourself as a burden. We’d be delighted to lend a hand.”
Just like that, they chatted and had a wonderful time with each other’s company.
Later in the evening, Tessa suddenly felt slightly stressed after seeing Kellen and Daniela off.
Chapter 973 Sofia’s Invitation
After all, it took a lot of effort and energy to produce a good song—not to mention that so many people were now looking forward to Tessa’s first solo album.
Tessa was afraid that the effort she poured wasn’t satisfactory enough, and it would let everyone who had believed in her down. Furthermore, she wasn’t as spirited as before since she was now carrying another life in her belly.
In actuality, Tessa had lost considerable weight after half a month of intensive workload. On this day, in Xerthania, Nicholas purposely made a video call to Tessa during his break, for he missed her very much.
“Nicholas.” As soon as the video call got through, Tessa’s slightly weary voice sounded through the video. Looking at the woman in the video, Nicholas frowned tightly.
Through the video call, he noticed Tessa’s originally somewhat chubby cheeks had become rather hollow now. “I’ve only been away for less than half a month, yet you’ve tortured yourself into such a state?!” he questioned with displeasure as he glared at Tessa.
Tessa suddenly felt a sense of guilt when she saw Nicholas looking rather upset. Hence, she quickly explained to him, saying, “I didn’t torture myself.”
“Why would you slim down so much if you didn’t torture yourself?”
Nicholas looked at Tessa as he feigned dissatisfaction and interrogated her with a reckoning tone in his voice, “Tell me: did you eat well recently?”
Needless to say, his current austere appearance certainly had Tessa thinking he was indeed angered.
Since Tessa knew very well how much Nicholas cared for her, panic crept in as she immediately comforted him by saying, “Don’t be mad, darling. I did have proper meals. Ask Greg if you don’t believe me. It’s just that I don’t know why I’m still losing weight even after I’m eating well.”
Nicholas only pretended to forgive her after she acted coquettishly and flattered him. “Never do this again. Otherwise, I’ll instruct Sebastian to lock your study every night.”
Tessa was tickled pink by his words. Even so, she nodded in agreement and said, “Tomorrow is the weekend. Miss Sofia has already asked me to get some rest at home with Greg.”
“In that case, have a good rest tomorrow. I forbid you to do anything related to music. Not only that, I’ll ask Sebastian and Greg to supervise you,” Nicholas stated firmly.
Tessa could only agree to his demands.
Not long after they hung up, Sebastian came knocking on the door.
“Madam Tessa, this is the essence broth that Master Nicholas ordered the kitchen staff to cook for you. He wanted you to drink it before going to bed.”
As Sebastian spoke, he served Tessa the broth.
When she laid eyes on the bowl of essence broth, she felt moved by Nicholas’ attentiveness. So, she didn’t protest as she took it and finished it all in one go.
Thanks to the essence broth, Tessa had a good night’s sleep.
…
The next afternoon, Sebastian approached Tessa and Gregory while they were basking lazily in the garden.
“Madam Tessa, Miss Mona is here.”
Tessa was a little surprised by the unannounced visit. Shortly after, she took Gregory and went into the living room.
“Tessa! Greg! I’m here to see you guys!” Mona greeted them happily when she saw them.
“Good afternoon, Miss Mona!” Gregory greeted Mona politely.
Tessa, too, smiled and nodded in response. After that, she beckoned Mona to take a seat on the couch.
Mona looked around and asked out of curiosity, “It’s the weekend today, but why isn’t President Sawyer at home with you and Greg?”
Tessa only gave her a vague answer to her inquiry. “He has returned to Xerthania. Only Greg and I left at home.”
Mona chuckled and said, “I see. Since President Sawyer isn’t here, let’s go shopping.”
Considering she hadn’t gone shopping for a long time, Tessa agreed to Mona’s suggestion.
Hence, Tessa, Mona, and Gregory enjoyed their shopping spree and bought a lot of stuff during their afternoon out.
They had such a wonderful time that they didn’t go home even when it was already evening. Instead, they decided just to dine out as they planned to browse around more after dinner.
It was also at this time that Tessa received a call from Sofia.
“Miss Sofia, are you looking for me for something urgent?”
“It’s nothing. I just want to invite you over to my place for dinner.”
“Uh—” Tessa paused, sounding somewhat hesitant.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, Sofia noticed something strange and asked, “What’s the matter? Do you have anything else that you need to do?”
“Well, not entirely. It’s just that I’m currently with a friend.”
“It’s fine. You can bring your friends along with you.”
Sofia didn’t mind extra company, so she also extended the invitation to Mona.
With that, Tessa agreed to Sofia’s invitation.
After she ended the call, she invited Mona for dinner, “Miss Sofia invited me over to her house for dinner. Join us.”
“What? I can go too?”
Mona was flattered by Sofia’s invitation. Then, she exclaimed with excitement, “Tessa! I love you so much!”
She knew full well that Sofia must have only invited her due to Tessa.
Chapter 974 Well Done
After they arrived, Tessa realized that there were many people in Sofia’s place—all of which were members of the orchestra and her fellow senior apprentices. Eunice was also among them.
She was pretty disappointed to see that the person following Tessa wasn’t Nicholas. On the other hand, Tessa didn’t notice Eunice’s unhidden dismay. Instead, she brought Gregory with her while she politely greeted all her seniors and the other members.
Mona also followed suit and greeted everyone present courteously. For that reason alone, others had a relatively good impression of her. Suddenly, at this moment, Eunice asked, ”Tessa, where’s Mr. Sawyer? Why didn’t he come?”
At once, the smile on Tessa’s face slightly faded when she heard Eunice’s question. Likewise, others furrowed their eyebrows at her inappropriate line of inquiry.
Kellen nudged Eunice lightly as he reminded her. ”Eunice, that’s Tessa’s husband. Please stop stirring up trouble. Miss Sofia might get angry at you.”
Unfortunately, Eunice ignored his well-meant advice completely. Instead, she continued to ask Tessa, ”Why aren’t you saying anything, Tessa? I’m asking you: where’s Mr. Sawyer?”
”My husband has long since returned to Xerthania,” replied Tessa, emphasizing the word husband. Yet, at the same time, she was utterly disgusted by Eunice’s behavior.
Even so, Eunice pretended not to hear it and said in surprise, ”He has gone back to Xerthania? When did he go back? Why didn’t I know?”
Tessa instantly felt a little irritated at the face of Eunice’s unrelenting questions.
Therefore, she didn’t hide her hostility as she retorted, ”Eunice, I don’t think there’s any need for me to inform you of my husband’s affairs.”
Gregory, who stood next to Tessa, also nodded in agreement and echoed, ”Miss Eunice, why do you keep asking about my Daddy?”
In an instant, Eunice’s face flushed with slight embarrassment when faced with Gregory’s innocent question.
When the others saw the awful look on Eunice’s face, they ignored her and beckoned Tessa and Mona to take their seats.
After they made themselves comfortable, Mona leaned closer to Tessa and praised her in a low voice, ”Well done just now. There’s no need to be nice when dealing with such a shameless woman.”
Despite thinking Mona’s words were amusing, she also felt that what Mona said was right.
She felt a lot better now, venting her anger when she saw fit, especially regarding Eunice’s lack of boundaries.
Soon, dinner was ready.
The others followed Sofia to the dining room with happy steps, and Eunice was the only one with a rather unpleasant look the entire way.
Everyone feigned ignorance at her clearly displeased mood while they enjoyed each other’s company.
During the meal, everyone asked Tessa about her new song.
Tessa also answered them candidly, ”The song is almost ready and will be completed in around two days.”
Kellen exclaimed in admiration, ”It’s only half a month, yet so many songs are almost ready? As expected, you’re amazing!”
After that, one by one, the rest congratulated Tessa and hoped for the successful release of her album.
”Based on Tessa’s ability, these songs will surely wow everyone!”
”I’m looking forward to the album release now. Tessa, hurry up and hold a solo concert. I think your compositions’ live performance will be better than the album recording!”
”Tessa, you must reserve seats for us members of the orchestra when that time comes.”
Tessa naturally agreed to their enthusiastic suggestions, ”Thank you, everyone, for your affirmation. No worries. I’ll definitely reserve the best seats for you all when I hold my concert.”
”And me too. Tessa, don’t you forget about me,” Mona suddenly chimed in as she raised her hand, unwilling to lag behind.
Tessa burst into laughter at her cheekiness and said, ”Don’t worry. I certainly won’t forget to leave you a seat.”
At this moment, Sofia also took notice of Mona, so, as the party’s hostess, she graciously gestured toward Mona, ”Tessa, aren’t you going to introduce your best friend to us?”
”I’ll let her introduce herself.”
As Tessa spoke, she turned sideways and gave Mona an encouraging look.
Mona, on the other hand, was a little overwhelmed with surprise. She didn’t expect Sofia would actually notice her. Rather unused to the spotlight, she became nervous.
Finally, under Tessa’s urging, she took a deep breath, stood up, and introduced herself.
”Good evening, Miss Sofia. My name is Mona, and I’m a violinist in the Hathaway Philharmonic. I’m a fan of yours too.”
Although she was a little stiff initially, her graceful behavior toward the end of the introduction gave everyone an excellent impression of her.
Sofia nodded with a smile as she replied, ”Such a nice young lady. Have a seat.”
With that, Mona sat down obediently. Once her introduction was out of the way, it didn’t take her long to mingle with the others.
Coupled with Gregory, who was a barrel of laughs, bursts of cheerful laughter constantly echoed throughout the dining room.
It was already dark outside after they finished enjoying their scrumptious meal.
Chapter 975 Enough!
When Tessa noticed how late it was, she immediately decided to return home with Mona and Gregory in tow after bidding everyone goodbye.
Once she got home, she received a video call request from Nicholas just when she finished coaxing Gregory to sleep. ”Morning, Nicholas!” Tessa greeted happily.
Due to the time difference, it was only morning in Xerthania. He was clearly affected by Tessa’s good mood as his face tinged with a faint smile while he looked at his wife, who was smiling so sweetly in the video.
”It looks like you had a good time today.” ”Yes. It was pretty fun.” After that, Tessa smiled and recounted her experience for today.
As she neared the end, she cupped her cheeks with both hands and looked at Nicholas, saying softly, ”Although many people are accompanying me, I still miss you so much. When are you returning?”
He felt his heart almost melting into a puddle of fondness when he heard Tessa’s words.
”Soon. Give me about a week or so, and then I’ll be back with you. Unfortunately, Timothy and I are currently busy with a new project.”
”Then, I’ll wait for you. Also, take good care of yourself. Don’t you dare forget to eat the moment you start getting busy,” Tessa urged worriedly, for she knew he would always forget to maintain a proper diet and sleep schedule when he was neck-deep at work.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Susan became highly resentful of Tessa ever since she heard the news that Tessa was going to release an album.
”Why does this woman have everything going so well for her?” she hissed as she gnashed her teeth in frustration. Susan was exceedingly envious of the fact that Tessa was going to make it big, whereas she ended up being as ordinary as the others.
”No! I have to find a way to ruin that b*tch’s album release!”
Susan bit on her nail as she pondered. Within a moment, she came up with a nefarious plot to make things difficult for Tessa.
…
When Sofia Symphony ended their musical training the next noon, Susan stopped Richelle, who was about to leave, in her tracks. Then, she invited Richell to join her for a meal. ”Let’s grab lunch together.”
Richelle regarded Susan for a moment before she eventually accepted her invitation.
Hence, the two decided to have their lunch at a restaurant nearby.
During the meal, Susan planned to play her same old tricks again by saying something to trigger Richelle into scheming against Tessa.
”I’m afraid Tessa must be as proud as a peacock now, considering Miss Sofia has been there for her throughout the production of her first solo album. Even Mr. Marjorie didn’t receive such royal treatment.”
As she spoke, she purposely paused for a moment. Then, she looked up to observe Richelle’s facial expression.
In the meantime, Richelle lowered her eyes and stared down at the ground, making it hard for someone to read her thoughts about the matter.
Even so, Susan could sense the great fluctuations in Richelle’s mood through her white-knuckled grip on the cutlery despite remaining mum on the matter.
Susan smirked in satisfaction. It looks like there’s hope for my plan.
As she thought of that, she parted her rosy lips lightly and persuaded Richell in a quite alluring voice, ”If Miss Sofia had taken you as her student in the first place, then everything Tessa has now would’ve been yours… Fame and a promising future—these should all have been yours. Yet, because of Tessa’s intervention, you can only be an insignificant violinist in the orchestra now.”
”Enough!”
Suddenly, Richelle let out a low growl, and through her heaving chest, it was apparent that her current mood was far from calm.
Susan paused in her suggestive words as she picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip of wine, giving Richelle time to calm herself down.
Then, when she saw that the timing was right, she continued, ”Honestly speaking, I feel bad for you.”
Richelle glanced at her before saying calmly, ”Stop beating around the bush, and just say what your plan is.”
”I’m not up to anything. I just think you probably want to carry out some plans, and I may be able to help you with it,” replied Susan in a very tactical manner.
Even so, Richelle, who had suffered an unjust loss once, could still comprehend the hidden meaning behind Susan’s words.
”Help me?” she asked sarcastically while looking at Susan, ”Do you really take me for a fool?”
At once, the smile on Susan’s face froze.
Then, Richelle’s voice rang in Susan’s ears again before she could say anything.
”Susan, you’re a true hypocrite. You’re clearly the one who’s jealous of Tessa, yet you don’t have the guts to act against her yourself. So, to see your plan come to fruition, you come to instigate me in the hope that I’ll deal with Tessa for your sake. What makes you think you can still use me after you’ve fooled me once? I’ve fulfilled my obligation by not selling you out before! I don’t care what you’re up to. Just don’t take me for a fool again!”
As soon as she heard those words fall from Richelle’s lips, she knew right then that her plan had failed before it had even begun.
Still, she defended herself by saying, ”Didn’t I tell you? I don’t have any tricks up my sleeves. I just can’t stand idly by and watch you suffer while Tessa is getting all the limelight.”
Chapter 976 Fetal Movement
Richelle sneered, obviously not believing a single word that dripped from Susan’s poisonous lips. On the other hand, Susan dropped the entire topic even though her eyes showed slight traces of frustration. Since this woman misunderstood me for being jealous of Tessa, so be it. As for me, I’m likely to expose myself if I continue this topic.
“Fine, then. I won’t say anything anymore since you aren’t bothered by this. I hope you can make it to the top and shine bright in the orchestra soon.”
When Richelle heard that Susan sounded somewhat sincere, she thought Susan had given up on provoking her into acting rashly toward Tessa. Then, she kindly advised Susan, saying, “You should cheer up too. Stop being hostile toward Tessa.”
Although Susan maintained a polite smile on the surface, indicating she understood where Richelle was coming from, deep down, she actually felt utter disdain for the other woman. What a foolish woman. Unlike you, who gets afraid after failing just once, I always strive for what I want. Also, only an idiotic woman like you will be willing to forfeit the chance to become more than ordinary. On the contrary, I will do everything in my power to become extraordinary.
On this day, Remus had called for the Sawyer Family to gather for a meal when he remembered that they hadn’t had a meal together even though Nicholas had returned for so long.
During the meal, Stefania nagged Nicholas, “Why didn’t you bring Greg back with you when you returned to Xerthania?”
“Greg has classes, so Tessa said she’ll bring him back to see you all when it’s the holiday season.”
Nicholas relayed Tessa’s regards.
Although the elders of the Sawyers spoke nothing of it outwardly, inwardly, they were all pleased with Tessa’s consideration.
Suddenly, Remus said, “She’s been pregnant for five months or so now, right? What’s the matter? Is she not planning to return to Xerthania during her pregnancy?”
Stefania was also hit with a sudden realization when she heard this, and she inquired with a frown, “Does she have plans to give birth in Xerthania?”
“It’s still far too early to discuss this matter. The baby is only five months old. So there’s no rush.”
Although Nicholas was aware of their thoughts, he also knew now was a crucial moment for Tessa. He didn’t want to hold her up for the baby’s sake.
Unfortunately, Stefania didn’t know what the hold-up was.
Hence, she felt very dissatisfied after she heard Nicholas’ words. “How is it not a rush? Could it be that you plan to only let her return to Xerthania when she’s seven or eight months pregnant?”
“It’s not a big deal whether she’s seven or eight months pregnant. I’ll make proper arrangements for everything. I won’t let any mishaps happen to her and the baby,” Nicholas said with great confidence. After all, he was genuinely convinced that he would be able to handle anything, come hell or high water.
When they saw that Nicholas had made such bold proclamations, Stefania and Remus couldn’t voice their dissatisfaction, no matter how badly they wished.
Meanwhile, Tessa had no clue about what was happening in the Sawyer Residence.
She was so swamped with the release of her new album, training, and taking care of Gregory that she was as busy as a bee.
Now that she had almost completed her compositions, another daily task added to her usual musical training: practicing those new songs.
In addition, perhaps due to the baby growing in her belly, she became easily fatigued despite only working for a full day.
After dinner, Gregory was distraught when he saw Tessa sitting on the couch tiredly.
“Mommy, let me give you a massage. You won’t feel tired after the massage.”
As he spoke, he knelt on the couch and helped Tessa to massage her arm.
When she regarded the severe look on the little guy’s face, she felt highly gratified and touched to have such an attentive son.
“You are such a kind child, sweetheart. You even know how to care for me now.”
She didn’t stop him. Instead, she praised the little guy greatly for his loving gesture.
Gregory’s face blushed when he heard Tessa’s compliment, looking adorable.
Then, he looked happily at Tessa and asked, “Mommy, do you feel better?”
“I’m feeling much better. Thank you, Greg,” Tessa replied. Then, suddenly, her facial expression stiffened—an inconceivable look flashed in her eyes as if she was amazed by something.
Gregory was far from blind, so he immediately asked in confusion, “What’s wrong, Mommy?”
“Greg, the baby moved just now.”
When Tessa came back to her senses, she excitedly shared the happy news with the little guy.
However, Gregory didn’t understand what Tessa’s words meant. So, the befuddlement in his eyes only grew stronger as he pressed for answers, “The baby moved? What does that mean, Mommy?”
The moment she laid her eyes on his clearly bewildered ones, she realized she didn’t know how to explain this phenomenon to him.
Coincidentally, at this moment, she once again felt the baby move. Thus, she instantly grabbed Gregory’s hand and placed it on her belly.
Gregory’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt the movement against his palm.
“Mommy, y-your belly is kicking my hand,” he stammered with excitement.
At once, Tessa burst into laughter as she looked at Gregory’s dumbfounded state. “It’s not my belly that’s kicking your hand. That’s your baby sister saying hello to you.”
“Baby sister?”
Gregory was stunned for a moment. Then, finally, as if he had an epiphany, he chirped happily, “Baby sister, are you saying hello to me because you know that I’m your brother?”
Chapter 977 Nicholas Gets Emotional
Gregory nattered on happily to the healthy baby growing within Tessa’s belly.
Meanwhile, Tessa didn’t interrupt Gregory’s evident enthusiasm as she gazed at him fondly, wholly enraptured by his curiosity toward the new life she was nurturing.
Suddenly, the phone she had placed aside rang loudly, somewhat shattering the peaceful atmosphere between mother and son. However, when she checked the notification, her eyes lit up with delight when she saw that it was a video call request from Nicholas.
”What are you two doing?”
Nicholas’ gentle voice came from the phone.
When Tessa was about to tell Nicholas the good news, she was preempted by the excited Gregory.
”Daddy! My baby sister moved just now. She even knew that I was her brother and said hello to me!”
Nicholas was momentarily stunned when he heard Gregory’s words. But, then, his astonishment was instantly followed by slight envy and disappointment when he realized that he couldn’t be there with his family and experience that joy with them.
As for Gregory, he didn’t notice the strange look on Nicholas’ face at all and was still happily bragging about it, ”Daddy, my baby sister must like me!”
Nicholas’ mood took a turn for the worse when he heard that.
So, he decided to ignore Gregory as he looked toward his wife and pretty much demanded impatiently, ”Let me see your belly.”
Judging by the tone of his voice, it was only natural for her to sense his jealousy toward his own son, no less. Therefore, she shifted the camera to her belly as she giggled in amusement.
Any tinge of displeasure or envy instantly vanished from Nicholas’ eyes as a soft, adoring look replaced them while he looked at Tessa’s bulging belly.
”Baby, it’s me, Daddy,” said Nicholas in a highly gentle voice.
Perhaps, as they say, ‘blood is thicker than water’, Tessa felt the baby in her belly move slightly after his words.
At this moment, a great sense of tenderness and contentment flowed in her heart.
Alas, before she could fully immerse herself in the joy of having a wonderful family, Nicholas’ slightly anxious voice rang in her ears. ”Honey, do you feel any movement from the baby?”
”Yes. She heard you when you called her just now.”
Tessa stroked her belly while beaming, all the while exuding a maternal aura due to her pregnancy.
He could barely hold onto his composure due to his apparent joy. Yet he still thought that she might just be coaxing him as he inquired, ”Did the baby really move? Why didn’t I see it?”
Earlier, to avoid missing the chance to witness such a momentous occasion, he had been staring at the video screen unblinkingly. Not only that, he even slowed down the pace of his breathing.
Even so, he didn’t see any apparent changes.
As she regarded the man, who was a little blunder, she snorted and said, ”Since the baby is still small now, the fetal movement won’t be so obvious. That’s why it’s hard to tell just by looking at it with naked eyes. You can ask Greg if you don’t believe it. He should’ve felt it too just now.”
”Daddy, baby sister really moved just now.” Gregory hurriedly spoke up and testified to Tessa’s statement with a firm nod.
When Nicholas heard that, he was thrilled. ”It seems that the baby also knows that I’m her Daddy. That was why she greeted me.”
Sure enough, as someone who knew Nicholas well, how could Tessa have no idea that he was bragging after she heard the arrogant tone in his voice?
Therefore, she chuckled with amusement as she turned the camera back to show her face. ”Yeah. You’ve been gone for so many days, so she must be missing you.”
”I miss her as well as the both of you too.”
Nicholas expressed his longing, revealing his rare emotional side.
The smile on Tessa’s face became more tender after she heard his words. ”I miss you too.”
”Daddy, although you always snatch Mommy away from me, I still miss you. Daddy, when will you return home?” Gregory moved closer to the phone and squeezed near Tessa while doing so.
His direct yet earnest remarks were so honest that it made the couple huff in amusement at one point.
Just like that, although they weren’t together in person, the three still managed to have a great time together.
Later in the evening, Nicholas urged Tessa and Gregory to rest when he saw that it was far past their bedtime, ”Rest early. If I’m not mistaken, both of you have musical training bright and early tomorrow.”
With that said, Tessa and Gregory reluctantly bid goodbye to Nicholas. When that was done, the mother and son retired for the night.
…
Meanwhile, in Xerthania, Nicholas sat in Sawyer Group’s president’s office.
Although Nicholas had hung up the phone, deep down, he couldn’t wait to return to his family.
Thus, with that in mind, he called Edward into his office and asked, ”What else do I need to attend to personally?”
Despite not knowing why Nicholas asked him such a question, he still picked up the file and reported accordingly.
After he listened intently to Edward’s account of which affairs needed a few personal touches here and there, he coldly instructed, ”Inform the employees that we’ll be working overtime for a few days. I want all these affairs completed within a week.”
Edward nodded affirmatively and hastily darted out to make the appropriate arrangements once he received such an order.
At this moment, Edward already had a vague guess in his heart. Considering President Sawyer is behaving so impatiently, he’s most definitely in a rush to return to his lovely wife.
The reality was not far from Edward’s guess. Nicholas had indeed begun to work like the hellhounds were chasing after him because he desperately wanted to be rid of any obstacle that would prevent him from reuniting with his family as soon as possible.
As a result, his high efficiency with close to no regard for his personal health also caused his employees to get into gear as they rushed their respective deadlines.
Chapter 978 Eunice’s Instigation
Meanwhile, Eunice felt dejected for a whole two days after she learned that Nicholas had returned to Xerthania.
On the contrary, Tessa was full of passion as she trained. When Eunice saw such a drastic difference, especially when she considered Tessa her love rival, she couldn’t help but feel that Tessa’s presence was an eyesore.
So, she figured she needed to do something to turn the tables. Therefore, she planned to find Wanda to gather information about Nicholas’ whereabouts. However, she didn’t expect Wanda wasn’t in the hotel.
Hence, she instantly whisked out her phone and called Wanda, ”Where are you now? Why did you check out of the hotel?”
On the other end of the phone, Wanda frowned at Eunice’s demanding tone. It was only natural for her to feel displeased to be ordered about by someone she didn’t even know that well. So, she retorted, ”I have gone back to Xerthania, so naturally, I have to check out.”
”You’ve left?”
Eunice was momentarily stunned by Wanda’s odd behavior. Still, she was an intelligent woman, so it didn’t take her long for her to figure out what had happened. Unfortunately, the conclusion she arrived at was rather shocking, so she blurted out the truth, ”Mr. Sawyer just left, and you went back shortly after. So you’re chasing after him, aren’t you?”
Even though Eunice hit the nail on the head with her exclamation, Wanda didn’t intend to discuss this matter with her.
”What is it that you want? If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
Due to the time difference, it was already midnight in Xerthania.
Likewise, Eunice could sense Wanda’s impatience, and she couldn’t help but feel snubbed. Thus, when she replied, her voice became a tad colder.
”Miss Muller, considering we have reached an alliance, I’m not pleased with your attitude.”
Wanda pulled the corners of her mouth into a sneer. Ridiculous! How can I agree to reach an alliance with a woman who covets my future husband? Of course, I merely said that to her because she was still valuable. I didn’t expect her to really take herself as more than a mere pawn in my hand.
Even though she despised Eunice, Wanda didn’t let her distaste for the woman show through her tone.
Instead, she restrained her temper and asked with slightly more patience, ”What is it that you want from me exactly?”
Eunice only felt satisfied and started spilling her intentions after hearing Wanda’s attitude change.
”I’m here to relay a message to you, of course. I didn’t know you would actually return to Xerthania.”
”Get straight to the point. I’m exhausted, and I don’t have all night.”
Wanda immediately cut Eunice off as she didn’t want to waste time listening to her nonsense.
Eunice pouted before finally cutting to the chase as she suggested, ”Tessa is going to release an album here in Vienna. She’ll have both reputation and status if she succeeds. I think you probably don’t want to see her become famous, right?”
Frankly, Wanda truly didn’t want to see Tessa reaching better heights, for that would only shave down her chances to compete for a place in Nicholas’ heart.
Even so, Eunice failed to instigate her. Wanda chuckled lightly and refuted, ”I think it’s not just me who doesn’t want to see Tessa succeed. You probably don’t want to see it, too, right?”
”You’re right. I don’t want to either.” Eunice admitted.
Wanda snorted at that before she added, ”Speak your mind. What is it that you want to do?”
”I think this is a good chance for us to act. After all, reputation works both ways. If she succeeds, it can bring infinite glory to her career. But, on the contrary, if there’s a scandal, it will drag her reputation down to the mud. Think about it, will the Sawyers, a notable family, accept a young lady with a tainted image?” Eunice said, trying to enthrall Wanda into doing her bidding.
Wanda naturally sensed the hidden meaning behind Eunice’s words. In an instant, her facial expression turned frigid. The audacity of this woman to come up with such a ‘well-thought’ plan. She thinks I have no idea that she wants to provoke me to scheme against Tessa and reap all the benefits. It’s too bad that I’m not going to grant her wish. Now, all I want to do is plot against her. Besides, she’s also a competitor for Nicholas’ heart, and I don’t necessarily need to scheme against Tessa to prune off the competition, as it were.
”Your idea is pretty good, but I’m currently in Xerthania, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to get involved in this.”
”As long as you have the determination, I’m sure you’ll be able to pull it off!” Eunice continued to persuade Wanda.
Obviously, she wanted to use Wanda as a pawn.
Little did Eunice know, Wanda had the same intention too.
”I’m only capable of successfully pulling off a plan if Tessa is in Xerthania since this is my home turf. But Tessa is currently in the same orchestra as you, so logically speaking, your chances of succeeding are higher.”
Although Wanda sounded calm over the phone, she was a little anxious after ending the call. Eunice clearly has great confidence in winning Nicholas over. It looks like I have to do something soon.
…
The next day, Wanda asked her assistant to inquire about Nicholas’ schedule for the past two days after she arrived at the company.
It didn’t take long for her assistant to report back to her. ”President Sawyer has been working overtime with the employees of the entire company for the past two days to follow up on a project. It seems that he attaches great importance to this project.”
”Project? What sort of project?”
”I heard it was a project they’d developed with the underdog company that emerged a few years ago, Reinhart Enterprise.”
Chapter 979 Persuading Nicholas
Wanda’s assistant reported the information she had looked into. Reinhart Enterprise? Isn’t that the company founded by Tessa’s younger brother? Wanda thought while narrowing her eyes in thought. After that, she ordered, “Get a copy of the detailed information on this project.”
Wanda’s assistant nodded at her instruction and did as she was told.
Later, an idea popped into Wanda’s mind after she finished going through the details. From a business perspective, the prospect of this project is outstanding. I’ll surely profit if I invest in the project. Besides, investing in this project can give me an excuse to look for Nicholas in the future.
Due to Nicholas passing the affairs regarding the cooperation between the Muller Group and Sawyer Group to his subordinates, Wanda couldn’t get a chance to see him at all. Therefore, she yearned to meet Nicholas, even if it was just for a brief moment.
Even so, in order to prevent Nicholas from rejecting her idea of investing in this project, Wanda intended to bypass him and look for Remus rather than directly searching for him.
Hence, that afternoon, she brought gifts when she paid a visit to Remus in the Sawyer Residence.
“Mr. Sawyer, how are you feeling recently?”
“I’m feeling quite fine.”
Remus was quite pleased with Wanda’s concern for him.
Excluding that he and Horace were old friends, Remus grew increasingly fond of Wanda as time passed.
In fact, Remus was delighted when he realized that there wasn’t a change in Wanda’s attitude toward him even after she knew that her chances of being together with Nicholas were slim.
Because of this, he felt even more regretful. Why couldn’t Nicholas fancy such a lovely young lady like Wanda?
Meanwhile, Wanda was clueless about the thoughts in Remus’ mind. So, she accompanied Remus for a while and only brought up the purpose of her visit when she saw that the timing was right.
“Mr. Sawyer, I’m here today because I have a personal favor I want to ask from you.”
“Oh, what is it? I’ll definitely help you if it’s within my capability.”
Perhaps due to the fact that this was Wanda’s first time asking him for help and having a slightly guilty conscience in his heart, Remus agreed to Wanda’s request quite readily.
Although Wanda was rather clever, she was far from a mind reader. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have let such a juicy opportunity slip away. But, still and all, she still managed to receive Remus’ support. So, she immediately got to the point after seeing that he was willing to help.
“It’s like this. I think the project that Nicholas has developed recently has an excellent prospect. The value of the Muller Group can rise this year if I can collaborate with Nicholas. So, Mr. Sawyer, I would like to ask if you can persuade and perhaps put in a good word for me to Nicholas regarding this project.”
“That’s an easy task. Sure. I’ll talk to Nicholas about this later.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sawyer,” Wanda said, feeling extremely happy.
She felt she was guaranteed to win that cooperative tie with Sawyer Group for this project, with Remus as her backer.
Yet, little did she know, it was a little early for her to celebrate. Frankly speaking, it was about to become a rather unfortunate trend for her.
That night, Remus invited Nicholas over to the Sawyer Residence for dinner.
The atmosphere in the dining room was considerably harmonious during the meal.
Both of them avoided discussing topics related to Tessa and only addressed the company’s affairs.
Later, the topic of their conversation unknowingly touched on the project Nicholas had developed recently. Therefore, Remus took advantage of this situation and brought Nicholas’ attention to Wanda’s request.
“Why don’t you let Wanda participate in this project too, since it has a very good prospect? It’s not easy for her to start a business in Xerthania alone.”
Nicholas furrowed his brows slightly when he heard Remus’ words. He didn’t even think twice before he declined by saying, “The company has sufficient funds for the project’s development, so we don’t need any participation from outsiders. Besides, the company is the one that customizes the high-end watch for this project. The watch is developed with the most advanced technology; each can be sold for up to tens of millions. The profit is extremely substantial, so we don’t need Muller Group to have a share in this.”
Remus couldn’t do anything, considering Nicholas’ firm and logical refusal.
Later, after Nicholas left, he conveyed the result of the discussion to Wanda.
Wanda was utterly disappointed after she learned that even Remus could do nothing regarding his grandson.
Regardless, she didn’t give up hope.
The following day, Wanda came to Sawyer Group with a proposal that was prepared by her assistant overnight.
As Nicholas leaned against his seat in the grand office, he already knew the intention of Wanda’s visit. So, he said coldly, “I think Grandpa made it clear to you yesterday regarding this matter.”
“Mr. Sawyer did tell me, but I really think the prospect of this project is full of opportunities. So, Nicholas, I hope you’ll give me a chance.”
As she spoke, she even handed over the proposal in her hand. “Here: take a look at this proposal that I made based on this project. Also, in order to show my sincerity, I’m willing to invest 100 million to participate in the development. Moreover, I’ll add on additional funds later.”
Unfortunately, Nicholas didn’t take the bait as he still vehemently disagreed with cooperating with her, no matter how good the terms Wanda had offered. In fact, he didn’t even take a look at the proposal.
“Sawyer Group isn’t short of funds, so Miss Muller, the terms you have offered aren’t that appealing to me.”
Chapter 980 Bottleneck
As soon as he finished speaking, Nicholas buzzed Edward over and instructed, “Kindly show Miss Muller the way out.” Wanda had no other choice except to leave in dismay.
Her mood was pretty terrible by the time she stepped out of the office building. Darn it! Nicholas really isn’t giving me the slightest chance at all! Even so, I’ll never give up.
Nicholas didn’t know about Wanda’s thoughts. Once again, he dived into his hectic work schedule after he sent Wanda away.
When he saw that there weren’t many affairs left that required him to deal with, he planned to get them done as soon as possible and book a flight to Vienna within these two days.
At the same time, Tessa was also preoccupied with tasks related to her new songs.
After all, if she wanted to present her audiences with good quality songs, she had to put in double the effort not to let the people supporting her down.
Sometimes, she even needed to look for inspiration first before she could produce a song.
For this reason, she bothered Sofia and several of her seniors quite a bit during this period of time.
Gregory was worried sick after he saw Tessa working herself to the bone daily.
But since he was young and inexperienced, he couldn’t be of much help. So every day, he could only sensibly behave himself a little and try not to disturb Tessa.
Even so, the progress of Tessa’s new song production was still slow going.
This made her extremely anxious.
Meanwhile, Sofia, too, sensed Tessa’s emotional fluctuations. Therefore, she suggested to Tessa by saying, “I feel that you’ve reached a bottleneck phase now. How about this? You don’t have to report to the orchestra for these two days. Go and have a walk to get some fresh air with your friends. Relaxing your body and mind may be helpful to you.”
As she listened to Sofia’s advice, she thought it made sense. Hence, she phoned her best friend, Mona.
“Tessa, aren’t you busy with your new songs lately? Is there something urgent?”
“My progress hasn’t been very smooth recently. Miss Sofia said that I’d reached a bottleneck phase. She asked me to temporarily put my work down and gave me a two-day break, suggesting that I ask my best friend out for a walk. So, I immediately thought of you. What do you say? Do you want to go shopping with me today?”
Tessa told Mona the truth without intending to hide her actual situation.
Initially, she thought that Mona would happily agree to go shopping with her. Therefore, she was somewhat surprised when Mona rejected her.
“I really want to hang out with you, but I can’t. Not today. Miss Hathaway is giving me special training.”
As she listened to Mona feigning despair, she laughed a little before saying, “Just be glad that Miss Hathaway is keeping an eye on you and giving you personal training.”
Mona giggled in reply. Then, as if she remembered something, she suggested. “By the way, Mr. Brooks has returned to Vienna recently. So, why don’t you look for him and ask him to give you some pointers?”
As she listened, Tessa felt that Mona’s suggestion indeed held some value.
Setting aside the fact that Scott was now a sophisticated musician, he could consistently provide Tessa with different enlightenment with his unique understanding of music.
Thus, she took the initiative to invite Scott for a meet-up after she ended the call with Mona.
Meanwhile, Scott was pretty happy to see Tessa, who seldom asked him out. Plus, she even took the initiative to suggest a get-together.
“Let’s meet there then.”
Scott stated an address, and Tessa readily agreed.
Half an hour later, the two met in a quiet cafe.
A trace of sadness painted across his eyes as he looked at Tessa, who was beamed with joy. Nevertheless, he soon quickly masked his sorrow, for he knew he had no chance to be with Tessa. Being her friend is the best option I can have right now. It’s best that I keep some things hidden from her. Otherwise, we may not even be able to be friends in the future.
On the other hand, Tessa didn’t notice Scott’s oddity and greeted him with a smile, “Mr. Brooks, when did you return to Vienna?”
“Just about two days ago.”
As Scott spoke, he began to express his concern about Tessa’s current situation. “Are you doing well in the Sofia Symphony?”
“Pretty good. Miss Sofia planned to test the water by arranging for me to release an album recently.”
Tessa briefly explained her situation. After that, she said shyly, “Actually, it’s also because I’ve encountered a problem that I asked for a meet-up today. So I want to seek your advice.”
Scott teased her, “Since it’s a problem that can stump you now, it must be a conundrum then.”
“It’s definitely a challenge for me, but not for you.” Tessa blinked and jokingly added, “Mr. Scott, you’re recognized by the industry as a prominent musician of the future. So this problem certainly won’t be a difficult one for you.”
Scott burst into laughter before he replied, “Can I take your words as a compliment to my musical skills?”