Ch. 981..990
Chapter 981 Art Is Inspired by Life
”Mr. Brooks, you didn’t know I was trying my best to compliment you? Oh, the hurt.” While she said that, she clutched her chest, pretending as if his words stabbed her.
Meanwhile, Scott’s gaze was outrageously gentle as he looked at the mischievous Tessa across from him. Later, with a pleasant tone, he said, ”In that case, you should praise me more. Perhaps I’ll have a clue after hearing more of it.”
”How unexpected! Mr. Brooks, why didn’t I realize you were such a narcissist before?”
Tessa pretended to look at Scott in astonishment.
Scott was a little embarrassed when he saw the shock on Tessa’s face.
In truth, this was his first time cracking such a joke in front of anyone.
So, he let out a light cough. Then, he swiftly changed the topic and said, ”Let’s talk about the problem that’s troubling you.”
When she saw that he got straight to business, she, too, cast aside her humor as she explained her current situation.
”My problem now is that I have encountered a bottleneck phase. Miss Sofia asked me to take a walk with my friends to get some fresh air and ease up my tension. But I think: although bottleneck is the problem I’m facing, I still lack knowledge in music theory. In fact, I can’t even understand some of the suggestions Miss Sofia has given me.”
She didn’t hesitate to tell him about her problems as she thought Scott was a good friend and an excellent musician.
Meanwhile, Scott listened with great attentiveness.
”Regarding the bottleneck issue, Miss Sofia’s advice to you is very pertinent. So, I have nothing else to add.”
After that, he began to provide insights and answers to Tessa’s problems, one by one. ”I usually like to go outside, take a walk, and look around when I don’t have inspiration for my composition. Inspiration comes from the littlest of things, and it’s a rather difficult thing for me to explain. But perhaps you would find it when searching through the things and scenes you have experienced or encountered.”
Tessa received his advice with an open mind. But, at the same time, she inwardly planned to take Gregory around in the next two days.
Shortly after, Scott shared some of his experiences in songwriting with Tessa. ”Composition is a complex subject as it contains a wide range of knowledge. Isn’t there a saying that art is inspired by life? In that case, the inspiration for songwriting is also inspired by life. For example, we generate motivation to write from life. Then we’ll grasp that motivation to have a vague idea of what we want and finally create the draft of the song. Next, we need to refine and revise our work repeatedly. Only then will our composition take shape; sometimes even the composers barely know how the final product will come up until the very end.”
After she listened to Scott share his personal experiences, she understood and agreed with his words. ”As expected, there’s always something to learn from you. But, Mr. Brooks, your words are constructive.”
”I’m glad to hear that.” Scott pursed his lips and smiled faintly.
Tessa was so grateful that she even insisted on treating him to dinner.
The two only parted ways and returned to their respective home after dinner.
While the two adults were discussing music over their dinner, Gregory had already eaten his dinner.
He was sitting on the couch as he waited for Tessa. Still, he was young and easily bored, so while he waited for Tessa to come home, he was fooling around with some codes on his laptop.
If there were programmers present, they would discover that Gregory was doing intermediate programming.
Through this, Gregory had proven his incredible talent in this field and his wickedly high IQ.
Naturally, Timothy also realized Gregory’s high intelligence. Because of this, he went from teaching Gregory casually to seriously treating him as his student.
He was also the one who assigned the intermediate programming activity to Gregory for his homework.
The atmosphere in the living room was pretty quiet. Only the sound of Gregory typing on the keyboard was heard.
He didn’t know how long it had been until he heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside. Almost immediately, he threw his homework aside, kept away his laptop, and went to greet Tessa happily.
”Mommy, you’re back!”
He raised his head as he looked at Tessa with a bright grin.
Tessa’s heart was filled with great affection as she laid her gaze on the genuine smile on Gregory’s face. ”Have you eaten?” she asked while taking Gregory to the living room.
He followed her obediently as he nodded and replied, ”I’ve eaten. Mommy, have you eaten?”
”I have eaten too.”
As Tessa spoke, she inquired about Gregory’s day when she wasn’t around.
Gregory instantly brought his laptop over to Tessa and said, ”Uncle Tim gave me homework. I’m almost done.”
Even though Tessa didn’t understand the complicated codes on the screen, she didn’t forget to praise Gregory for his diligence.
”Greg, you’re amazing. Is it okay if I accompany you here?”
”Of course!” Gregory was delighted. After that, he continued to type on the keyboard with renewed vigor.
Tessa, who sat next to him, wasn’t idle either. She started to sort out the notes she jotted down after listening to Scott’s advice in the afternoon, lest she forgets something important.
Chapter 982 Breakthrough
When Tessa was done going through her notes, Gregory also completed his homework. Later, Tessa had initially intended to take Gregory to wash up and rest.
Nevertheless, Gregory wasn’t sleepy. Instead, he tugged Tessa’s hand and said he wanted to talk to his baby sister. Tessa naturally couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
After a while, Gregory’s innocent remarks echoed throughout the room. He shared his daily life with the baby in the hope that the baby would become more familiar with him.
Meanwhile, Tessa looked at him fondly. At that moment, she only felt that days like these were peaceful and beautiful.
When it was almost time to rest, Tessa urged Gregory to turn in for the night.
Unfortunately, he still wanted to talk to the baby more and was reluctant to part with his baby sister.
“Mommy, let me talk to the baby sister for a while longer.”
Although she felt amused, she still coaxed him, “That’s enough for today. Rest early. I’ll take you out for a walk tomorrow and invite your Godmother to join us too.”
Gregory jumped for joy when he heard that he was going to have an outing with Tessa.
“Okay. I’ll go to sleep now.”
Right after he had said that he was already laying down on the bed.
When she looked at the excited Gregory, she chuckled softly. Then, she wished him good night and left to retire for the night.
…
The following day, Mona came bright and early.
“Greg, I’m here to see you.”
As soon as she entered, she went straight to Gregory and hugged him.
Gregory returned the hug with a bright smile on his face.
He was really fond of Mona.
Later, the three set off to go shopping after they had their breakfast. They ate, drank, and had fun.
They also went to the amusement park in the afternoon.
Due to her pregnancy, Tessa couldn’t get on the rides with Gregory. So it was Mona who took care of Gregory the whole time.
Even so, Gregory was having a blast.
Moreover, he would share his experiences for each ride he played with Tessa.
Suddenly, an inspiration sparked in Tessa’s mind while she was staring at her son, who was having a good time, and the laughter of the others around her.
In an instant, she took out the pencil she carried with her and wrote down the thoughts that had just arisen.
She composed a song that carried a little bit of childlike melody yet a deep meaning after she returned home that evening.
The next day, Tessa took Gregory to the orchestra.
She couldn’t wait to show Sofia the song she’d composed last night.
“Miss Sofia, can you help take a look at this song? I composed it based on my sudden inspiration when I went out to have fun yesterday.”
When Sofia heard Tessa’s barely concealed excitement, she took the score and looked at it with a serious demeanor. She also hummed a few melodies while she was looking through it.
On the other hand, Tessa looked at her expectantly.
After a while, Sofia put down the music score and praised her, “Not bad. This song has a light tempo and a childlike vibe. However, I can see your expectations for your child if we interpret the song a little in-depth.”
“Miss Sofia, you’re really amazing. You can see through the inspiration of my music just with one glance.”
Tessa beamed with joy when she received Sofia’s compliments. However, she also didn’t forget to compliment Sofia in return.
Sofia burst into laughter before saying, “Flatterer. Did you have one of Greg’s honey-flavored candies today?”
“No, Miss Sofia, I’ve always been as sweet as sugar.”
Tessa looked at Sofia cheekily and asked, “Miss Sofia, is there anything that needs to be amended in this song?”
“Yes, there are still a few parts that need to be revised.”
Then, Sofia pointed out a few flaws in the song to her.
Tessa was open to criticism from her teacher as she took a notebook to jot down the essential details.
After a while, Sofia praised Tessa again when the lesson was over, “Your music style has a breakthrough this time, so you’ll have one more element to consider in the future when you’re composing. Moreover, the compositional technique you applied in your song this time is more sophisticated than the previous song. Keep up the good work.”
“I will, Miss Sofia.”
Tessa nodded and turned back to the practice room.
Perhaps because her newly composed song had gained Sofia’s affirmation, Tessa was full of motivation in her subsequent musical training.
The training ended at noon, and Tessa was preparing to return home with Gregory.
Yet, she didn’t expect the surprise that awaited her when she stepped out of the Sofia Symphony building.
She saw Nicholas standing tall and straight at a spot not far away from them. With his long slender legs wrapped in his black suit pants, he exuded a noble and ethereal temperament from head to toe.
“Daddy!”
At the same time, Gregory also took notice of Nicholas. He screamed in surprise as he darted over to Nicholas like a small cannonball.
Tessa followed behind Gregory with a violin. The smile on her face was exceptionally bright as she, too, was delighted to see Nicholas.
After Nicholas caught Gregory in his arms, he immediately went to embrace Tessa.
Chapter 983 Getting Rid of Tessa for Good
Tessa hugged him tightly and asked, ”When did you come back?”
”Be careful. Don’t fall.”
Nicholas wrapped his arms around her carefully before responding. ”I only arrived this morning.”
”You didn’t even notify me about you being back. I didn’t know that you would be back so soon.”
Tessa barely calmed herself before finally releasing Nicholas from her version of a bone-crushing hug.
Then, she glanced at Nicholas coquettishly.
”I just wanted to surprise you, that’s all.”
He held Tessa’s hand as he spoke and got into the car with her.
As for Gregory, he was already impatiently waiting for them in the car.
After everyone made themselves comfortable, Edward started the engine and drove them home.
Nicholas cuddled Tessa in the back seat as he lowered his head and kissed her forehead before whispering, ”I missed you so much.”
Although they video-called each other every day, the feeling wasn’t the same as truly being there with the one they loved.
Tessa could feel herself smiling sweetly after she heard Nicholas’ words.
When Gregory saw the two acting so lovey-dovey, he hurriedly covered his eyes with his hands. ”Oh! Mommy, Daddy, you guys are kissing again. No, no, I can’t watch.”
Despite that, Gregory’s actions were the opposite of his words as the gap between his fingers widened little by little until he could take a peek at the adults.
Nicholas and Tessa chuckled with amusement as they looked at Gregory, yet they said nothing.
Tessa hugged Nicholas as she spoke softly, ”I miss you too. Not just me, but the baby misses you too.”
A gentle smile appeared on Nicholas’ face when he heard her soft confession.
”I miss the baby too.”
As he spoke, his hand caressed Tessa’s belly.
Suddenly at this moment, perhaps due to knowing that Daddy had returned, the baby was somewhat active.
In the meantime, Eunice was shocked yet delighted as she watched the black sedan gradually disappear at the end of the street. Nicholas has returned to Vienna!
Regardless, she soon suppressed the joy in her heart as it was slowly replaced by resentment. What’s the point? He only has eyes for Tessa even if he returns to Vienna. I have no chance to get close to him at all!
When she thought of this, she couldn’t help but feel that Tessa’s existence was a great eyesore.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she took out her phone and called Wanda.
”What’s so important that you have to call me in the middle of the night?”
Wanda’s husky voice sounded on the phone, indicating she’d just woken up. The tone in her voice was pretty rude when she asked Eunice that question.
After all, it was only 3-4.00AM in Xerthania now.
At this time, a sudden realization struck Eunice, so she apologized insincerely. ”Sorry, I forgot that it was still midnight on your side. But there’s indeed something important going on here on my side. Nicholas has returned to Vienna.”
”What did you say?! Nicholas is in Vienna?!”
Wanda’s shocked voice rang from the phone.
Eunice nodded and continued, ”Yes. He just came to the Sofia Symphony building to pick up Tessa and Gregory.”
Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, Wanda’s facial expression was twisted in ire after she heard Eunice’s words. Deep down, the envy and hate she harbored for Tessa grew. What kind of love spell did this sl*t cast upon Nicholas to the point that he ditched his company’s affairs and stayed abroad all the time?!
At this very moment, Wanda could no longer bear Tessa’s existence. If things go on like this, how would she still have a chance to get married to Nicholas?!
As she thought of that, a malicious intent flickered in her eyes, and she interrogated Eunice, ”You said you wanted to deal with Tessa before, so have you figured out a plan?”
”Originally, I had an idea. But now that Nicholas has come here, it’s difficult to execute the plan.”
”Nicholas isn’t a big issue. I can help you lure him away from Tessa.”
Wanda decisively lent Eunice a helping hand, for she desperately wanted Tessa to disappear from the surface of the earth.
Meanwhile, Tessa was clueless about the plan that the two conniving women were cooking up against her.
After she and Nicholas returned home, they had a cozy meal together with Gregory.
During the meal, Tessa asked Nicholas about the situation in Xerthania.
”How are your parents and grandpa?”
”They’re doing pretty fine, except they’re missing Greg,” replied Nicholas, being frank with Tessa about the situation in Xerthania.
Tessa felt a little guilty after she heard what Nicholas had said. ”I’ll bring Greg back when I’m done with my album.”
As her loving and supportive husband, he naturally agreed to her remark.
The family of three later sat and cuddled up with each other on the couch in the living room after dinner.
Tessa even played Nicholas the songs she’d composed during this period.
It was like an auditory feast for the father and son as they listened to the melodic and lively sound of the violin as Tessa performed before them.
Chapter 984 Prenatal Education
Nicholas’ gaze was extremely gentle as he looked at Tessa, who was beaming confidently. In fact, the tenderness in his eyes was so overwhelming that it made it difficult for her to look away from him.
”They’re nice.”
He generously offered his praises to Tessa.
As for Gregory, he, too, applauded and exclaimed with excitement, ”Mommy, you’re amazing!”
Tessa couldn’t be happier seeing that both truly enjoyed her songs.
Shortly after, the whole family chatted for a while before returning to their rooms to rest.
Once they were back in the room, Tessa beckoned Nicholas to wash up. Unexpectedly, Nicholas refused her offer.
”I’m not in a rush for the time being. I’ll give the baby prenatal education first. The doctor said that conducting more prenatal education is very beneficial for the baby. Besides, it can enhance the parent-child bond too. So from now on, I’ll read bedtime stories to the baby every night.”
While he said that, he even sat Tessa down on the bed. Then, he magically took out a prenatal education book and sat before Tessa with a stern face.
Under the light, Nicholas read the story in the book in a melodious voice. Yet, his facial expression was gentle as he read the story to the baby in her belly.
Tessa couldn’t help bursting into laughter after she recovered from her daze. Even so, she felt exceptionally content and wished to live as happily as today forever.
The next day, Tessa got up early to wash up because she had to go for her musical training in the orchestra.
During this period, Nicholas had been attentively by her side, fearing she would bump into something.
Even though Tessa was both amused and exasperated when she saw Nicholas behaving so anxiously, she was still very moved by his love for her.
”You don’t have to be so worried. I do pay attention to these hazardous details, so I’ll be just fine.”
Tessa persuaded Nicholas in an effort to soothe him.
Nicholas nodded in agreement. Still, he didn’t stop keeping an eye on Tessa.
Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, ”Has it been long since we’ve gone for your check-up?”
”Yeah, it’s been a while.’
Tessa nodded after thinking about it.
After Christmas, she was constantly held up by matters in the orchestra. That was why she never bothered to go to the hospital.
As soon as Nicholas heard that, he declared, ”Ask for leave from Miss Sofia. We’ll go to the hospital for your pregnancy check-up.”
Since it was indeed a long time since her last check-up, Tessa readily agreed to his proposal.
Later, the family of three went to the hospital after they finished their breakfast.
In the B-mode ultrasound room, Nicholas and Gregory stared at the instrument that was in front of the doctor.
Through the instrument’s display, they saw the baby curled up as she moved her hands in the first second and stretched her feet in the next, behaving rather actively.
Nicholas’ heart melted into a puddle of goo when he saw this.
Gregory, too, looked at the baby’s movement with his bright eyes. Then, he said happily, ”Daddy, baby sister is so cute!”
Tessa reflexively looked over too. Her eyes were filled with motherly love as she stared at the baby through the instrument’s display.
After the check-up, the doctor came to a conclusion. ”The baby is very healthy. Talk to the baby more if you have time. Also, do some prenatal education. It is already proven that it can improve the baby’s perception of the outside world.”
Nicholas nodded firmly, indicating he understood the doctor’s advice.
Gregory, who was next to Nicholas, also understood the meaning of prenatal education. Thus, he instantly said with excitement, ”Then, I’ll play the violin for baby sister every day.”
Nicholas was still holding the check-up report while they were on their way back.
He couldn’t get enough of looking at the little baby’s ultrasound image.
Although Tessa hadn’t seen Nicholas so silly for such a long time, she felt tickled pink and genuinely loved. Nonetheless, she knew his nature all too well. He’ll only show great value toward the items and people he cares so much about.
After she pondered for a while, she suggested. ”Why don’t you show this report to your parents and let them see what the baby looks like.”
Nicholas nodded, agreeing with her suggestion. Then, he took out his mobile phone, took a picture, and sent it to his parents.
Due to the time difference, Stefania and Tobias only saw the photo the very next day.
Perhaps because they’d seen the baby’s photo early in the morning, the two elders were in a good mood and happily enjoying breakfast in the bright dining room. During the meal, the topic of their conversation revolved around the baby.
”We still don’t know the gender of the baby yet. So why on earth is Nicholas refusing to ask the doctor about the baby’s gender? That way, we can know how to prepare the baby’s room and closet,” Stefania nagged with a joyful smile on her face.
Although Tobias didn’t say much, his facial expression pretty much showed that he agreed with Stefania’s statement.
Kieran couldn’t help but chime in, ”Nicholas definitely won’t ask the doctor about the baby’s gender. If I must say: since our family is wealthy, we can buy clothes for both genders. As for the room, ask Nicholas to renovate two children’s rooms. By the time the gender of the baby is determined, we can transform the other room into a playhouse.”
Chapter 985 A Fire Broke Out
That’s a pretty good idea.” Stefania agreed before continuing to say, ”When the baby is born, we’ll ask Nicholas to entrust the baby with us, and we’ll help raise the baby. By then, you can also look after the baby with me since you’ll be retiring from work and staying at home.”
Her last sentence was directed at Tobias. Shortly after, the two of them began imagining the scene where they would be playing around and having a good time with their grandchild at home in the future. Their peers are definitely going to be envious of us.
Kieran couldn’t help but dampen his parents’ spirits by saying, ”Stop daydreaming. Why would Nicholas entrust the care for the child with you two?”
Stefania was displeased with Kieran’s statement. So, she swiftly refuted him. ”Who says he won’t? That girl wants to pursue her dream abroad. Do you think she has time to take care of the child? And also Nicholas, as someone in charge of the company’s operation, do you think he has time to take care of the child as well?”
Tobias also echoed, ”Mind your words. Are you getting too comfortable since I haven’t punished you for a long time?”
As Kieran laid his eyes on Tobias, who looked like he was about to beat him, he immediately finished his breakfast in a whirl of movement. He hid in the company, expressing his fear of Tobias’ power.
In the following days, Tessa went through her musical training while composing. Although the days seemed repetitive, she still felt content with her life.
As for her work, perhaps because she broke through her bottleneck period, the progress was much smoother than before.
Furthermore, Nicholas would often take her out for a walk to relax her mind and soul.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and Tessa finally finished composing all five songs. Not only that, each of them was a masterpiece in itself.
The next day, she happily brought all the songs to Sofia’s office.
”Miss Sofia, I have finished composing all the songs. Here: take a look at them.”
As she spoke, she handed the music scores to Sofia.
Sofia took it and looked through it meticulously. Then, she nodded with satisfaction. ”Since the scores are completed, the next step you’ll have to take is to record all songs. How proficient are you with these songs?
”I have practiced the songs thoroughly, so I’m quite familiar with their tunes. I think I can try recording them now,” Tessa answered truthfully.
Sofia nodded affirmatively and said, ”Very well. You’ll start recording in the afternoon.”
That afternoon, Tessa followed Sofia to the recording studio to record the songs she’d composed. But, unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as planned.
Due to the fact that there would be some minor modifications to the sound of the violin when it passed through the condenser microphone, Tessa was required to adjust the intensity of her performance in order to achieve the effect of a live performance.
Therefore, not a single song was successfully recorded in the whole afternoon.
Meanwhile, news about Tessa starting to record for her album quickly spread in the orchestra.
One after another, many members sang their praises of Tessa’s achievement.
”Tessa, have you finished composing five wonderful masterpieces in less than a month? That’s truly amazing!”
”I’m now starting to look forward to the final recordings of these songs.”
”As expected from the student who Miss Sofia personally selected. Your musical talent is absolutely beyond reach.”
When Eunice and Susan heard the heaps of praises and compliments toward Tessa, they felt agitated, for they didn’t want Tessa to release an album and become famous.
Eunice returned to the office with a rather nasty scowl on her face.
After she locked the door, she snatched her phone off the table and called Wanda.
”What is it again?” Wanda asked on the other end of the phone. The tone in her voice was unfriendly as she was yet again interrupted from her sleep by the phone call.
Eunice wasn’t bothered by her unfriendly attitude and immediately informed Wanda about the situation in Vienna, ”Tessa has already started recording her songs. According to her capability, she’ll be able to finish recording all the songs in a week at most. So, when do you plan to lure Nicholas away? Otherwise, I can’t stop Tessa if she’d finished recording all her songs.”
”Got it. I’ll go to the company tomorrow and start phase one of our plan.”
As soon as Wanda finished saying that, she immediately hung up the phone.
…
The next day, Wanda went to the company bright and early.
After she entered her office, she called in her trusted assistant and ordered, ”Go and look up Kieran’s whereabouts for the past two days.”
Her assistant was a little puzzled, not understanding why Wanda wanted to keep an eye on Kieran again. Even so, the assistant nodded and proceeded to fulfill Wanda’s order.
In truth, Wanda was also going for an unconventional gambit.
She knew very well that only critical matters could lure Nicholas back.
Therefore, she planned to put Kieran under house arrest for two days, making it look like he’d gone missing. That way, Nicholas would definitely return to Xerthania to preside over the situation.
Alas, an accident happened just before she could implement her plan.
A fire broke out in the Sofia Symphony building!
Perhaps because most parts of the orchestra building were mainly built from wooden materials, the fire spread very quickly.
Chapter 986 Do You Have a Backup Copy?
Soon, the adjacent rooms also started to catch fire, whereupon the flames lit up the night sky. On the streets, the pedestrians gasped in shock at the sight of the fire. ”There’s a fire over there. Search the area!” ”Quick! Call the firefighters!”
”No, we have to put out the fire quickly. Otherwise, the floors downstairs will be engulfed in flames. I wonder if there’s anyone in the building, though?’
As they watched the raging flames, looks of worry were written all over their faces. It was already the next day when Tessa found out about the building catching fire.
After she heard the news, she hurriedly asked the butler to prepare the car and left in a rush, even before informing Nicholas.
When Gregory knew that she was going to the orchestra, he ran after her anxiously, but unfortunately, he couldn’t catch up with her.
”That’s weird. Why didn’t Mommy take me with her?”
After all, they were always going to the orchestra together before this.
Not long after, Nicholas came downstairs and saw Gregory alone in the living room. ”Where’s Mommy?” he asked.
”Mommy went to the band and forgot to take me along,” Gregory grumbled unhappily.
Meanwhile, the fire was already extinguished when Tessa arrived at the band’s building. A lot of reporters surrounded the building as they began recounting the events. Several band members were also grouped together as they discussed the matter feverishly.
”Why did a fire break out so suddenly?”
”We checked the electrical switches everywhere before we left. So, this accident shouldn’t have happened.”
”Did we miss out on something?”
Sofia stood at the side with a solemn face as she listened to the barely restrained whispered discussions, and a few of her students were standing around with equally grave looks.
Tessa hurriedly went over when she saw Sofia and asked in concern, ”Miss Sofia, are you alright? Why is there a fire so suddenly?”
”I was told that it was caused by a short circuit,” Sofia answered curtly.
A startled Tessa didn’t think that short circuit would be the cause, and Sofia added, ”Luckily, the fire didn’t spread too far. It only affected your practice room and a few other rooms close to it.”
For a second, Tessa was stunned. ”Is anyone hurt?” she asked, worried.
”Everyone is fine. When the fire broke out last night, everyone was already gone. Only the equipment in the recording studio and your score were in quite a ruined state.” However, Sofia paused and asked, as though something had just popped into her mind, ”Do you have a backup copy of your scores?”
Tessa sighed in relief upon hearing that nobody was injured. As for the score, she wasn’t so bothered by it.
After that theft incident, she was now cautious about her music scores, rightfully worried that something similar might arise again.
”Yes, I made a copy of it.”
”That’s good.” Sofia sighed in relief.
Just then, a firefighter headed toward them as he called out, ”Madam Sofia, the residual flames and dangerous items inside have been dealt with. You may now enter to clean up.”
”Okay, thank you so much.” After Sofia expressed her gratitude, she called her students and the other band members over. ”Kellen, do contact someone from the renovation company, and Daniela, engage a few workers to remove the things ruined by the fire in the practice rooms. As for the others, come with me to clean up.”
She systematically delegated the tasks, and everyone did as they were told according to her instructions.
Tessa was about to help with the clean-up when Sofia stopped her just as she made a move.
”Is there anything else, Miss Sofia?”
”You shouldn’t come in. You’re pregnant, and the place is still filled with fumes from the flames. It’s unhealthy for your baby.”
”But…”
Although she knew that her teacher was being considerate of her, she felt bad for going home when her other fellow students and band members were helping out inside.
Sofia sensed her hesitation, so she chased her away, urging, ”That’s it, stop dilly-dallying and go back quickly. Besides, we’re not so lacking in manpower that we’d need to get a pregnant lady to help. Now, off you go.”
Out of wits, Tessa could only return home.
Chapter 987 No Coincidences
Once Tessa returned home, the first thing she saw was Nicholas working in the living room. Nicholas looked up from the computer screen when he heard the sound of footsteps. “You’re home?” he said, beckoning for her to come over.
Beside him, Edward greeted her politely, “Hello, Madam.” She smiled as she nodded in greeting and took a seat next to Nicholas. Then, she swept her gaze around as she asked curiously when she didn’t catch a glimpse of Gregory, “Where’s Greg?”
“I came up with some homework for him, and he’s working on it upstairs now,” he explained, pulling her into his arms. Then, she went straight to the heart of the topic and inquired, “Greg said that you left for the band in a rush this morning. Did something happen?”
“Yeah, something terrible happened.” Tessa nodded and told him about the fire, “Luckily, the fire was under control. Otherwise, the damage would be far worse. It was only my practice room that was heavily damaged. But, unfortunately, several studios around it were also affected.”
When Nicholas heard that only the surrounding area from Tessa’s practice room caught fire, his eyes narrowed, and there was only a calculative gleam in them. After all, there were no such things as coincidences in this world, and because of this, he couldn’t help but smell a conspiracy behind this.
Regardless, Tessa didn’t notice the change in his expression and continued, “Fortunately, I have a backup copy of my music, or this fire would have burned my previous effort to naught. But I feel so bad for the studio Miss Sofia prepared for me. I heard that all the equipment inside was destroyed in the flames.”
Nicholas cast a look at Edward once he heard that, and Edward immediately understood his boss’ intention. So, he didn’t waste a second as he left quietly to make the necessary preparations, and Nicholas’ face only returned to normal after he was far away.
Tessa had absolutely no idea about their silent exchange, and she didn’t even notice that Edward had already left. As she snuggled in Nicholas’ embrace, she chuckled and said, “Miss Sofia barred me from helping out because I’m pregnant, so I can stay at home with you for the next few days.”
Despite what she said, she still sounded relatively worried.
“Since you’ve already said it, you should rest well at home and not go to the band for now,” he soothed. “As for your teacher’s side, I’ll send someone to take a look if she needs any help and help her however I can.”
The moment she heard that she knew that he was only putting in so much effort because of her. “You’re amazing, hubby.”
She hugged him affectionately, a sweet, blissful smile painted across her face.
The way she addressed him was very pleasing to his ears, and he coaxed softly as he held her, “Call me that again.”
She paused for a split second, and although she was a little bashful, she still cooed sweetly, “Hubby.”
Right after, Nicholas couldn’t hold back anymore and lowered his head, taking her plump lips in his. She closed her eyes as she raised her head and returned the kiss.
The butler waiting next to them hurriedly gestured for the servants around to leave the room. Then, just as the atmosphere in the room was getting just fine, a voice chimed loudly and killed the vibe.
“Daddy, I’m finished with the homework!”
Gregory bounced downstairs in delight as he couldn’t wait to share his success with his father. But, alas, his eyes laid on his parents kissing before he could start bragging. So, he gasped and covered his eyes as though he had seen something he shouldn’t.
Tessa snapped back to her senses and hurriedly shoved Nicholas away with a flushed, embarrassed face. Meanwhile, Nicholas seemed displeased by Gregory’s interruption as he threw a disgruntled look at Gregory.
This brat has foiled things for me more times than I can count! It looks like I didn’t prepare enough homework for him and have to double it after this! Nicholas thought.
“You’re naughty, Daddy,” Gregory teased, oblivious that his good days were coming to an end, and Tessa giggled.
Although she was home with Nicholas today, she would call to ask about the band’s situation from time to time.
Fortunately, there were many people in the band, and they were able to clean up the spot where the fire broke out in a day. All they needed to do now was wait for the renovations to start.
When Sofia received Tessa’s call again, she didn’t hide things from her as she told Tessa everything.
“Don’t worry. We’re almost done cleaning up and just waiting for the renovations to be finished.”
“That’s great news,” Tessa said, assured.
“Practice with Gregory at home for the next few days,” Sofia advised. “Once the studio is ready again, I’ll inform you, and you can come over for the recording.”
Chapter 988 Suspicious
”That’s fine. There’s no need to rush the album production. You should settle everything regarding the orchestra first, Miss Sofia,” Tessa said sympathetically. Sofia agreed; too much trouble had cropped up because of the fire.
First, the two groups’ performances had to be postponed because the flames had destroyed their instruments. All the orchestra members had to purchase new instruments and needed time to get accustomed to them.
Secondly, the Internet was highly concerned about this incident, especially the fans of the symphony band, who were all very worried. ‘Why do I have a feeling that the band is always in trouble recently?’
‘Luckily, no one was hurt, or I’ll be so sad.’ ‘What a shame for those amazing instruments.’
Tessa only read the reports and comments surrounding this issue at night, and after taking a brief look at it, she stopped following the news. Instead, she decided to spend time with Gregory to make up for the practice hours he had missed that morning.
After practice, she put him to bed earlier than usual. As Nicholas was still busy with work, he didn’t accompany them.
A little later in the day, Edward, who was out the whole day, finally returned with news.
Once Nicholas saw his return, he set aside the work at hand and asked coldly, ”How’s the situation at Sofia Symphony?”
”When I was back, the dust had already settled. In the end, the police filed the case as a short circuit fire,” Edward reported respectfully next to the desk.
Nicholas knitted his brows and asked, ”Did you find anything suspicious?”
”Yes.” Edward nodded and told him all the oddities he had discovered. ”By right, there’s a tiny possibility for such a big fire to occur due to a short circuit. In addition, I’ve checked the cables of Sofia Symphony. They were all very sturdy and able to accommodate a high electricity capacity. Even if the entire band used the electricity to its fullest capacity, it would be impossible for a situation like this to happen.”
Nicholas looked glum at his words. In fact, he already had some guesses in his heart, but he needed to verify them with Edward.
Edward paused momentarily before continuing succinctly, ”Moreover, even if a short circuit caused the fire, it wouldn’t become a blazing problem so quickly. Even if the band is mostly using instruments made out of wood, those are specially treated wood that needs a certain time to catch fire. Plus, the fire started at midnight when no one was in the building. Combining these two points, I think there’s a good chance that someone set the fire.”
As expected, Nicholas’ face turned dark after his report. Obviously, this fire is deliberately targeting Tessa, Nicholas concluded, but he couldn’t think of a reason for the time being. Even so, it didn’t stop him from instructing Edward to dig a little deeper.
”Get someone to check the surveillance around Sofia Symphony during the past period to see if there’s anyone suspicious. Also, check if anyone has repaired the electricity cables of the band recently and find the culprit.”
”Yes, sir,” Edward answered and left.
Meanwhile, Eunice went home in high spirits after she was finished with the band matters. However, the moment she slipped into her room, she whisked out her phone impatiently and called Wanda.
”Can you please stop calling me in the middle of the night every single time?” Wanda’s hoarse voice complained in annoyance from the other end.
The past few times, she had been woken up from her beauty sleep, and it was really beginning to run her already thin patience thinner.
Eunice was unbothered by it as she laughed, ”Okay, I’ll try to call you during the day after this.”
Wanda’s temper cooled after her promise, so she said, ”What happened?”
”Tessa won’t be able to release her album.” Then, she briefly told her about the fire that broke out, and, just like Edward, she felt that someone was targeting Tessa. ”After all, there are no such coincidences in this world. Don’t you think so?”
”That’s true,” Wanda agreed with a nod.
Eunice gloated over Tessa’s misfortune as she sneered, ”This is good. We don’t even have to do anything to stop that woman from rising in fame.”
Chapter 989 Don’t Let Tessa Off
On the other end, Wanda frowned because she understood the meaning behind Eunice’s words. It seems that she doesn’t plan to pick on Tessa anymore. No, that won’t do.
Not only did she want Tessa not to attain any fame, but she also wanted Tessa to be utterly ruined so that she would be too ashamed to stay by Nicholas’ side.
Hence, she purposely provoked Eunice, saying, ”What? Are you planning to let her off? Bear in mind that as long as this woman exists, it’s impossible for you to get close to Nicholas. Besides, even though the building caught fire, it will only postpone the release of Tessa’s album. Once everything is in place, your teacher will definitely reach out to Tessa again.”
After a moment of hesitation, Eunice figured that the woman had made a valid point. ”What do you have in mind?”
”We’ll go according to the original plan.”
Tessa was oblivious to all these nefarious plots that surrounded her. After she had tucked Gregory in bed, she saw that the lights in the study were still on. Therefore, she turned to go downstairs.
A few minutes later, she returned to the second floor with a bowl of soup.
She knocked on the door of the study and entered. ”Nicholas.”
When Nicholas saw her, he quickly rose to his feet and took the soup from her hands, asking in concern, ”Why aren’t you in bed yet?”
”I’m worried that you’ll be hungry when you’re still at work at this time, so I thought to make you some supper,” Tessa said, gesturing for him to finish the soup while it was still hot.
A tender warmth surged in his heart, and he held the bowl as he shared it with her. Then, under the light, they fed each other, painting a very heart-warming picture.
After they finished the soup, Tessa urged, ”Get back to work quickly. I’ll be waiting for you here.”
At first, he didn’t want her to wait for him, but she was firm on her decision to accompany him, so he could only allow her to do as she pleased.
Still, he sped up the efficiency of his work because he wanted to finish earlier. That way, Tessa wouldn’t have to wait for him and get a good night’s rest. But, alas, it was an hour later when he was finished with work.
By that time, Tessa had already fallen asleep on the couch and was already nodding off.
Nicholas found it amusing but worrying at the same time. Thus, he decided to try his best not to bring work home, and even if he did, he would take care of it as soon as possible. With that thought in mind, he carried her carefully, but she still awoke from her light doze when she was in his arms. Nevertheless, she was too lazy to move and simply let him carry her back to bed.
Once they were in the bedroom, something came to mind suddenly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, saying, ”By the way, I would like to discuss something with you. The orchestra would need time to recuperate from that fire. So, I’m thinking, why don’t we use this opportunity to bring Greg back to visit Mom and Dad?”
Nicholas naturally agreed to her idea with a smile. ”I’ll make arrangements for the work in the branch office before we go, then.”
At the same time, back in the country where the Sawyer Residence was, Kieran crawled out of his warm bed unwillingly a little past 8.00AM.
Because his elder brother wasn’t at the company, he had to take care of all the issues in the company. So soon after he arrived at the company and entered his office, his assistant came in to report on his schedule for the day.
”Vice President Sawyer, at 10.00AM, you’ll need to chair a senior management meeting. Then, at 2.00PM, there’s a meeting with the president of Shimmer Tech and dinner in a lounge with Mr. Berrali of Bing Corp at 6.00PM.”
His schedule for the entire day was arranged clearly, and Kieran waved his hand lifelessly. ”I got it. You can get back to work.”
His assistant nodded and left.
At the same time, Wanda had managed to get hold of Kieran’s schedule and knew he would be meeting a client today, so she called her trusted assistant into her office.
”Tonight, Kieran will be going to the lounge. Make the arrangements and act according to the plan. Remember to cover your tracks.”
Her assistant asked hesitantly, ”Miss Muller, are you really going to do this? If the Sawyer Family finds out about this, it might create a rift between both families.”
”That’s why you cannot make a mistake,” Wanda said, refusing to back off.
The assistant could only reluctantly follow her instructions and make the preparations.
The poor soul that is Kieran had no idea about what was about to happen to him. Hence, at 6.00PM, he went to the lounge as scheduled to meet the president of Bing Corp.
Chapter 990 Kieran is Kidnapped
Dinners like these usually involved drinking as they talked about business. However, the CEO of Bing Corp. had a high alcohol tolerance. Therefore, by the end of the dinner, Kieran was already wasted.
The next day, Tobias was making tea in the garden with Stefania in the garden of the Sawyer Residence, enjoying his semi-retired life, when he received an unexpected call from the company.
Stefania had no idea what was said on the phone, which made him frown slightly. ”I understand. I’ll be there in a minute.” After he said that, he hung up the phone and pushed himself off the chair. ”Stef, I need to drop by the company for a moment.”
”Did something happen to the company?” She looked at her husband worriedly. After all, Tobias was already semi-retired. So he wouldn’t have to go to the company if it wasn’t a big deal.
In the face of her concern, he shook his head and said, ”It’s not that. They just couldn’t reach Kieran, so they needed me to host the meeting.”
”Kieran is missing?”
This piece of news shocked her, and the worried look on her face deepened.
Tobias knew she had misunderstood and explained, ”He’s not missing. I think he just fell asleep in a hotel somewhere. He had dinner with the CEO of Bing Corp. I think he must have drunk too much.”
Stefanie was immediately relieved to hear this and sent Tobias away to the company.
Yet, Kieran still hadn’t shown up at the office even after a whole day had passed.
No one was able to contact him.
This had never happened before.
Inexplicably a terrible suspicion started to form in Tobias’ mind.
”Check on where Kieran went after he left the lounge last night,” he ordered his secretary.
His secretary nodded and immediately rushed to do as he was told.
It didn’t take long before he returned with a panicked look. ”Mr. Sawyer, bad news. Vice President Sawyer has been kidnapped.”
Tobias immediately shoved his chair back and stood up in shock.
”What happened?!”
He stared at the secretary coldly.
The secretary didn’t hesitate to reveal everything he had discovered. ”I went to the lounge to investigate as you’ve asked, and the people from the lounge said that Vice President Sawyer was picked up by someone his assistant sent. Then, when I checked with his assistant, he said he did not send anyone to pick up Vice President Sawyer.”
After Tobias listened to his secretary’s account, he was overwhelmed with several emotions; shock, anger, and worry.
”Quickly! Get everyone that’s free to search for Kieran!”
”Yes, Mr. Sawyer!”
The secretary nodded and swiftly left the office to carry out Tobias’ order.
Tobias watched him leave and quickly took out his phone to call the police.
Since it was the disappearance of the second son of the Sawyer Family, the police did not dare to neglect such a matter and instantly started the investigation.
No one knew what happened, and this news quickly spread throughout Southend.
It became the topic of discussion for many people.
”How could anyone dare to kidnap the second son of the Sawyer Family? Have they lost their mind?!”
”Is it for the money, or is it something else?”
”With Master Kieran kidnapped and President Sawyer out of the country, wouldn’t the Sawyer Group be in chaos?”
Stefania, who had been at home, only learned about Kieran’s abduction after receiving a call from her sister, and her heart immediately began to pound in fear.
Once she hung up the phone, she immediately called her husband. ”Tobias, is it true that Kieran has been kidnapped? What the hell is going on?”
”I’ll tell you more about this when I return.”
Tobias hung up the phone after he said that.
He had too many things to deal with on his end right now.
Nevertheless, Stefania was still unsettled as she held onto her phone in fright. Then, she decided to call Nicholas to inform him about Kieran’s disappearance.
”Nicholas, your brother has been kidnapped!”
On the other end of the phone, Nicholas’ face immediately sank when he heard this. ”What happened?”
”I don’t know the details. Your dad isn’t telling me anything.”
She was a little aggrieved when she complained.
After Nicholas calmed his mother down, he hung up the phone to call his father.
As soon as the call connected, Nicholas did not beat around the bush and asked, ”Mom said Kieran was kidnapped.”
”Last night, after dinner with Mr. Berrali, he didn’t show up to work the next day, and I couldn’t get in touch with him. I felt something was wrong, so I sent someone to check, only to find out that someone had taken him away.”
Tobias did not bother hiding anything from Nicholas, who had been brilliant and capable since young. He knew that his son would find out even if he tried hiding anything, so honesty was the best policy here.