Ch. 991..1000
Chapter 991 An Abandoned Warehouse
Nicholas’ eyes immediately turned icy when he heard this. ”Did you find Kieran yet? Do you need me to come back?”
”We haven’t heard from your brother yet, but it’s fine. You don’t have to come all the way back for this. I’ll handle it. Stay there and accompany your girl. Don’t let her know about this; it may affect the baby in her stomach,” Tobias explained before hanging up the phone.
On the other hand, Wanda saw things were working out as she had planned. So, she feigned concern as she stopped by Sawyer Group.
After she entered the chairman’s office, she asked anxiously, ”Mr. Sawyer, I heard something happened to Master Kieran. Has he been found?”
”No, not yet. Thank you for your concern,” Tobias politely thanked her.
When Wanda heard this, she felt a little uncomfortable with his civility because it meant that he saw her as an outsider.
Nevertheless, with the purpose of her visit in mind, she deliberately tried to comfort him. ”Don’t worry, Mr. Sawyer. I’m sure Master Kieran will be fine. When Nicholas returns, he’ll be able to find Master Kieran.”
Although Tobias had been anxious and worried, he had already calmed down by now.
Still, he did not see the need to explain himself to an outsider like her. ”I’ll keep your words in mind, but there’s no need for Nicholas to come back. I can handle this myself.”
She immediately stopped listening after she heard that Nicholas wasn’t returning.
”Nicholas isn’t coming back? How can he not come back when such a thing has happened? Master Kieran is his younger brother!”
Her face was a little agitated as she looked at Tobias.
But as soon as this left her mouth, she immediately regretted it and apologized awkwardly, ”I’m sorry, Mr. Sawyer. I’m just distraught.”
Although Tobias was uncomfortable because of her outburst, he still nodded.
At the same time, Kieran, who had been asleep for a day, finally woke up in an abandoned factory in the suburbs.
When he awoke to such a terrible environment, he was stunned for a moment.
Later, he realized that he was tied up, and the dots began to connect in his head. He was kidnapped!
”D*mn it, who is brave enough to kidnap the second son of the Sawyer family?!” He cursed as he struggled in an attempt to untie himself.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, the ropes that bound his hands did not loosen up at all.
Kieran became even angrier because of this and immediately yelled out at the empty surroundings. ”Is anyone there? Come out right now!”
”What’s wrong? Why are you hiding in the shadows like a coward after tying me up? Oh? Are you too afraid to show yourself? How dare you kidnap me and not have the guts to reveal yourself?!” He shouted all sorts of threats in the abandoned warehouse.
He screamed and yelled until his throat was dry, yet, not a single person showed up.
”Could it be that they tied me here and left me to fend for myself?” He couldn’t help but mutter in a low voice.
Kieran called out another two times, but still, no one answered.
Although he was confused, he did not intend to sit still and wait for the calvary.
Yet, just as he was about to cry for help, he heard the sounds of footsteps outside.
It turned out his abductors did hear his screams. However, because he suddenly fell silent, they began to worry that he had escaped. Hence, they decided to come in and check.
When Kieran heard someone entering the factory, he quickly stopped his actions of trying to untie himself.
He looked up and stared coldly at the man that walked in.
Although the man looked fierce, Kieran did not falter.
”So, it’s you that tied me up.”
The man ignored him and squatted down to check if the ropes around Kieran were still tight.
When Kieran realized that he was being treated as though he was air, annoyance bubbled in him.
”Hey, mister, I’m talking to you!”
As he shouted that, he kicked the man with his bound foot.
Even under the premise of being kidnapped, Kieran showed no fear.
Regardless of the reason they had kidnapped him, they wouldn’t do anything to hurt him until they got what they wanted.
Besides, he had a trump card in his hands. He could call for help at any time.
The man Kieran kicked frowned in dissatisfaction, but he did not react to Kieran’s aggression.
Chapter 992 Help is Here
Kieran didn’t give a damn whether he had upset his abductor and immediately demanded, ”Who sent you? Are you here for money or revenge?”
It wasn’t a strange question to ask at all. The Sawyer Family was prominent in the business world. Many people were envious of them, seeing them as a thorn in their lives.
Even so, the man continued to ignore Kieran. At this point, he could feel his blood boil in fury. ”Did you think I won’t find out just because you keep your mouth shut? I’ll find out sooner or later!” He snorted.
Even after all that, the man still remained indifferent as he turned away to leave. Kieran’s face was as black as pitch when he saw this.
”Hey, did I allow you to leave? I’m hungry. Give me something to eat.”
The man stopped in his steps for a moment before leaving without even glancing back.
Nonetheless, he returned with a lunch box in his hand after a while.
Then, the man squatted in front of Kieran as if he were going to feed Kieran.
Unexpectedly, Kieran tilted his head and said snobbishly, ”I don’t want you to feed me. Untie the ropes and let me eat myself.”
This seemed to be the tipping point for the man as he stared straight at Kieran and finally reacted.
”Master Kieran, you should humble yourself a little.”
After he said that, he reached out, ready to feed Kieran again.
Yet, Kieran still refused to eat. Instead, he sneered as he raised his chin, speaking in an arrogant tone, ”Are you telling me to be humble around you?”
As he said this, he reached out with his tied hand to press the watch on his wrist behind his back.
He had modified this watch to allow distress signals to be sent. It was also the trump card that he had all these while.
At the same time, Tobias, who had been waiting for an update, finally received the distress signal from Kieran.
He immediately called his assistant and instructed, ”Go and check where this signal is coming from.”
”All right, Mr. Sawyer.”
The assistant knew it was a distress signal from Kieran, so he dared not delay as he immediately sent the address to be decoded.
It didn’t take long before the IT department located where the signal was sent from.
As soon as the assistant got the results, he returned to the chairman’s office immediately. ”Mr. Sawyer, we’ve found the coordinates of the signal. It’s from an abandoned food factory in the suburbs.”
”Prepare the car. Send the coordinates to the police and get them to meet us there!”
As soon as Tobias said that, he rushed out of the office.
Half an hour later, the two parties met on the outskirts of town.
There was a fierce and frightening look in Tobias’ eyes as he looked at the abandoned food factory situated not far away.
At this time, a police officer in charge of the case hurried over and spoke respectfully, ”Mr. Sawyer, I’m afraid it might be chaotic during the rescue. It would be best for you to just wait here for the news.”
Tobias did not refuse.
An old man like him would be of no help as well.
This was also coupled with his trust in his men and the police force.
Regardless, he seemed to have thought of something and explained, ”The kidnappers shouldn’t know that we’re here. I hope you can rescue Kieran without alerting them. I don’t want any accidents to happen throughout the rescue.”
”Rest assured, Mr. Sawyer. I won’t let anything happen to the vice president.”
The owner of the voice was Kieran’s assistant, who spoke gravely.
He felt incredibly guilty about what had happened to his boss.
Kieran wouldn’t have been kidnapped if it weren’t for his negligence.
Just as he was about to drown himself in guilt, the lead police officer walked over.
”Sir, we will split the team into two. We will first approach the factory and survey the surrounding area to get a feel of the other party’s numbers. It is only then that we decide our next move. This is so they wouldn’t be forced to hurt Master Kieran in any way.”
Kieran’s assistant naturally agreed with this plan.
After all, he was worried that once the kidnappers found out, Kieran might be in danger.
Just like that, a group of people began to lurk toward the food factor.
Inside, Kieran wasn’t just sitting idly. Instead, he kept provoking the kidnappers in various ways.
He knew that these kidnappers wouldn’t dare to do anything to him.
”Yo, I need to pee.”
The same man walked in after hearing the voice.
He stared at Kieran for a few seconds and warned, ”Master Kieran, you better not be plotting anything else.”
After he warned Kieran, the man still brought him out to the toilet.
Little did they know that this alerted the police force outside the building, who immediately turned back and reported their findings.
Chapter 993 Saving Kieran
Edward and the police officer received the news simultaneously that there were not more than ten kidnappers in the area. However, Edward was still worried, ”Did you manage to see Vice President Sawyer?”
”Yes,” his subordinate replied while nodding his head. Then, he added, ”How is he? Is he hurt?”
”It was too dark, and I couldn’t see him clearly. But judging from his movements, it looks like he’s fine.” Edward breathed a sigh of relief at those words.
At that moment, a police officer’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, ”We’ve cleared out the scene, Mr. Jackson. Should we go in together in about a minute to save Master Kieran?”
”Yes, but be careful not to let the kidnappers harm Vice President Sawyer,” Edward ordered before switching off the walkie-talkie and signaling to his men to get ready for the rescue.
In the dark of the night, a group of ten agile men quietly approached the food factory. It was still and silent, but the air was humid, hinting at the storm that was coming.
The kidnappers in the food factory did not realize their idle time was about to end in a flurry of movement.
It wasn’t until the police, and Edward’s men suddenly burst in that they realized they had been had. ”Don’t move! Police!”
The kidnappers were rightfully frightened as they laid their terrified eyes on the police that came out of nowhere, and a group of burly bodyguards.
”Run! The police are here!” Someone from the kidnappers’ group shouted, and the rest of the kidnappers turned around to run. They didn’t even try to resist.
The police and Edward were taken aback at their reaction, but they responded quickly.
”Mr. Jackson, I’ll go after them. You should check on Master Kieran.”
The lead police officer told Edward and went with the other officers after the kidnappers.
In the warehouse, Kieran had heard the commotion outside and sat on the floor without a care in the world. Edward burst through the door with his men and saw the unscathed Kieran before he heaved a huge sigh of relief.
He strode up to Kieran to untie him and apologized, ”I’m sorry, Vice President Sawyer. My negligence had caused this to happen.”
Then, as Kieran regained his freedom, he massaged his wrists and replied darkly, ”It’s not your fault. You wouldn’t be able to prevent this no matter what because the other party didn’t abduct me in broad daylight.”
Edward nodded as he felt the worry and guilt within him loosen at Kieran’s reassurance.
Even though Kieran was usually laid-back, he was still sensible. So it seemed like Edward could keep his job.
Just as he was overthinking matters, Kieran’s dark voice rang in his ear again. ”Managed to catch the kidnappers?”
”The police are on them. I’ve also sent a few of our men to help. They can’t run away.” Indeed, Edward was right. None of the kidnappers escaped as they were all captured.
Kieran’s eyes landed on the man who had warned him previously, and he walked over with a gloomy look before kicking him.
The man fell to the floor as fear filled his eyes.
However, a leg pressed against his chest before he could get up, and a cold voice rang above him. ”So, who was it that wanted me kidnapped? What’s your objective?” Kieran bent down and interrogated the man.
The man was scared stiff but still kept his silence.
Kieran narrowed his eyes dangerously. ”Huh. You’re quite a professional. Do you think I can’t do anything if you don’t speak?” he threatened as he stepped harder against the man’s chest.
Despite feeling that these men did not have ill intentions toward him and did not dare hurt him during the kidnap, Kieran still needed to find out who it was since he wasn’t exactly a nice person.
The man on the ground grimaced in pain and felt like his ribs were going to break. When he looked up, he saw Kieran smiling, but his agony only worsened.
At that moment, he was terrified that his whole body trembled. He had a feeling if he did not tell the truth, Kieran would torture him to no end.
At last, the man pleaded. It was unclear if he was genuinely afraid or because he did not want to be tortured. ”I’ll say it. I’ll confess! Please let me go.”
Thus, Kieran looked down at the man crying bitter tears as he removed his feet from the pathetic man’s chest and coldly ordered, ”Who sent you here? What did he want?”
Chapter 994 Remember This Lesson
”I don’t know who’s behind this, Master Kieran. We just had to follow the orders.” The man did not dare hide anything and told him truthfully.
Unfortunately, Kieran did not believe a word and thought he was lying. ”You don’t know? Then how did you receive the money? You think I have a good temper, huh?” He stepped on the man’s chest harshly.
A shriek escaped the man’s lips as he pleaded. ”Please, Master Kieran. I really don’t know. He contacted us online and said we just needed to kidnap you, but we can’t hurt you.”
Kieran was puzzled when he heard such a bizarre explanation. Can’t hurt me? What’s the point of kidnapping me, then?
Kieran looked at the wimpy man below him and figured he wouldn’t dare lie to him and stopped interrogating him.
”Bring these people back with you for the investigation. I need to know who it is behind the scenes.” He passed the cowardly man to the police.
The leading officer nodded and promised, ”Rest assured, Master Kieran. We will get to the bottom of this.”
Kieran just nodded and met up with his father, with Edward tailing beside him.
Tobias was relieved seeing that Kieran had returned without a scratch. But, even though he knew that Kieran could handle himself, as a father, he was still worried.
In the Sawyer Residence, Stefania was terrified. When she saw Kieran return home in one piece, she ran into his arms to give him a bear hug.
”You got me so worried! Thank god you’re okay.” She embraced Kieran tightly as she cried.
As Kieran had never seen his mother in this state, he was at a loss on what to do to comfort her. ”Don’t cry. Look. I’m back safe and sound.”
”You rascal! How could you make me worry?”
After she took some time to compose herself, she suddenly hit Kieran on the shoulder with teary eyes that were still angry.
That unexpected smack made him grimace as his mother’s mood swings immediately disheartened him.
”What happened to you comforting me? Why did you suddenly hit me? Come on. I just escaped from a dangerous situation. Am I not your son?” He looked at Stefania sadly.
However, she only gave him another slap. ”How I wish you weren’t my biological son! Your brother is so smart, but you are so dumb and got kidnapped. Nicholas had never let himself be in such dangerous situations!”
”How could I compare to Nicholas?”
Kieran was in low spirits and asked for Tobias’ help. ”Dad, help me.”
Tobias merely looked at him with eyes that basically said, ‘you’re on your own, son’.
Once Kieran saw that look, he was heartbroken. So I must be adopted. There’s no way I’m their biological son.
As if he heard Kieran’s inner thoughts, Tobias questioned, ”I’m also suspecting if you truly are my son. How could you be so dumb?”
With that, he ignored Kieran and turned around to call Nicholas to share the good news.
On the other hand, Nicholas was at the airport when he received the call. Even though Tobias asked him not to return, he was still worried.
He had also discussed this with Tessa, who supported his decision to make a trip back to Xerthania.
In her words, Kieran was his brother. He could not just stand idly by when Kieran was in danger.
As for her and Gregory, they had decided to stay in Vienna since they were unsure of the situation back in the country. So, it was best that they waited not to complicate things.
When the phone connected, Tobias’ voice came through before Nicholas could ask for an update.
”We’ve found Kieran. Don’t worry.” Then, he proceeded to recount what happened.
At the same time, Nicholas could hear Stefania’s irate lecture and Kieran’s groveling in the background.
”Let’s see if you dare to drink yourself to the ground next time. You’re lucky that person didn’t hurt you. But, if it was someone with malicious intentions, do you think you could wait until your father found you before getting killed?”
”Gosh, Mom. Please. Stop hitting me. Sorry. I admit I’m at fault.”
”Ha! Apologizing isn’t enough, young man. I’ll make sure you remember this lesson today!” After that, the chaotic sounds of Kieran running away as he pleaded for his life ensued.
When Nicholas heard his brother calling for help in vain, he finally let out the breath he was holding as he felt the worry dissipate into genuine relief.
Chapter 995 New Practice Room
That’s good. He’s probably OK since he’s got the energy to shout for help. Nicholas then talked to his father and requested that Kieran answer the call. “You’re the best, Nicholas. You saved me from a dire situation.”
Kieran was grateful for Nicholas saving him from Stefania and kept buttering up to him. “Stop the sweet talk. Tell me how you got kidnapped.” Nicholas raised his hand and massaged his temple. “Well, I don’t exactly know how it happened. I was too drunk.”
He stood upright as they talked about the abduction. “The whole thing was strange. The person who wanted me kidnapped didn’t want the kidnappers to hurt me.”
Nicholas narrowed his eyes in puzzlement. It was the first time that he had heard of kidnappers not wanting to harm their hostages. “If so, go to the bar and find out who carried you out. See who he has been in contact with and the surveillance cameras of the junctions surrounding the bar. Look for the car owner that drove you away, too,” he ordered Kieran, who naturally agreed to get right to it.
After he hung up the phone, Nicholas asked Edward to cancel the flight before turning around to return home. On the other end, the few practice rooms in Sofia Symphony that were burned down had been rebuilt after a few days.
As for Tessa’s practice room, Sofia had specially set a new location for it. After the practice room was done, she notified Tessa to come back for classes with Gregory.
As soon as Tessa received the news, she immediately rushed to the orchestra with Gregory. “Granny Sofia.” Gregory politely greeted her when he saw Sofia. Tessa also greeted her before asking about the orchestra’s current situation.
“Don’t worry. Everything’s settled,” Sofia assured as she briefed her and asked her not to worry. “Let’s go take a look at your new practice room.”
Tessa didn’t object to the tour. The new practice room was on the third floor with great lighting.
“I’ve asked them to decorate the room like the old one. So take a look and see if anything’s missing.” Sofia looked at Tessa endearingly as she asked.
Tessa felt her heart warm at her teacher’s attentiveness. She knew Sofia was worried that she would be unfamiliar with the new environment, so she asked the room to be decorated similarly to the last one.
“Thank you, Miss Sofia. There’s everything I need.” Gregory also thanked her sensibly.
Since they had no problems with the new practice room, Sofia let them start practicing before leaving, as she also had many things to settle.
However, she invited Tessa and Gregory for lunch before she left, which Tessa accepted.
Time flew by, and soon it was noon, so Tessa brought Gregory to the restaurant.
There were also a few of her other senior apprentices present for lunch.
Tessa was quiet at the table as she kept playing with her food and did not eat much.
Her seniors, who were chatting, realized something was off. “Little junior, why are you so quiet today?”
“Yeah. What’s up? It looks like you’ve got something on your mind.”
“Are you unwell? You didn’t touch your food either.”
“Gregory’s a little quiet too. Did something happen?” They all looked at Tessa and Gregory with concern.
Sofia also felt that Tessa was being exceptionally silent today and asked concernedly, “What’s wrong? Is it because you don’t have an appetite?”
Faced with everyone’s genuine concern, Tessa was just about to say that she was okay before hearing Gregory’s muffled voice.
“Me and Mommy’s worried about Daddy and Uncle Kieran. Uncle Kieran got kidnapped, so Daddy went back.”
Eunice sprang up when she heard Gregory’s words. She didn’t think that Wanda would be successful.
She suppressed her excitement as she pretended to comfort Tessa like the rest, “I’m sure he’s fine since Mr. Sawyer is so powerful.”
“Exactly, Little Junior. Don’t be too worried.”
“If you need it, I can help you too. I’ve got some connections in Xerthania.,” Sofia offered.
Tessa thanked everyone gratefully, but her appetite never returned when she thought of what was happening with the Sawyers.
Chapter 996 I Want To Know the Secret Too
Sofia changed the topic as she naturally caught sight of Tessa’s low mood. ”Oh, right. I forgot to tell you about the song recording. I’ve discussed it with Simon. You can record at his studio moving forward.
He had the best equipment, and the recorded sound quality would be better. He can also guide you when you’re there as well.” Tessa nodded. ”Thank you, Miss Sofia.”
”No problem. It’s just a small matter.” Sofia honestly thought it was just a small matter. However, Eunice was jealous as she heard such a big opportunity fall into Tessa’s lap. How could Miss Sofia treat Tessa so well when Sofia didn’t even borrow Simon’s recording studio for me when I was recording my album?
Her already resentful eyes were filled with even more viciousness when she thought of that. Unfortunately, Tessa did not notice Eunice’s malice as she was too preoccupied with other things in her mind.
After lunch, she went back home with Gregory. But, to their surprise, they saw Nicholas, who was supposed to be on the flight back to Xerthania, when they entered the living room.
”Daddy! Weren’t you going to save Uncle Kieran? Why are you still at home?” Gregory looked at him in bewilderment.
Tessa also walked over to ask, ”What happened? Aren’t you going back?”
”Nope. Kieran has been rescued.” Nicholas pulled on Tessa’s hand, and they sat down together before telling her what had happened.
Once she heard the whole story, she breathed a sigh of relief. ”Did he get hurt?” Gregory also looked up at Nicholas with concern upon hearing her inquiry.
”He wasn’t hurt by the kidnappers. Still alive and jumping around.” Nicholas smirked as if he thought of something funny.
Nevertheless, Tessa was confused. What did he mean by not being hurt by the kidnappers?
He saw her befuddlement as he leaned over and whispered into her ears. Then, he explained, ”Mom thought he caused trouble by drinking too much and landed himself in that situation. So, she taught him a lesson.”
She was rendered speechless and felt Kieran was somewhat pitiful, but somehow found the situation funny.
Gregory looked at Tessa, who suddenly started giggling before blinking his eyes, and he trotted over. ”Mommy. Daddy. What’re you whispering about? I wanna know.”
”Nothing.” She ruffled his hair gently, but she had no intention of telling him about Kieran’s embarrassing incident. No matter what, Kieran was his uncle, and she wanted to protect his image.
However, Gregory only felt that his parents were not sharing secrets with him and pouted unhappily. ”Daddy and Mommy are bad. You’re not telling me secrets.”
Tessa chuckled as she swiftly threw the blame onto Nicholas. ”It’s because Daddy is not letting me tell you.”
Gregory immediately glowered at Nicholas with his cute little face. ”Daddy is the bad guy. I want to know the secret. Or else, I’m going to ignore you.”
Nicholas quirked a brow in amusement and didn’t feel threatened at all as he redirected the conversation and asked, ”Do you want to talk to Uncle Kieran?”
”Yes! I want to talk to Uncle Kieran.” Nicholas easily diverted Gregory’s attention since he was still a young child.
Still, it was also because he was very worried for Kieran. He could not relax until he saw it with his own eyes despite Nicholas claiming that Kieran was fine.
After a while, Kieran connected the video call, and it was as Nicholas said. Kieran was alright.
That night, Wanda received a call from her assistant when she was still in deep slumber. ”Miss Muller, Kieran was rescued, and the men we found were all sent to the police station. What do we do now?”
Her exhaustion immediately went out the window when she heard that and sprang upright on the bed. ”What did you say? Kieran was rescued?”
She was in disbelief and asked again since this was faster than she expected.
Her assistant repeated again, and her tone got more anxious. ”Miss Muller, what should we do? Would the police and the Sawyer Family discover that we were the ones pulling the strings?”
”What are you panicking for? We’ll be fine as long as you do as you’re told.” Wanda was a lot calmer compared to her assistant.
Despite what she said, she was still a little nervous and guilty.
Chapter 997 Delay No More
That was the reason she did not contact anyone from the Sawyer Family, nor did she go to the Sawyer Residence as she remained in the office the whole day.
However, she felt her plan could no longer be delayed after she thought about Kieran being rescued. So, she immediately called Eunice to avoid unforeseen changes. ”Has Nicholas left Vienna?”
”Yes. Tessa said that yesterday afternoon,” Eunice told her truthfully. Wanda curved her lips in a satisfied smile. ”Great. Now the rest is up to you, but be quick. You know Nicholas’ capabilities. I’m afraid we can’t delay it anymore.”
”I know. I’ll start on phase two tomorrow.” Eunice yawned before asking, ”Is there anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.” It was understandable since it was midnight in Vienna.
Wanda was about to tell her all was fine, but a thought suddenly popped up. ”There’s one more thing. I hope you can deal with the b*stard in Tessa’s stomach this time, too,” she said the last sentence spitefully.
She did not want to be a stepmother. As for Gregory, she would find a way to get rid of him when she married into the Sawyer Family.
Eunice was unaware of her thoughts but felt that she was cruel, not even to spare the child.
”Alright. I got it.” She then hung up the phone.
The reason she agreed to it was also that she guessed Wanda’s thoughts.
If she could get her hands on Nicholas in the future and felt like marrying him, the baby Tessa was carrying was indeed a bit of an eyesore.
…
The next day at noon, Tessa and Gregory had lunch with her seniors at Sofia Symphony as they had invited her to join them.
Gregory was the happy pill at the table, making everyone laugh and creating a harmonious atmosphere.
After a while, somehow, the topic moved on to Group Six’s performance, and everyone started asking Kellen about it.
”How’s the preparation for the performance coming along?”
”You guys are leaving soon, right?”
Kellen patiently answered their questions, ”We’re almost ready and just waiting for the day of our departure.”
”If that’s the case, I wish for you to have a great performance, Kellen.” Tessa toasted his success.
At that moment, Eunice suddenly corrected her, ”Tessa, that’s not the right thing to say. You should wish for a great performance for everyone. Speaking of which, you should perform well this time and not let Kellen down. This is also a great opportunity to promote your album.”
”What performance?” Tessa was baffled hearing that. Since when did I have a performance?
When she saw the confused look on Tessa’s face, Eunice pretended to be surprised as her eyes flashed with cunning. ”Oh my, didn’t Kellen tell you?”
”Tell me what, Kellen?” That only made Tessa even more confused as she looked at Kellen.
Before he could answer, Eunice told her, ”Kellen wants to invite you to be a special guest for the performance. Then, you can perform the title song in your album to promote the album too.”
After that, she continued to lecture Kellen without letting the others speak.
”Why are you dragging your feet, Kellen? There are only a few days left till the performance, and you’ve not told Tessa? Are you going to tell her right before the performance and not give her time to prepare? How could you do this?”
Faced with the sudden accusations, Kellen scrunched his brows in displeasure and was utterly baffled.
Eunice had never been on good terms with Tessa. So why would she suddenly care about Tessa so much?
Moreover, although he had the idea of inviting Tessa to be the guest performer, she was swamped. Besides, her stomach was getting bigger by the day, and he feared she couldn’t take it. So, that was why he hesitated so much.
Tessa did not know of his concerns but was surprised that Kellen wanted to invite her as a guest performer.
Chapter 998 The Mean Lady Is Being Nice
”Kellen, is what Eunice said true? You want to invite me as a guest performer?”
Faced with Tessa’s astonished eyes, Kellen slowly nodded in affirmation. Since the cat is out of the bag now, it would be hurtful if he denied it. ”Yes. I wanted to do that, but I was afraid you won’t have the time.”
”I would make time if it was you inviting me, Kellen. Besides, you’re doing this to help me promote the album,” Tessa agreed without thinking as gratitude filled her heart.
This was the first performance of Group Six which was a significant step for Kellen. Now that Kellen wanted to invite her, she would support him no matter what.
When Eunice saw that they both had come to an agreement, she continued with a smile. ”Since that’s decided, which song are you going to set as the theme song, Tessa?”
Tessa got goosebumps when Eunice smiled at her, as this had rarely happened.
Eunice was acting strange today. She was overly enthusiastic toward Tessa, which made her wary as they did not see eye to eye before this.
Even Gregory felt something was off and leaned over and muttered, ”Mommy, why is the Mean Lady suddenly being so nice to you? Is she trying to do something bad?”
She glanced at Gregory in amusement as she huffed softly but made a mental note of this. Something must be up if Eunice was acting in such a bizarre manner.
Furthermore, didn’t Eunice ask which song she would use as the theme song? So maybe Eunice wanted to do something to her theme song.
She looked down as she thought about that and answered quietly, ”The theme song is an important decision. But, first, I’ll have to ask Miss Sofia’s opinion. I’ll let Kellen know after I’ve confirmed with her.”
She answered tactfully, hinting that she would only tell Kellen and not Eunice.
Eunice caught on to the implication and sneered hatefully in her heart. Do you think that will stop me? I’ve never failed at anything that I want to do!
Then, Tessa and Gregory left as they were done with their lunch.
Eunice was about to leave as well, but Kellen called out to her.
Although he was far from the sharpest tool in the tool shed, he was also no fool. Eunice must have had some sort of plan cooking as she was acting out of the norm. So, he warned her to back off, ”Eunice, this is Group Six’s first public performance. I hope there won’t be any accidents.”
When they reached home, Nicholas wasn’t at home. So, Tessa returned to her room to rest. As for Gregory, he was led away by his tutor for classes.
When Nicholas returned home at night, he saw Tessa playing with Gregory in the living room.
”Daddy! You’re back.” Gregory darted over merrily when he saw Nicholas.
Nicholas’ cold face softened, ”Are you done with your homework?”
”Yup. I even played the violin for the baby.” He looked up at Nicholas, expecting praise.
Nicholas didn’t hesitate to praise him before walking over to Tessa and sitting beside her on the couch.
”Is the baby playing nice today?” he asked as his hand caressed her protruding stomach.
Tessa leaned into his chest and smiled. ”Yes, she is. You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”
Unexpectedly, Nicholas genuinely asked the baby in the stomach.
That made Tessa laugh out loud as her round eyes twinkled beautifully.
They all sat on the couch and joked around. Before they knew it, the topic was directed toward the performance.
”I’m going to follow Kellen for a performance in two days. He has invited me to be a special guest and planned to help me promote the album,” Tessa informed him.
Nicholas furrowed his brows slightly and asked worriedly, ”Can your body take it?”
He didn’t really want Tessa to go, but since she had made the promise, he could only use her health as an excuse to try to dissuade her.
Sadly, Tessa did not get his hint and smiled. ”I’m fine. I can do it.”
Nicholas could only agree reluctantly but proposed that he would join her as well, and she was thrilled to have his company.
Then, Gregory also raised his hand and insisted with his adorable voice, ”I want to go too!”
Chapter 999 The Full Moon in the Dark Night
“Okay, let’s go together.” Tessa looked at the little guy dotingly. At the same time, Kieran was listening to his assistant’s report with a serious expression at the Sawyer Group vice president’s office.
“Latest update from the police—the bank remittances of those kidnappers were from abroad. It will take a while for the police to figure out the source of the fund. As for the car you were in that night, I found it was a rental car, but the registered information was fake.” After the assistant finished speaking, he looked at Kieran with some unease.
Not surprisingly, Kieran did not take the report well because all the clues he gathered did not lead anywhere. “What about the guy who kidnapped me at the lounge? Did you find him?”
“No clue about him yet.” The assistant shook his head. Kieran’s face turned grimmer as he heard that. Then, finally, he motioned for his assistant to leave and picked up the phone on the table to call his brother.
“What’s the matter?” Nicholas asked.
Kieran replied in a depressing tone, “I followed your instructions to investigate, but now everything is at a dead end.” He mentioned all the information that the assistant had passed along and sighed. “The way these people work is not only watertight but also very cautious.”
Nicholas could not agree more, and because of this, he paid more attention to this kidnapping incident. But, unfortunately, the other party had a premeditated plan, and it was difficult to tell if there would be a second time. “Give me the bank accounts of those criminals and the photos of the man who escaped. I’ll ask someone to investigate.”
Kieran agreed and immediately forwarded the information.
After hanging up the phone, Nicholas handed over the matter to Edward to investigate.
The following day after having breakfast, Tessa took Greg to the orchestra. After she finished her training routine, she went to find Sofia.
“Sofia.” Tessa knocked on the door and walked in. Unexpectedly, Kellen was also there, so she politely addressed him, “Hey, Kellen.”
Sofia smiled faintly when she saw Tessa and asked, “What brings you here?”
Just before Tessa could answer, she was preempted by Kellen. “I think Tessa’s here for the theme song.”
Since Kellen had helped her start the topic, she merely continued, “Sofia, which of these songs do you think is the best fit for a theme song?”
“There are three genres here. Since it is the theme song we’re talking about, it must be more dignified, so let’s not choose anything that’s too childish. As for the remaining two genres, which one do you think you prefer more?” Sofia already helped Tessa eliminate one option and threw the question back to Tessa. Of course, Sofia was actually trying to test Tessa.
After all, Tessa would eventually choose to be a composer, so she must know to appreciate her own songs. Besides, Sofia had given her a hint. Tessa knew what Sofia was thinking and lowered her head as she took a moment for herself.
It did not take her long to make up her mind. Finally, she looked up and said, “Let’s go with the song, ‘The Full Moon in the Dark Night’.” This song was composed by her one night as she admired the ancient buildings in Vienna. Hence, the style of the music was very atmospheric and dignified, which also met Sofia’s requirements.
Sofia nodded in satisfaction. She then reminded Tessa a few more things about the performance before letting the two leave.
Kellen stopped Tessa on the way out.
“What’s the matter, Kellen?” She looked over suspiciously.
Kelle smiled and said, “Just wanna ask if you have any friends you want to invite to the show? I still have a few tickets left.”
“I need two more.” Tessa wanted to give one to Mona and the other to Scott. Undoubtedly, both of them helped her a lot when composing her pieces.
That afternoon, after sending Greg home, Tessa planned to ask Mona out and give her the ticket. However, Mona had to train and did not have time to meet her.
Chapter 1000 You Are Not Welcome
But Mona wanted the ticket so badly that she feared Tessa would give it to someone else, so Mona tried flattering Tessa cheekily, “Tessa, you know you’re the best. Can you bring the ticket to me? Please…” Mona acted all lovey-dovey over the phone.
Tessa tried holding back a smile, but there was a hint of pampering in her tone. “Okay, I’ll bring it over.”
Unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived at the Hathaway Philharmonic building, she saw Hathaway coming out from the building. She was stunned for a while and subsequently became a little hesitant. She wanted to say hello but was worried that Miss Hathaway would not want to see her.
Just when Tessa hesitated, Hathaway also saw Tessa and walked over to her. “You’re here to see Mona?”
Hathaway knew that Tessa and Mona had always kept in touch, so she did not find it strange that Tessa was there.
Tessa nodded, but there was an indescribable feeling in her heart. She never expected Miss Hathaway to take the initiative to greet her.
“How have you been recently?” Tessa asked.
“Very good. How’s everything at the Sofia Symphony? When will you be able to perform with the group?” Hathaway could not help but care about Tessa, who once was the student she used to be most proud of.
Tessa naturally noticed it and replied, smiling, “There will be a performance soon.”
“All the best with your performance, Tessa.”
The two exchanged civility and separated.
After seeing Hathaway off, Tessa turned and entered the building.
“Isn’t this Tessa? Why is she here?”
“What’s she here for? Looking for the music director?”
“Well, she left just now. How about we let her know? Perhaps she may catch the director.”
“Why? Do you know her that well?”
Others gossiped around Tessa when they saw her. Some comments were good, but the others not so.
Tessa heard the gossip vaguely and pursed her lips slightly. She chose to ignore them and quickened her pace. She thought of giving the ticket to Moan and leaving after that so as not to cause unnecessary conflict. But it was at that moment that she met Cindy head-on.
“Tessa! The audacity you have to appear here!” The moment Cindy saw Tessa, her eyes were filled with hatred. “Who allowed you to come in? F*ck off now!”
Tessa frowned at the vulgarity, but she tried to explain. “I’m just here to find someone. I’ll leave after that.” As she was replying to Cindy, she tried walking past her, but Cindy was quick to grab her arm.
“I said, you are not welcome here. Get. Out.” Cindy pushed Tessa.
Tessa staggered two steps back and was visibly annoyed at how Cindy treated her, but Mona rushed out of the crowd before she could say anything.
“Cindy, what are you doing? How can you push Tessa?!” Mona angrily reprimanded Cindy, then turned her head and asked, “Tessa, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Tessa nodded. Luckily, she was on guard when she felt Cindy’s hand on her arm.
Cindy got even angrier when she saw Mona defending Tessa like that. “Mona, which side are you on? You are siding with her! Have you forgotten that this woman is a sinner?!”
Cindy glared at Tessa ghastly, and her tone filled with a grudge. “If it weren’t for this b*tch, Hathaway Philharmonic would still be the first-class band.”
“Cindy, don’t go around slandering people. What happened to the band was not Tessa’s fault!” Mona confronted Cindy angrily. “You’re just jealous that Tessa is better than you.”
“What the?! You’re saying I’m jealous of this b*tch?!” Cindy exploded like a cat whose tail was stepped on upon hearing that.
She glared at Mona angrily while gnashing her teeth. “How come you’re helping Tessa? You’re part of the Hathaway Philharmonic! Since you can’t help but curry favor with Tessa, you might as well leave the band and follow her!”
Mona was utterly shocked at Cindy’s words. On the other hand, Tessa was shocked by Cindy’s outburst for an entirely different reason. She did not expect the Hathaway Philharmonic to fall out of the first-class band. Now she understood why the people did not welcome her. But she did not think it was her fault that this happened. Kathleen started the feud, and she was just defending herself.
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