Always Been Yours (Tessa and Nicholas) novel Chapter 12

“Yes, sir!” The bodyguards immediately moved in synchronization as they dragged Sophia and Lauren like the women were two burlap sacks of potatoes. Upon reaching the entrance, they unceremoniously threw them out the doors.

The members of the orchestra who had gathered around to watch this were stunned speechless, and a stifling hush followed Nicholas’ ruthless and unforgiving gesture.

Tessa, too, took a while to recover from the initial shock of it all, and she didn’t snap out of her daze until Nicholas spoke again.

“Greg, are you hurt?” Nicholas drew closer to Gregory, a warm, fatherly concern filling his dark orbs. He looked entirely different from the intimidating and domineering president he had been moments ago.

“I’m fine, Daddy,” Gregory answered with a gentle nod of his little head.

When everyone heard this, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

Knowing that she was the cause of this fiasco, Tessa stepped forward with her shoulders squared and said apologetically, “I’m terribly sorry, President Sawyer. Those two were after me, but Gregory nearly got hurt in the midst of the chaos. This is all my fault!”

When Nicholas heard this, he gave her a brief, frosty look, then retracted his gaze as he replied stoically, “Yes, this all happened because of you, but since somebody else has been punished for it, I’ll let you off the hook.” He paused, then added in the same frigid tone, “It’s almost time for lunch anyway. I’ll bring Gregory home after we dine at the restaurant. Come along.”

With that, he deftly picked Gregory up into his arms and headed for the doors.

As Gregory leaned against the curve of Nicholas’ broad shoulder, his mind began to race. He was desperate to come up with a plan to stay by Tessa’s side for the rest of the day.

Tessa, on the other hand, dared not dawdle as she straightened her clothes and followed Nicholas out of the building.

…

The three of them were presently housed within a private restaurant by the name of Winston Trove. Being one of the most exclusive private restaurants in the industry, the head chef manning the kitchen was as good as any Michelin-star chef, and he had once been involved in the food preparation for a national banquet. Members of the upper-crust society and famous icons had tried to dine here, but the restaurant wouldn’t take them in unless they had a reservation made at least a month in advance!

Under normal circumstances, Tessa would never be able to step foot into a place like this. It was only because of Nicholas and his powerful connections that she was able to sit here today for what would be the most expensive lunch of her life.

That being said, the pressure that came along with such fine food was insurmountable and suffocating. Tessa sat stiffly in her seat, unsure if breathing was something she could afford to do in the presence of a world-renowned business mogul.

Conversely, Nicholas seemed rather at ease, if not overtly impassive. He ordered a few dishes, and when he handed the menu over to Tessa, he said flatly, “Order whatever you like.”

She took the menu graciously, intending to order something simple for herself, but when she saw the prices on the menu, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

These prices are ridiculous! She stared at the numbers incredulously. Broccoli stir-fry that comes with a three-digit price tag? What, was the broccoli planted in golden soil or something?

Shuddering at the thought of the bill that would come at the end of this meal, she made a small order and picked out the cheapest fruit juice there was, then shakily handed the menu back to the waiter. “Thank you.” She managed to thank the attendant, still in disbelief.

It didn’t take long for the dishes to be served, and all of them looked as delicious as they smelled. They were arranged neatly at the center of the dining table, so aesthetically pleasing that it was hard to believe they were actual food.

As Tessa’s gaze swept over the dishes, she noted with no small amount of surprise that they all featured luxurious ingredients, the names of which she probably could not pronounce!

More to the point, the dishes before her would at least fetch a four-digit price tag each!