Chapter 9 Gregory Has Gone Missing
Over at Sawyer Group, Nicholas was still in the meeting when he got a call from Andrew. As soon as he heard that Gregory had gone missing, he stood up abruptly and walked out of the conference room with a steely expression, announcing through gritted teeth, “Dismissed!”
There was no hiding his anger and hostility. The sheer incompetency! What’s the use of keeping the staff if they can’t even keep an eye on a toddler?!
He looked more mutinous than he had seconds ago as he boarded his car. Just as he was about to rush back to the manor, his phone rang with an intrusive trill.
It was an unknown number, Nicholas noted, but he was in such a daze that he mispressed and answered the call instead of rejecting it.
As soon as the call was put through, an awkward female voice filled the other line, stammering, “H-Hello, President Sawyer. It’s me, Tessa, the violinist who performed at Young Master Gregory’s birthday banquet the other day. Do you still remember?”
She heard no response, but what she did hear was her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She wasn’t so presumptuous as to think Nicholas would still remember her after their brief meeting on the yacht, but then again, that wasn’t her priority at the moment.
Clearing her throat, she explained promptly, “President Sawyer, Gregory has come to the orchestra building to look for me all on his own. I was concerned that you might be looking for him, so I figured I’d give you a call. If it’s not too much trouble, could you please come and bring the little one home?”
Nicholas’ gaze darkened ominously at this as he said icily, “I see. I’ll be over right now. Thank you.” Then, he hung up the phone decisively and gave his assistant a call, snapping irritably, “Find every bit of information you can on a woman called Tessa Reinhart right now—her childhood, her accomplishments in school, every single detail there is to know about her!”
the accelerator and
…
driving, Nicholas managed to get to the building in record time, having taken a mere hour
of the orchestra building, anyone could see how stormy
sight of him, Tessa straightened up and greeted him
hand, looked rattled as he kept quiet, not
stark contrast to their uneasy demeanors, Gregory was happily seated down, his little legs dangling over the
if it came from the depths of hell, as he demanded darkly, “Gregory. Sawyer. I don’t know where you keep all that audacity, but how
at the thunderous volume of
haughtily, sneering, “It’s not my fault that you didn’t keep your promises, Daddy. You told me you’d bring me to see the pretty lady, but you went back on your word, so I have no choice but to come here alone.” He spoke softly, but
by the forward protest, and for a second, he wasn’t sure if he had the right to argue. He couldn’t deny that he had been stalling Gregory, hoping
here, kid. I’ve been really tied up at work, but I did try to free up my schedule to bring you to see Miss
at home for the past three days, so don’t tell me you were busy working! Don’t think I don’t know that you see me as a dumb kid who will fall for your lies! I’m already four, and I
sputtered aloud before
too, was amused. The rage that had welled up in him seemed to disappear after the little guy’s grumbling. Having calmed down, Nicholas went on to cajole the child, saying, “Okay, so now that you’ve seen the pretty lady like you wanted to,
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!