The next morning, after Noah left the hospital, Tessa received a call from Catherine.
She had been expecting it. A calculated smile played at the corners of her mouth.
"Hello." But her voice sounded cautious, as if she were afraid of Catherine. "Mrs. Sinclair. You called . How can I help you?"
"Let’s et," ca Catherine’s solemn voice. "Co to Café Royale. 4 pm sharp."
"I’ll be there on ti."
The call was disconnected.
Tessa’s eyes glead with cunningness. She put a hand on her belly. "The ti has co for your grandmother to know about your existence."
At Noah’s office...
The assistant appeared as soon as Noah arrived. "Good morning, sir." He put the file on the table. "I’ve gathered all the information about that man."
Noah pulled the file toward him and opened it with urgency in his movents. The first thing he saw was the man’s photo.
His stares grew cold and rciless.
"His na is Elias Rowan, the CEO of an erging investnt company, Ascend Core," the assistant continued. "He is exceptionally talented. Under his leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth."
The assistant seed to be praising Elias.
"They have invested in several major projects, and the returns have been outstanding. This makes it one of the most promising companies. Many large corporations are now seeking opportunities to collaborate with the Ascend Core."
The more he spoke, the darker Noah’s expression beca.
"Recently, he secured a deal with Zenith Core," he went on. "As soon as the news beca public, Ascend Core’s stock price surged..."
Noah slamd his palm on the table, losing his control. "Are you done praising him?"
The assistant swallowed nervously. "I wasn’t..."
"Is this what you investigated about him?" Noah snapped, cutting him off. "I don’t care how talented he is. I give a damn about how many deals he has secured or how successful his company is."
He tossed the file across the desk.
"I don’t want all this. I want to know who he is eting, where he is going, what ga he is playing with Elena..."
As he spoke, his chest rose and fell in fury.
"Understood, sir." The man nodded. "I’ll continue monitoring him and report back imdiately."
He practically bolted out.
Later that afternoon...
Tessa arrived at the Café Royale.
The luxurious café sat in the heart of the city.
Pushing open the heavy glass door, she stepped inside. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries filled the air.
Her gaze swept across the café until it landed on a lone figure seated at a corner table.
She strode over there. The smugness in her face vanished as she inched in closer.
"Mrs. Sinclair," she said softly and masked her slyness beneath an innocent look.
Catherine glanced at her while stirring her coffee. She nodded to the chair across from her. "Sit."
Tessa took her seat. "You wanted to see . Is everything alright?" She sounded curious.
Catherine took a tentative sip of her coffee. "You saved my son’s life two years ago. We are grateful for that."
She set the cup down and t her gaze, cold and detached. "Noah believes he owes you. But that doesn’t an he should forget about everything else."
Tessa had already guessed it. She knew the Sinclair couple would never accept her and would try again to separate her from Noah, just as they had done before. But this ti, she was prepared.
No one would force her out of Noah’s life again.
"Mrs. Sinclair..."
Catherine held up a hand and silenced her. "I am not done yet. Don’t interrupt ."
Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Noah is a married man," Catherine added. "Aren’t you ashad of clinging to him?"
She took out a check leaf from her bag and pushed it toward her.
Tessa’s eyes widened at the number of zeros behind the digit one.
’Ten Million?’ she scread in her mind.
Back then, Richard had given her three million to leave Noah. Three years—she had stayed away from him for three long years. But she had eventually found her way back.
Now Catherine was offering more than three tis that amount.
Greed shone in her eyes.
Her fingers twitched. But she quickly reminded herself of her bigger goal.
The Sinclair family fortune was worth billions. She was already legally married to Noah. Once the baby was born, her child would beco the heir to the multibillion-dollar empire.
Why would she be satisfied with re ten million?
She curled her fingers into fists. She shook her head.
"No, I don’t need this."
Tears gathered in her eyes. "Please, Mrs. Sinclaire. I love Noah. Back then, I was forced to leave him. Or we would have been married a long ti ago. Now, I don’t want to leave him again. Let stay by his side."
"That’s not possible," Catherine hissed. A chill settled in her eyes. "He is married now. Your presence will only make things worse between him and Elena."
"But I love him." Tessa’s voice trembled. "He loves , too."
"That’s enough," Catherine grunted. She was furious but mindful of the people around them. So she never raised her voice.
"You have no origin. A stripper’s daughter, who doesn’t even know who her father is, can never be the daughter-in-law of the Sinclair family."
Tessa’s hands stiffened in suppressed rage under the table.
Years ago, it was that very reason that kept her from being accepted and led her to leave back then.
Even Noah had not fought for her despite the fact that he loved her. Instead, he had married Elena.
Tessa swallowed the rising anger and continued her performance.
"Please, Mrs. Sinclaire." She forced more tears out of her eyes. "Don’t ask to leave. I don’t want anything from the Sinclair family. I just want to be by his side."
Then she put her hand on her stomach deliberately. "I don’t want my child to grow up without a father."
Catherine stared at her, stricken. "What did you just say?"
Her face went white as she looked at Tessa’s belly. "Are you pregnant?"
Tessa blinked her tears away. She nodded slowly. "Yes. The baby is Noah’s."
Catherine sucked in a sharp breath. At first, she refused to believe it. But then doubt seeped into her mind. What if the child was truly Noah’s?
Catherine’s hand flew to her chest. She had already lost one grandchild. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing another. After all, this child carried the Sinclair bloodline.
"We love each other," Tessa said. "He wants this baby. And he has arranged the best doctors to ensure I have a safe pregnancy. Please don’t separate us."
Catherine fell completely silent. She knew it was unfair to Elena, but at that point, her heart weakened at the thought of the unborn baby.
She stuffed the checkleaf inside her bag and walked out of the café without saying a word.
Tessa watched her departing form, the corners of her lips twitching. She then wiped her fake tears.
"Now, Elena can never return to the Sinclair family."
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