Chapter 183
Time flies when you're enjoying a sweet, fulfilling, and busy life. Soon, it was the day of the diplomat exam. Teresa took a leave from school and flew to the capital with Gabriel.
While Teresa was busy with exams, Gabriel was occupied with business, neither one holding the other back.
However, once in the capital, meeting Hayden was naturally the first thing on Teresa’s agenda.
Teresa hadn't expected Hayden to personally pick her up at the airport, and to her surprise, it wasn't just Hayden; her younger sister, Jocelyn, was there too.
"Gabriel, Teresa!" As soon as Jocelyn caught sight of Gabriel and Teresa, she greeted them with a sweet and cheerful voice, much like an overgrown child.
"Hayden, is this..." Teresa stared at Jocelyn, who bore a striking resemblance to Hayden, and asked in astonishment.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her, glanced at the siblings with a subtle, knowing smile, and introduced her before Hayden could speak, "This is Miss Jocelyn Bush."
"Hayden, so this is your sister! Apart from looking somewhat like you, her demeanor is completely different; Jocelyn seems so gentle, adorable, and pretty," When Teresa saw Jocelyn, she couldn't help but grin and give her a compliment.
Teresa had long heard about the two sisters of the Bush family, with Hayden being the elder and Jocelyn the younger with a ten-year gap between them. Jocelyn had never made a public appearance at social events, and no photos of her could be found online as well.
"This little one here has been so fortunate to have me as a big sis, sheltering her from the cruel world out there, that’s why she's so innocent and clueless," Hayden joked, pulling her sister close with a laugh.
"Saying I’m clueless is like calling yourself clueless, Hayden; we were born to the same mother," Jocelyn shot back playfully, sticking her tongue out at Hayden.
Witnessing the sisters' interaction, Teresa laughed and said, "I'm so envious of you two. How great it would be to have a sister."
"Don't even start, as if you don't know how many people envy you!" Hayden teased, casting a sidelong glance at Teresa, "Come on, let's go. We've got a welcoming dinner to host."
Teresa smiled and looked at Gabriel.
Gabriel's main reason for coming to the Capital was to discuss a partnership with Hayden’s family's business. With Hayden hosting a dinner in their honor, he certainly had no objections. He nodded, holding Teresa, and they headed toward their car.
The restaurant they went to had a garden-like setting with an excellent ambiance. But to throw a proper welcome, Hayden had boldly reserved the entire place for the occasion.
"This isn’t one of our family’s establishments too, is it?" Teresa joked as they arrived at the restaurant under the cloak of evening, noting a door adorned with the "Bennett" insignia.
"Honey, you're a Garcia now," Gabriel corrected her gently, wrapping his arms around her.
Teresa rolled her eyes at him.
"Yes, Teresa, it is. Seems like you don’t even know what your family has accomplished so far, huh?" Hayden chuckled at Teresa.
“Hayden, but I don’t know much about our family’s businesses either,” Jocelyn stated in an innocent tone.
Younger than Hayden by a whole decade, Jocelyn just turned eighteen this year, only just reaching adulthood. Having lost their mother when Jocelyn was just ten and Hayden eighteen, Hayden had become both sister and mother to her.
Since then, Hayden had been her guardian angel.
"You're still young; you don't need to worry about all that. When you're older, I'll fill you in," Hayden said affectionately to Jocelyn, who nodded enthusiastically, her dependence on her sister quite evident.
Once they arrived in their reserved room, a procession of waitstaff entered, carrying various dishes. The high-end dining and entertainment sectors under the Bennett Group prided themselves on meticulous service and quality. Every server was impeccably trained to ensure complete customer satisfaction, and the standard of quality was such that not a single customer could find fault.
This was why the Bennett Group's hospitality ventures continued to flourish.
Teresa and Gabriel, no strangers to Hayden, chatted and laughed throughout the meal, though Jocelyn remained unusually quiet, mostly listening without chiming in.
Midway through the meal, Hayden suddenly stopped, her hand over her mouth and her brows furrowed in discomfort. She abruptly stood up and rushed outside.
Observing her sudden departure, Teresa furrowed her brows in confusion, excused herself to Gabriel, and quickly followed Hayden out.
Reaching the railing overlooking the lake, where Hayden stood heaving, Teresa rushed over. "Hayden, are you alright?" she asked with concern, rubbing her back as Hayden continued to retch, though nothing seemed to come up.
After a few dry heaves, Hayden felt better, patting her chest before turning to Teresa with a weak smile, "It's nothing, probably just the food not sitting right," she said.
Teresa sat down beside her and asked quietly, "Hayden, are you pregnant?"
As someone who's been through pregnancy, she was no stranger to the symptoms and reactions that come with it.
Watching her, Hayden suddenly lowered her head with an involuntary wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Are you sure?" Teresa asked, giving Hayden a questioning stare.
Now, she finally understood the meaning behind the exchange she'd witnessed at that club during their afternoon tea with Diana. William's sudden appearance to check on the place, the whispered words between him and Hayden, and the response that William had given Hayden now made sense.
Hayden met Teresa's gaze and without further concealment, nodded affirmatively.
"Is the child my brother's?" Teresa's question sounded more like a statement of fact.
"It's only his biological contribution, but the child doesn't really have anything to do with your brother," Hayden replied, exhaling deeply with a nonchalant air.
