Chapter 264
“I heard that Tessa got caught for stealing and was at the police department.” Teresa texted
In the midst of an executive meeting, Liam felt his phone buzz on his desk, and without much thought, he looked over. Noting a text from Teresa, he instantly grabbed his phone and unlocked it.
How long had it been since Teresa reached out to him first? However, she was reaching out about Tessa this time.
But wasn’t Tessa supposed to be at the hospital? How on earth did she end up in cuffs for theft?
Putting the meeting on hold, Liam called his assistant, Chuck.
Once Chuck arrived, Liam showed him the message and ordered, “Find out what happened, Chuck.”
“Yes, Liam,” Chuck replied with a nod and got moving.
After sending Chuck off, Liam thought for a moment and texted a brief “Thanks” to Teresa.
Lately, it seemed their interactions were restricted to such formalities — nothing left to say.
On the flip side, Teresa barely saw Liam’s acknowledgment before she pocketed her phone and headed to the meeting room.
A crucial faculty meeting about end-of-term arrangements beckoned, and as a full-time teacher, Teresa’s attendance was mandatory.
Arriving at the meeting room, she found most of her colleagues already there. Teresa took a seat in the farthest corner and tuned in to the meeting.
However, the Department Head had barely started when the doors swung open. All eyes turned as Brian slipped in with an apologetic grin, found Teresa’s icy stare, and confidently took the empty seat next to her.
Teresa took a deep breath, attempting to ignore Brian’s presence, determined to focus on her meeting.
As she became engrossed, an intrusive hand slipped under the hem of her dress, boldly resting on her thigh.
Teresa quickly turned her head to the side, her hand itching to slap him. But to avoid drawing attention, she restrained herself.
Despite the layer of tights, Brian’s hand crept higher, meeting Teresa’s furious glare. Having a smug and wicked smile as if sure she wouldn’t dare retaliate in the midst of the meeting.
After the initial shock, Teresa composed herself as she faced him. His once youthful and handsome face now seemed utterly sleazy and repulsive. Clutching the custom pen Gabriel had given her, she fiercely jabbed its sharp point into the back of Brian’s hand.
With a forceful push, the sharp tip punctured Brian’s skin and burrowed into the flesh as if it were a knife, causing him agony. Despite his handsome features contorting with pain, his hand never left Teresa’s thigh. Instead, he gripped it even harder.
Teresa’s resolve hardened. She gripped the pen firmly and, pressing down, began to twist it violently, aiming to turn his hand into a bloody mess, like a propeller tearing through flesh.
Since they were sitting in a secluded corner at the back of the room, everyone else was engrossed in the meeting, oblivious to their struggle.
As Brian’s pain intensified, Teresa allowed a vindictive smile to creep across her face. Pouring every ounce of her strength into it, she continued twisting and pushing the pen deeper.
Finally, Brian couldn’t take it anymore. Relinquishing his grip, he withdrew his hand. As he looked at his bleeding wound, he showed no sign of irritation. Instead, he smiled at Teresa, leaned in, and whispered close to her ear, “Teresa, you are ruthless! But I like it.”
With that, Brian stuffed his wounded hand into his coat pocket, stood up, and made his exit through the back door.
Teresa exhaled in relief as he left.
This Brian was more disturbed than she could have imagined. Clearly, she would have to be cautious around him in the future.
...
“Liam, Tessa intended to return the watch you gifted her this morning but got into a scuffle with some old acquaintance who had some grudge against her. They set her up and called the cops, and now she’s at the police department,” Chuck reported to Liam in the CEO’s office. He had uncovered the truth about Tessa’s arrest.
“Now, her teachers from the Language Academy are with her, but the other party is making it difficult, insisting that Tessa has no receipt or proof of purchase, effectively accusing her of stealing the watch.”
After delivering the update, Chuck awaited Liam’s response.
Liam had been reviewing documents, his gaze never departing from the pages. Only after reading the last page and signing his name in the bottom-right corner did he issue a placid instruction, “Tell Diana to take the purchase proof and receipt to the police and sort this mess out.”
“Right away,” Chuck acknowledged, then promptly left to find Diana.
Diana was buried in her work when Chuck mentioned something about Tessa, and a sudden jolt raced through her heart. It was as if she had been drenched with a bucket of ice water, a chill piercing straight to the bone.
She had thought that with the Yellen family’s incident, Liam would keep his word from the night before and steer clear of Tessa, cutting all ties.
Unexpectedly, Liam now asked her to take evidence to the police and bail Tessa out.
“Diana?” Chuck waved his hand in front of Diana, who seemed to be lost in thought.
“Sorry.” Shaking off her daze, Diana quickly flashed a practiced smile and nodded, “All right, I’m on it.”
“Good.” Chuck nodded and added, “Once you get her out, report back to Liam immediately.”
Diana smiled and nodded in agreement as Chuck walked away, but the smile faded as soon as he was out of sight. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, she wasted no time in gathering the credit card receipt for the watch purchase and the invoice. Then, she hurried off to the police department with a colleague from the legal department.
