Chapter 259
Chapter 259
Tessa and Kyler practically spoke in unison, both rushing to answer Stephen’s question.
“Yes,” Tessa said.
“It’s Hall A,” Kyler added.
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Stephen’s brows furrowed. After a couple of seconds, he asked, “Is there any other venue here hosting an IPO roadshow?”
Tessa’s eyes flickered for a moment.
Kyler, on the other hand, looked completely lost.
“Wait, is Stephen not here for HelixTech’s IPO roadshow?‘ Tessa wondered.
Both of them fell silent, unsure how to answer.
“Forget it. I’ll just call and ask,” Stephen said, not wanting to waste any more time. He pulled out his phone and called Gideon.
He didn’t call Aurelia because he figured she might be busy.
As soon as Gideon got the call, he hurried over to pick Stephen up.
The two venues weren’t far apart, so Gideon arrived in no time.
Tessa hadn’t even had a chance to compose herself before he showed up.
When Gideon saw the two of them, he gave a polite nod as a greeting.
Then Gideon turned to Stephen and said, “Sorry, I forgot to tell you. The venue got switched to Hall B at the last minute.”
Stephen snorted. “Shouldn’t there be some signs or something? What if other guests get lost like I did?”
“We did. Everyone who got an invite was told, too,” Gideon replied.
“Well, I didn’t see any out there,” Stephen said.
“I’ll send someone to take a look,” Gideon said.
Stephen had almost reached the door when he just realized Kyler was still hanging back. He turned and asked, “Not heading
out?”
Kyler paused for a second and replied, “Just here to back up a friend.”
Stephen let it go and didn’t ask further.
Just like that, Stephen and Gideon left together in front of Tessa, Kyler, and everyone watching in Hall A, all eyes on Stephen
as he walked out.
Tessa’s expression soured instantly.
Kyler looked just as displeased.
He stared after them, his gaze turning icy.
He figured Stephen was probably called in by Gideon just to back Aurelia up.
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‘Does Gideon even get that Aurelia’s just a pretty face with nothing to back it up? Even if he keeps trying to push her forward, she’s only going to fall even harder, Kyler thought.
‘It’s like he’s bewitched or something. Kyler scoffed to himself.
‘Does she really have that much pull?‘ Kyler wondered.
One of the socialites must’ve picked up on the weird vibe and quietly pulled Alina aside to get the scoop.
So Alina made her way over to Tessa, voice hushed but still wearing that bright smile, clearly trying to keep things casual.
Alina leaned in and whispered, “So, what happened? Why did Professor Horton suddenly take off?”
With Kyler standing right there, Tessa kept her answer official. “He just went to the wrong venue.”
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“I didn’t invite him. I just didn’t want people thinking I was trying to get some clout off his name, especially since I haven’t even been accepted as his student yet,” Tessa added.
Alina nodded with approval. “That’s exactly how it should be. It’s always best to let your abilities do the talking.”
With that, Alina slipped back into her circle of ladies.
‘No wonder Tessa’s such a standout. With a mom who’s got her head screwed on right, it’s no surprise, Kyler thought.
Kyler shot her a supportive look and said, “I really admire how you handled that, Tessa. You’ve got what it takes, and people are gonna recognize that sooner or later.”
“As for those who try to take shortcuts, they’re only boxing themselves in,” Kyler added.
Alina gave the ladies in her group the lowdown on what happened.
And before she left, she just had to mention that Tessa was gearing up to apply for Stephen’s graduate program.
The ladies were seriously impressed.
“Oh, I know Professor Horton! Getting into his program is insanely tough. He’s crazy selective! Only someone as amazing as Tessa could even stand a chance. My kid? Not even in the same league,” one of them gushed.
The other ladies chimed in, all eager to pick Alina’s brain about how she’d managed to raise such an exceptional daughter.
Alina gave a humble smile and said, “Tessa’s always been such a smart and well–behaved kid. Honestly, she never gave me any headaches growing up.”
Suddenly, one of the ladies gasped, “Oh my, it’s Mr. Locke! He actually showed up!”
Alina froze for a second, then followed the woman’s gaze, and sure enough, there was Benjamin.
The moment Benjamin walked in, the whole room went dead silent.
Even Cassian left his guests and hurried over. “Dad, what brings you here?”
-Benjamin scanned the room with a piercing look before his eyes settled on Cassian.
His eyes were icy, completely devoid of warmth.
Honestly, you’d never guess they were father and son. They looked more like total strangers.
Tessa followed along, doing her best to hide how thrilled she was. She called out politely, “Mr. Locke.”
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The ladies around Alina were practically buzzing with curiosity.
One of them leaned in and whispered, “Is Mr. Locke here to support Tessa? Does that mean he accepts her now?”
“Of course! He’s here, isn’t he?” another chimed in.
“After all, Cassian’s his only son. What parent doesn’t dote on their kid? No parent can ever really win against their own child,” someone else added.
Alina couldn’t help but think the same thing.
But Benjamin’s first words were like a slap in the face to everyone present.
With a nonchalant shrug, he said, “Just came to the wrong place.”
Not sparing anyone another glance, he turned, leaned on his cane, and walked out.
Tessa’s expression froze up.
The room went dead silent again.
But this time, you could feel the difference in the air.
Even Alina, usually the queen of social graces, was totally thrown off. She couldn’t even keep her cool or find the right words.
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One of the ladies leaned over and whispered, “I really thought Mr. Locke was finally on board with Tessa.”
Before, it was all just rumors, but now they’d gotten the truth straight from the source.
Everyone’s faces showed a mix of emotions, each person processing it in their own way.
Even Kyler hadn’t expected things to take such a dramatic turn, like a second act nobody saw coming.
First Stephen ended up at the wrong venue, and now Benjamin did the same. What were the odds?
‘Could Benjamin be here to support Aurelia too?‘ Kyler wondered, feeling a fresh wave of suspicion.
While Kyler was still trying to figure things out, he caught Cassian reassuring Tessa. “That’s just how he is. Don’t take it personally.”
Tessa felt a wave of frustration, but she put on a strong face. “It’s alright. Someday, I’ll prove myself and Mr. Locke will recognize me for what I can do!”
Kyler instantly caught on. Benjamin was only supporting Aurelia because he had a bone to pick with Tessa.
It wasn’t because he genuinely admired Aurelia at all.
For all Kyler knew, Aurelia was probably the one sowing discord between Benjamin and Tessa.
He’d seen firsthand just how manipulative she could be.
Just when Tessa was left hanging and didn’t know where to put herself, Cassian walked right up to the podium and kicked off his speech ahead of schedule.
He called it a speech, but everyone saw right through it. He was there to have Tessa’s back.
He made it crystal clear to everyone where he stood.
As long as Cassian was around, nobody would dare look down on Tessa.
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Just like Aurelia always said, no matter how many times Tessa stumbled or how hard she fell. Cassian would always be there to pick her up.
That was the confidence he gave her.
So those who were hoping to see her stumble quickly dropped their smug looks and kept up appearances, pretending to be friendly.
Even though it was obvious to everyone that Cassian cared about her, maybe even loved her.
But in that moment, Tessa felt her heart flutter. She was genuinely moved by how Cassian stood up for her.
