Reclaiming Her Heart

"Who taught you to say that?" Lawrence's face darkened, and his gaze turned cold. "Tessa, don't pick up bad habits from Richard."

Tessa pouted in grievance and continued to cling to his arm.

Lawrence, ever the gentleman, disliked seeing women bicker. He was fully dedicated to his work but was very responsible towards the Smith family.

To Lawrence, Tessa was just a spoiled but harmless girl. She was simply a young woman who wanted the world to revolve around her, which wasn't entirely unreasonable given her age. "Lawrence, I was wrong." Tessa pouted, falling silent as she knew Lawrence didn't appreciate such behavior.

Lawrence's gaze occasionally drifted towards Selena.

Selena had already walked to a distant viewing platform. The mountain was high, offering a sweeping view of the night scene.

The city lights below looked like the Milky Way scattered on the ground. It was Selena's first time seeing Silver Bay City from this vantage point.

As Selena sat on a stone bench, Raymond reached out and touched the ends of her hair. "Has your hair grown longer?"

Her hair used to be shoulder-length, but now it was long enough to be tied into a ponytail.

He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger and asked, "Do you want to tie it up?"

Selena shook her head but noticed a black hair tie on his wrist.

Usually, Raymond wore nothing but a watch, but today he had a hair tie.

Her gaze lingered for a few seconds.

Raymond felt a bit embarrassed. "I thought your hair might have grown longer and you might want to tie it up, so I brought a hair tie just in case." Selena suddenly laughed and grabbed his wrist to look at it more closely.

It was just a cheap hair tie, but on his slender wrist, it looked surprisingly elegant.

"Raymond, will you keep this hair tie on your wrist for me?" Selena said.

"Do you like it?" Raymond asked.

"Yes." Selena nodded.

"Alright, I'll keep it for you." Raymond agreed.

As soon as he finished speaking, they heard footsteps behind them. Someone had come to inform them that the king crab was ready. Seafood was best enjoyed while it was hot; otherwise, it lost its flavor.

Raymond held Selena's hand openly and walked to the central table.

The chef had already brought the king crab on a platter. The tender crab meat effortlessly slides out of the shell with just a gentle pull.

Selena took a bite and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Others at the table were also sampling the seafood. However, they were so accustomed to it that it might not have been as enticing as a slice of pizza. Seeing Selena's expression, someone let out a chuckle. But with Raymond sitting there, no one dared to say anything.

When Tessa's portion of king crab was ready, she sat about three feet away from Selena.

Tessa spoke in a coquettish tone. ;"Ms. Fair, you seem easily pleased. Just a king crab can make you so happy."

Raymond's face immediately darkened. "No talking during meals. Didn't the Smith family teach you any manners?"

Tessa's eyes instantly reddened, and she leaned towards Lawrence. "Lawrence."This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Lawrence looked at Raymond. Since Raymond had arrived, neither of them had exchanged a word.

Lawrence didn't like Raymond, and Raymond naturally didn't like Lawrence.

"Mr. Montague, that was a bit harsh. Tessa was just asking out of concern."

As soon as he finished speaking, Selena asked, "I heard Ms. Smith has a heart condition. Did the doctor say how long she has left?"

Seeing Lawrence's face darken further, she looked up and smiled at him. "I was just concerned about Ms. Smith's health, asking out of care."

Selena threw Lawrence's words back at him, leaving him momentarily stunned.

When Lawrence came to his senses, he frowned and saw Tessa slam the table.

"Selena, who do you think you are?" she demanded.

Two men immediately responded with a sharp, "Shut up."

One voice belonged to Raymond, the other to Lawrence.

She was met with two men's scolding, "Shut up."

One from Raymond, the other from Lawrence.

Lawrence raised his hand to rub his forehead. "Don't speak that way."

Tessa's eyes instantly reddened. "Lawrence, are you not on my side?"

"I am," Lawrence said.

He took a tissue and wiped Tessa's cheek. Seeing that she was genuinely crying, he became a bit flustered.

"Tessa, if you're unhappy, I'll take you out alone. I'll postpone my work for a few days and have Richard come to accompany you. We can go anywhere you want, just don't argue with others," Lawrence added. Tessa felt much better. "Lawrence, you're right. I don't need to get worked up over others."

Others quickly showed their concern.

"Ms. Smith, you have to try this. The chef took inspiration from a Michelin-starred dish and put his own twist on it."

"Ms. Smith, my family just opened a hotel in the desert. If you're into unique experiences, I'd love to offer you a complimentary stay."

When Tessa cried, everyone flocked around her.

Tessa's lips curled up as she looked at Selena, raising her eyebrows slightly.

If Selena were the one feeling wronged, these people would just enjoy the drama. That was the difference between the two of them.

Tessa sneered inwardly. She didn't really want to cry. She knew Lawrence would support her unconditionally. Both Lawrence and Cora doted on her. As long as she didn't commit a serious crime, they were willing to solve any problem for Tessa.