Chapter 37~ Apology gift
Aaron had used his connections to push Serena’s trial forward.
He wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible so that they can finally have some peace of mind.
The Winston siblings had been a thorn in his flesh that he couldn’t wait to get rid of.
It was the day of the trial and Josh had gone to testify against Serena. Jerry had also been arrested but he was released on bail because he wasn’t in possession of the drugs and he was drugged as
well.
He was just told to pay a fine and given a restraining order to stay far away from Tessa. They also cancelled the contract between them without having to pay for breaches because of the incident that happened.
Aaron and Tessa were seated in the courtroom as Josh explained what had happened.
He explained how Serena had approached him and how he had recorded their conversation. Although, he left out the part where he switched up the drinks. He said he didn’t know how Serena ended up being drugged.
The judge heard both sides of the stories but she wasn’t impressed with Serena’s defence, saying
she had the intent to harm the victim in both cases that she and Tessa were involved in a
scandal.
Thus, Serena was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for being in the presence of a class one drug, called ecstasy.
Serena’s eyes widened when the jury passed their verdict. She couldn’t believe she would spend ten years in prison while Tessa would live the life she deserved with the man who belonged to
her.
Hatred brewed in her heart but unfortunately, she couldn’t take revenge on Tessa even if she
wanted to.
At the same time, Tessa let out a breath she was holding when the judgement was passed. Serena was a psychopath and there was no way Tessa would ever feel safe if she was left to freely roam
the streets.
When Serena was being taken to the correctional facility, her eyes met Tessa’s and she became crazy with fury as she pushed the officers away and attempted to jump into the audience to get to
her.
However, she was held back by the police officers and all she could do was throw profanities at
Tessa.
“Fuck you, bitch! You’re just a substitute! Who do you think you are? You’re a whore who stole my man! Are you going to be happy knowing you were the second choice?! Do you think Aaron would want you if you didn’t have his bastard kids?!”
Serena laughed like a maniac as the officers dragged her away from the courtroom. She kept
screaming hysterically.
“Remember, bitch! I was his first love and his first choice. If not for me, he wouldn’t even have
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looked at you. You just replaced me! I still had the last laugh because you’re just a substitute! My substitute.”
The air around Aaron dropped to a negative and he stood up, ready to defend Tessa but she grabbed onto his arm and shook her head, saying, “Let her be. Right now, she’s desperate. She wants to feel better so saying what she thinks would hurt me is like a soothing balm for her. I’m ok. She’s the one who will spend ten years in jail.”
“So you just want me to watch her insult you like that?” Aaron asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“Um… We can let her be since this is her last day of freedom. She will be locked up for a long time and that’s a lot for someone who grew up in luxury I actually feel sorry for her. Will she be able to survive the harsh environment of prison?”
“I wouldn’t feel sorry for her if I were you. She was going to drug you and make that Jerry guy have his way with you,” Aaron said with a hard edge to his tone. “She’s evil, Tessa. She’s getting what she deserves. I know you’re a good person. But don’t feel sorry for her. You reap what you
sow.”
Aaron was annoyed that Jerry went scot-free. But he had a plan for him. He would meet him in the business world and crush him completely.
He grabbed Tessa’s hand and led her out of the court. They walked in silence, mulling over what happened.
It might not look like it but Serena’s words had gotten to Tessa. Those words would always be a sensitive topic to her because it was true. She had once been a mistress. A second choice. A substitute. Tessa didn’t know if she would be able to forget that part of her life.
“Don’t let what she said get to you, Tessa. If I can turn back time and do things differently, I would. My biggest regret is that I hurt you and possibly scarred you for life. I’m really, deeply, truly
you ar
sorry,” Aaron said when he noticed how quiet Tessa was, knowing what was on her mind.
“Can we put the past behind us? How about you judge me based on my actions now. I’ve really changed. You are very precious to me. Hurting you would hurt me as well. I can never do it again.”
Tessa smiled. She looked at him and admitted, “I know. I can see it.”
Indeed, Aaron had shown her so many times that he would never hurt her again. She liked this version of him better than the one from five years ago.
Aaron’s eyes became rounder as he asked, “If you can see it, why don’t you want to give me a
second chance?”
Tessa sighed. She knew this topic would always come up and she would always have the same. answer. She didn’t want to hurt Aaron but this was something she had decided for herself. Love
was just not for her. It hurt like hell.
“Because I had made a decision to stay single. I don’t want to invest my emotions in something that may hurt me in the future. Besides, didn’t we agree to be just friends?“
Aaron’s shoulders sagged as he was friend-zoned for the second time.
He didn’t want to push Tessa so he nodded. “Yeah. We are friends. Can my friend keep some time for me in the evening? There’s something I need to give you”
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“You can wait at home for me. Or come to the office. Whichever place you prefer is fine,” Tessa replied, grateful for the change of topic.
Aaron smiled, he then opened the car door for Tessa and protected her head when she entered the car. He bent over and said, “Stay safe. Call me if anything unusual happens.”
Tessa rolled her eyes and replied, “Mr CEO, has anyone ever told you that you’re paranoid? Serena is in jail and Harry is dead.”
“Call me paranoid or crazy. But I’ll never compromise your safety again. They claim Harry is dead but they didn’t find his body. Until I see proof that the asshole is dead, I’ll always be careful. I can’t
lose you again.”
He then tapped the car and said to Josh, “Protect her well. She’s my future wife.”
“Aaron!” Tessa protested and her face flushed. “I’m not your wife.”
Aaron smirked and said, “Yet. You will be mine soon.”
Aaron watched the car disappear. Only when it left did he move. He went directly to Tony’s office.
“Look who’s here! The boss himself!” Tony said as he stood up from his chair to give his friend a manly hug.
“I’m here because it’s urgent, bro. I don’t want to waste any more time,” Aaron replied as he took a seat. “Let’s get straight to the point. I need a cancellation form. I need the Winstons out of my life. for good so I want to do everything properly to avoid future problems.”
Tony smiled and took out a document from his drawers. “Lucky for you, you have a good friend who thinks of you. I already drafted it and made sure it had no loopholes. All you have to do is make Mr Winston sign it since he’s the one who had signed the contract.”
Aaron let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at Tony and said, “Thank you, bro. I appreciate this. I’ll arrange for you guys to meet Tessa and the kids soon.”
“Don’t mention it. What are friends for? I can’t wait to officially meet our sister-in-law. Can I be the triplet’s godfather?”
“There are two other friends who would want to be the godfather,” Aaron said.
“Then we can all be the godfathers,” Tony suggested.
Aaron shook his head, “They have a hot-tempered godmother whom I try my best to avoid. She needs someone to tame her. If anyone of you manages to capture her heart, then the kids will have their godfather.”
Tony furrowed his eyebrows and said “What kind of condition is that? I’ll just stick to being their uncle. I don’t like difficult women Perhaps Graham can give it a try.”
Aaron chuckled and leaned forward. His forearms rested on his knees and he laced his fingers as he inquired, “Is the transfer done?”
Tony nodded and took out another document, giving it to Aaron He remarked, “Yes, it’s done. You just need her signature You’re really going all out in your mission to capture Tessa’s heart. I’m taking notes”
Aaron took the document. He went through every detail and when he was satisfied, he smiled and
put it in a folder. He said, “It’s perfect. Oh, and only take notes when she agrees to marry me. I don’t think it’s working so far.”
“Don’t worry, as long as you’re sincere, she will open up her heart sooner or later,” Tony said, reminding Aaron of what his father had said. “By the way, Mia will be graduating soon. She’s coming back home to see her crush.”
Aaron frowned and resisted the urge to punch Tony to remove the wide grin on his face. “Tell your sister the truth, Tony. She’s family. I wouldn’t want her getting hurt because of some silly crush.”
Tony sighed and glared at Aaron, saying, “I know, I blame you for being too handsome and rich.”
Aaron left the lawyer’s office and drove straight to the Winston’s apartment. He promised to lend Benjamin some starting capital to revive his business and that’s how the old man agreed to sign the cancellation form for the marriage alliance.
As of that day, there was nothing standing in the way of Tessa and Aaron. Aaron planned to show the cancellation form to Tessa to show her that he wasn’t bound to anyone, physically, emotionally or legally.
Meanwhile, Tessa took longer than expected at the office.
Since she had gone to attend Serena’s trial, her workload had piled up so she worked overtime. When she stepped out of her office, she found Lisa Brooks, her assistant, dozing at her desk.
Guilt filled Tessa and she called out, “Lisa, I thought you had knocked off already. Don’t wait for me when I’m working overtime.”
Lisa stood up, wiping the drool from the corner of her lips, saying, “Mr Wentworth pays me extra so I can accompany you at all times. He said you shouldn’t be left alone at the Company.”
Tessa felt confused, she asked. “When did he do that?”
“From the moment Mr Winston went missing.”
Tessa’s heart swelled with warmth and a smile curved at the corner of her lips.
Her bodyguards drove her home. She rushed upstairs and the moment she opened the door and walked in, she found Aaron and the triplets waiting for her by the door.
“Welcome home, Mommy!”
Willa then walked towards her and handed a document to her. “From Daddy.”
Tessa arched an eyebrow and grabbed the document. She gasped when she saw that it was the deed to the shopping mall where she rents her office space.
And it was in her name!
She arched her eyebrow at Aaron, asking, “What is this?”
Aaron smiled and said, “It’s an apology gift.”
