From Something To Everything (Bounprem)

147. Mother

Tessa looked down at the crowd from the indoor balcony of the mansion. Ann had to leave her side to attend to the guests as she was the host.

Watching the group of people dressed in expensive clothes and hypocrisy, Tessa sighed. She had been mulling over the conversation with her son, wondering what she had said wrong that he got triggered all of a sudden.

"Excuse me, beautiful lady." A young male voice made Tessa turn around. "May I have the honour of keeping you company?"

Tessa couldn't help but chuckle at the young man's antics. "Sure. Why not?" she smiled at the young man who was grinning widely at her.

The man turned and waved at a waiter, who brought over a few drinks. He took a glass of champagne for himself and fruit juice for Tessa, before dismissing the waiter

Tessa took the juice from the young man. "I could use some alcohol, you know." She commented.

"But your recent health report says you couldn't." The young man gave her a knowing smile.

"Do you always go through the information and test results of every patient who comes to your hospital?" Tessa was amused by the young man.

"Nope. Only the ones I care for." The radiant smile on the young man's lips was contagious.

Tessa smiled along. "I last time I met you, you were only four or five."

"Oh? I never realised that we had met each other before." The young man leaned against the pillar.

"We have. The Guntachais and the Suansris used to be close business partners before your dad's company came into place."

"Hmm... but I don't think that my dad's company and the Guntachai pharmaceuticals have locked horns." He gave a graceful smile. "I only see a chance of collaboration between the two."

"So you are here to discuss a business collaboration, now?" Tessa sipped the orange-coloured juice.

The young man shook his head chuckling. "Of course not. I am not involved in Dad's business. I am here because I have been hearing your name a lot these days."

"Same here. I have been hearing a lot about you as well." Tessa looked down at her drink. "What is this thing? Tastes weird."

"It's a health drink that I developed. I gave the waiters the recipe. I heard that you haven't eaten anything all day."

Tessa looked at the young man with an unreadable expression.

"Please Relax, it's just a blend of fruit and vegetable juices." The man said assuringly.

"I wasn't doubting your intentions, son." Tessa gave him a thin smile. "It's just that it has been so long since someone actually cared that I haven't had my meals."

"I can. If you don't have a problem." The young man smiled charmingly.

"You are really like what I heard." Tessa chuckled taking a sip of her drink.

"I hope you heard only good things." The young man chuckled along mischievously.

"And what is included in the list of 'good things'?" Tessa tapped the handrail with her fingernails.

"Like how handsome I am or how sweet I am." The young man ran his fingers through his brown hair, striking a handsome pose.

"I did hear those." Tessa's mood considerably improved as she talked to the young man.

"Thank god." He patted his chest, heaving an exaggerated sigh of relief, making Tessa smile again.

"So, how's things going with my nephew?" Tessa asked, looking at her nephew who was talking to the guests among the crowd downstairs.

"No luck. I have been sending signals to him for a while. But the big bear seems to be living in the out-of-coverage area." The young man sighed dramatically. "And today he is leaving for half a year. I think, by the time he comes back, he might not even remember my name."

The young man's ranting made Tessa laugh out loud. "You know, men in this family can be a little slow in matters of heart. You might not have heard, Ann had to work for whole two years to get her husband to fall in love with her. But, when he fell, he fell harder, deeper and completely head over heels for her."

The young man sighed eyeing the charming dusky-skinned young man among the crowd.

"Persistence is the key, son." Tessa encouraged the young man who looked like a deflated balloon.

"I am sure that someone is going to be jealous if he were to hear you calling me son." The young man placed the emptied his glass.

Tessa smiled sadly at the statement. "If we are talking about the same person, then, I don't think he would."

"You have no idea, how much he loves you, do you?" The young man faced Tessa. "He cares a lot about you."

"You seem to know him so well."

"I do."

Tessa observed the young man for a few seconds before smiling. "I thought you hated him."

"No, I love him." The young man smiled cheekily. "In fact, he is exactly the kind of Phi chaai I always wanted." He spun on his heels in excitement. "You know, all my phi chaais had always been the kind that loves to give in to me and pamper me.

But he is different, even though he would eventually lose to me, he would still try to put up a fight. So, I love irritating him. He is hilarious when he is triggered." He laughed heartily.

Tessa playfully smacked the young man's arm. "Don't tease him too much."

The young man pouted rubbing his hand that got hit. "I am not teasing him; I am just bonding with him."

Tessa snickered not believing his words.

"I swear." The young man lifted his three fingers.

"I was just trying to know him. I really want to know him as a person before I can completely trust him. Just because I want him to be my Phi Chaai, it doesn't mean that I will let him take advantage of someone whom I consider as my own Nong Chaai." He smirked.

"Are you trying to say that my son is someone who would take advantage of others?" Tessa was sceptical. She never expected such a review.

"No. but clearly doesn't have a good reputation." The young man looked away. "But, ever since the day they had gotten together, my Nong has only been at a disadvantage.

He is so in love that he is willing to turn a blind eye to all the bad things that happened to him after he got to know your son. He is too naïve that he forgave your son for hurting him again and again.

But I am not. I can clearly see how much of a red flag he is. He did change a lot nowadays. But that is not enough for him to gain my trust. Until and unless he proves to me that he wouldn't go back to his old ways, I won't approve of him."

The man looked at the mother. "Your son may be precious to you, Maam, but to me, my Nong is priceless. In the few years I was away, he had been taken for granted by many people who didn't care about him at all. But now that I am here, I will make sure that he is going to be safe and happy."