His Unveiled Passion

Zachary's words lingered in Tessa's mind like a spell, leaving her restless and uneasy.

Even until the next day when Tessa visited Stephen, she looked preoccupied.

"Tessa, what's on your mind?" Stephen asked.

She fluttered her eyelashes and turned her face away from him. "What... What's with Susan?"

He smirked meaningfully. "Are you jealous?"

She puffed her cheeks, pretending to be indifferent. "Of course not. You have never mentioned her before, so I was just curious.

Remembering how that woman had kidnapped Seline and even tried to stab her, she felt angry on top of her jealousy. "How did you attract such a crazy admirer? She's completely insane!"

Stephen gestured for her to get closer. "Tessa, come over here."

She obediently moved closer and sat by his bedside.

Taking her hand, Stephen looked at her seriously. "She was my high school classmate. She pursued me fervently back then, but I rejected her clearly. Later, she attended the same university as me and continued chasing me, but I never gave her any hope."

She lowered her eyes and pouted. "That's it?"

Stephen pinched her cheeks. "That's really it. I hardly spoke to her, and we never even exchanged contact information."

Tessa remained silent for a moment before asking, "Then why did she persist for so long? Ten years isn't short, after all. It's not mere days or months."

He chuckled helplessly. "How would I know? Everyone around me knows how indifferent I have been to her. We barely spoke a few sentences in ten years.

She leaned closer and huffed. "How many sentences are 'barely'?"

He laughed softly. "Maybe five or six sentences...

"What could you possibly have to say in so many sentences?" Her tone turned unreasonable.

Seeing her jealous expression, Stephen found her utterly adorable.

His gaze softened, overflowing with affection. "Nothing much. She confessed a few times in high school, and I rejected her twice. After that, we rarely spoke."

"You really didn't feel anything for her?" Tessa asked skeptically. "She's pretty, after all."

"Nope," Stephen said firmly, gazing at her intently. "There's already someone in my heart. There's no room for anyone else."

She feigned ignorance. "Someone else? Who's that?"

He gleamed with amusement. "Who do you think?"

She mumbled vaguely, "How would I know if you don't tell me?"

In Stephen's eyes, her sulking was pure coquettishness, melting his heart entirely. He couldn't resist. With a smile, he said, "There's no one else but you."

Tessa turned her face away, avoiding his gaze. "She confessed to you in high school. I was so young back then."

He couldn't have liked her at that age, could he?

Stephen explained, "I didn't think about dating in high school."

Hearing that, Tessa grew curious. She looked into Stephen's eyes, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling. "When did you start liking me?"

He said, "At first, I only saw you as a little sister. I'm not sure when it changed."

She pressed on. "Not even an approximate time?"

"If I had to guess, it was when you were in high school. When Jordan Lane harassed you, I realized something was different after I hit him."

She pursed her lips. "You hid it well."noveldrama

Stephen ruffled her soft hair. "I had to wait for you to grow up."

His eyes revealed a hint of sorrow.

"When you graduated from college, I went to your father to propose a marriage alliance. But you didn't agree and ran away from home."

Feeling guilty, she looked away. "I thought my dad was sacrificing me for the company's benefit. How would + know you had this planned all along? You didn't tell me, and I felt so wronged... "

He suddenly put on a pitiful expression. "Ouch, my wound hurts."

Panicked, Tessa immediately leaned over his waist. "What's wrong? Did you accidentally touch it? I'll call the nurse."

He pulled her into his arms just like that, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was low and gentle. "Just hold me and it won't hurt anymore."

She chuckled. "You're teasing me?"

"No," Stephen murmured, stroking her hair gently. "It really hurts, so be good. Let me hold you and the pain will go away.

Tessa nuzzled her face against him, taking in his presence.

...

When Zachary returned from dinner, he was stopped in the hotel lobby.

"Zachary."

He turned toward the voice and saw a young woman he didn't recognize.

She was dressed in luxury brands from head to toe.

"You are?" His eyes were full of confusion as he walked toward her.

The woman leaned against the couch, tilting her head slightly to look at him. "You will know soon enough."

Zachary sat in front of her and asked again, "Who are you?"

She replied, "The Jacobson family's adopted daughter, Jacqueline."

"The Jacobson family?" He frowned and continued, "Stephen's sister?"

"That's right." She smiled. "How about considering a partnership with me?"

He looked puzzled. "What kind of partnership?"

She smirked. "One that will break Stephen and Tessa up."

Zachary eyed her suspiciously. "Why should I trust you?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Because I love Stephen. No one wants to break them up more than I do."

Jacqueline handed him a business card. "I know you've been looking for investments recently. Contact this number, and they will invest in the Gomez Group.'

She added, "But if you want the Gomez Group to be invested in, you have to work with me to break them up."

He glanced at the card. "Even without the investment, I will find a way to break them up. Tessa can only ever be mine."

She curled her lips into a smile. "Then, Mr. Gomez, I hope we get along."

He looked thoughtful. "I will verify your identity before contacting you."

"No worries." She offered him her contact information. "We'll stay in touch."