LOGINMaribel approached them, her face etched with confusion. Tessa slid away, knowing she had to quickly come up with something to distract her from the position she had seen them in. As if running into Dylan wasn’t enough, Maribel had to meet them, almost pressed against each other. It’d been a rough day for her, but she had to play it off now and hoped that her best friend wouldn’t suspect anything.“Thank you, Mr. Anderson.” Tessa sniffled, brushing at her cheeks, wiping away the fresh tears that had quickly formed.Maribel halted in front of them, her eyes darting between her best friend and her father. “What happened, Tessa? Why are you crying?” Worry and fatigue colored her tone. She edged closer to her friend, gathering her in her arms. “What happened, Dad?” Her gaze fell back on Julian.Julian stared down at Tessa as if he was quietly asking if he should respond to his daughter’s question.“Your dad saved me from Dylan.” Tessa quickly came to their rescue. “I ran into him and he…
Tessa’s knuckles whitened, her fists clenching as Dylan approached her with a big grin forming on his face. After everything he did to her, the bastard had the nerve to smile in her face.He halted a few inches away from her as if he was trying to maintain some distance between them. “It’s been a while, Tessa.” Dylan’s lips curled in a sly smile, his gaze traveling over her body, assessing her. “Who knew we would meet again in a bowling alley? It’s been months. How have you been?” He stretched out a palm, expecting her to slide hers atop like the fool she used to be.Tessa studied him quietly. Grey shirt and black denim. His beard was fuller. His hair looked almost unkempt. He still looked the same—tall and lean, but was a little bit scruffy now. He looked broke. Guess he had finished spending the money he stole from her.“What are you doing here?” Anger flared inside her. It was crazy that she randomly thought of him some minutes ago, and he was right there in front of her. What was
TWO WEEKS LATERTheir new relationship had blossomed beautifully. True to his words, he took it slowly with her. They’d been moving at her pace. Gentle and soft. Only taking what she offered. There have been a few kisses and moments of intimacy that never ended in sex.A part of her was still haunted by the thought of almost giving herself to Sebastian, and she wanted the weight of it to vanish completely before giving herself to Julian again, untainted by another man’s touch.Tessa had offered to take him out on a date over the weekend. They had the house to themselves until Maribel arrived. She wanted them to do something different—something to make him feel a little bit more alive.“Just us,” she said, extending her palm to take the keys from the chauffeur. “And I’m driving.” She smirked as she dangled the keys in Julian’s face. “Come on.”Inside the car, she gripped the steering wheel tightly, a bright smile plastered on her face as she prepared to drive out of the driveway. He ha
Julian’s request and the thoughts on how to set clear boundaries with Sebastian messed with her head, contributing significantly to the insomnia she experienced all through the night. Tessa trudged into the reception area, hoping to catch some rest before work started, but as she pushed the door to her office open, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting for her as usual.“This needs to stop.” She murmured, tossing her bag on the desk. Sebastian really needed to stop sending her flowers. She picked up the flower and stormed out of her office, but this time, she didn’t give them to the receptionist. She took a turn towards the place she had never been to since she started working at Kensington Realty.She pressed some raps at the door, walking in with his permission. With a stoic expression, she approached his desk. “Good morning, Mr. Sebastian.” She gently lowered the bouquet on his desk, taking a brief look at him. His face held befuddlement, but she didn’t mind. She was done playi
With a trembling hand, she grabbed the phone off the table and placed it on her ear.“Grandpa?” Waves of calm washed over her after she spoke with her grandparents, and they relayed the reason for the call.Five minutes later, she dropped the call, but her fingers remained stiff around the phone.“Your grandparents?” Julian asked.“Sorry, I should have asked for an excuse. I was just scared something might have happened to them.”“How are they?” His gaze sharpened with interest.“They are fine,” Tessa responded abruptly, but it occurred to her that Julian didn’t know anything about them. Why not give him a little story? “They raised me after my parents decided to leave me alone in this world. They are the reason I haven’t given up on life.” She turned to resume eating her food, but Julian noticed that she was brushing the cutlery over the food rather than picking up a fork to her mouth.Her mood was shifted. Maybe it was the conversation with her grandparents, or perhaps she was simpl
“For the times that I was silly, I’m sorry.”The wave of guilt that gnawed at her was indescribable. It cut deep. Very deep. “Mr. Anderson.” She tried to say something, but words failed her. “Do you forgive me, Tessaline?”“Yes,” she said, pushing aside the guilt that was killing her from within. “I do.” She steadied herself with a small smile on her face. “Thank you.” He stroked her fingers lightly, showering them with kisses. “I missed you.”She did too. She missed him so much, but was too angry to admit it. Looking at him now, the realization of how much she missed him dawned on her. She had been sulking on her first day at Ballawin, all because of Julian. The second day was when she got involved with Sebastian. That night, shame and guilt stole her sleep. All through her three days away, he was always on her mind.“I—” She couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She feared they wouldn’t sound genuine enough if they left her mouth. “I just…” she motioned at the garden. “I reall







