CHAPTER TEN

Richard returned from the company after picking up the twins from school. He had cancelled all his meetings just so he could spend the rest of the day with his family.

It was an unusual occasion. His phone was constantly ringing, his assistants were always waiting outside his office, and piles of reports were usually scattered across his desk. But today, he wanted nothing to do with work. All he wanted was to spend time with his wife and children.

As usual, Ethan was nestled in his arms, his little hands wrapped around his father's shoulder, while Eliana walked beside them, her small backpack bouncing gently with every step. If Tessa had been there, Eliana wouldn't have been walking by herself. She would have been in her mother's arms, just as Ethan was being carried by Richard.

The guards respectfully bowed as they passed.

"Life didn't come to an end just because Daddy carried Ethan and left me to walk alone," Eliana muttered under her breath. Her voice was small, but it carried all the disappointment her young heart could hold.

Ethan immediately lifted his little head. "Just admit you're jealous because Daddy loves me more than you!" he declared in his childish voice, loud enough for both Richard and Eliana to hear.

He burst into a fit of giggles.

Richard shook his head with an amused smile, although his heart tightened slightly when he noticed Eliana's expression. She wasn't laughing at her brother's teasing. Instead, her little lips formed a pout, and her tiny fingers curled into a fist beside her.

Wanting to make things right, he reached down, gently took her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. However, she quickly pulled away, her eyes reflecting the quiet disappointment she was trying so hard to hide.

Ethan chuckled again, clearly pleased with himself. When Eliana shot him an annoyed glare, he cheekily stuck out his tongue.

"Hey, princess," Richard called softly, immediately switching to the affectionate tone he always used whenever he wanted to comfort her. "You know Daddy loves you just as much. You and Ethan mean everything to me. Both of you are my entire world."

But Eliana wasn't convinced.

She quickened her little steps, almost breaking into a trot as she tried to get ahead of them. Even when Richard called her name, she refused to look back.

"Eliana, wait for us!" Ethan called after her, his voice still carrying that playful teasing tone. He wasn't particularly concerned because he assumed his sister was only pretending to be upset.

He turned to Richard with a cheeky smile.

"Don't worry, Daddy. She's just jealous," he whispered.

"Stop teasing your sister," Richard gently scolded, although there was more amusement than seriousness in his voice.

He playfully poked Ethan's side, making the little boy squirm and burst into laughter.

Still grinning, Ethan leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on his father's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," he whispered innocently.

Meanwhile, Eliana had already rushed into the mansion, her tiny footsteps echoing across the polished marble floor.

The chief maid, Nanny Mina, an elderly woman whose grey hair was neatly gathered into a bun, immediately stopped when she noticed the little girl's displeased expression.

"Eliana, sweetheart, what's the matter?" Mina asked gently.

She bent down slightly, studying the little girl's face with her wrinkled eyes.

Eliana folded her arms stubbornly, although her voice softened when she answered.

"Nanny Mina, I'm good. Where's my mom?"

The maid was just about to respond when a familiar, cheerful voice came from behind them.

"Darling, you're back!"

Eliana's entire face brightened. She immediately spun around and rushed into Tessa's waiting arms, all her earlier disappointment disappearing in an instant.

Giggling happily, she buried her face against her mother's chest, breathing in the familiar scent that always made her feel safe and loved.

"I missed you, Mom," she murmured affectionately, her little lips forming an adorable pout.

"I missed you even more, my baby."

Tessa bent down and showered her daughter's cheeks with kisses, pulling her into a warm embrace. At that moment, nothing else mattered to her. All she wanted was to enjoy every precious moment she had with her children.

From the doorway, Richard walked in with Ethan still comfortably settled in his arms.

Ethan's expression immediately changed when he noticed his sister receiving all of Tessa's attention. A tiny scoff escaped his lips as jealousy flickered in his innocent eyes.

Richard merely watched the scene with a faint smile, although his gaze eventually drifted towards Tessa's neck.

There, just below her jawline, was the faint but unmistakable love bite he had left the previous night.

He hadn't given her much chance to rest, especially after she looked at him with those irresistible eyes and whispered his name in such a helpless, affectionate voice.

Even now, the memory sent a familiar warmth through him. The corners of his lips slowly curved upwards as he recalled how, despite the hours they had spent together, he still hadn't gotten enough of his wife.

Tessa eventually lifted her head and met his gaze. Noticing the mischievous glint in his eyes, she immediately understood what he was thinking. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she quickly pretended to adjust Eliana's hair, hoping nobody would notice her embarrassment.

But Richard noticed.

He always did.

Just then, Justin walked into the mansion with a smile.

"Justin," Tessa called, having expected her arrival before Richard returned with the twins.

"Hi, Richard," Justin greeted him warmly.

Richard offered a brief, rather restrained smile but didn't say anything.

Nobody seemed to notice his unusual reaction except Justin.

"Hi, Aunty Justin!" The twins greeted each other.

Justin smiled and waved at them.

"Kids, why don't you go inside with Daddy? Aunty Justin and I need to have a little chat," Tessa informed them.

Richard immediately took the opportunity to leave with the children, almost as though he had been waiting for an excuse to excuse himself since Justin arrived.

The moment they were gone, Tessa grabbed Justin's hand and hurriedly led her into the guest room.

She closed the door behind them and twisted the lock with trembling fingers.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. The silence inside the room felt suffocating, and she could no longer keep her worries to herself.

"How did it go?" she asked, her voice low and impatient.

Justin casually leaned against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Tessa's anxious expression.

"You look worried. Why?" she asked with a slight scoff, tilting her head as though she already knew the reason.

"I'm worried about him, okay?" Tessa snapped, her nervousness making her voice sharper than intended.

She ran a hand through her hair before bringing it down to her chest.

"Did you manage to get a donor for him in time? Was the payment made too late? Justin, please, just tell me!"

Justin pressed her lips together before releasing a sigh and shrugging.

"Yes, but unfortunately, it was too late. Someone had already made the payment."

Her gaze remained fixed on Tessa's face, carefully observing her reaction.

"And there's something I want to know. What's your relationship with this man? Why are you so concerned about him?"

Tessa froze. She parted her mouth, but no words came out. She blinked several times with her eyelashes fluttering as she struggled to find an answer.

Eventually, she lowered herself onto the couch beside Justin, her shoulders slumping as though the weight of the truth had suddenly become too much to bear.

"Declan is my sister's husband. It's a long story," she finally murmured, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

Justin raised her eyebrows, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She clearly wasn't convinced.

"Really?" she asked softly, her tone filled with disbelief.

Tessa felt her chest tighten.

She wasn't ready to reveal everything. Not completely, and certainly not yet. Something deep inside her kept warning her against saying too much, as though revealing the truth would put everything she had built in her present life at risk.

But Justin was her friend. More than that, she was the closest friend she had, someone she had always trusted.

Slowly, Tessa lifted her head. Her lips trembled slightly before she finally let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine," she whispered, turning to face her properly.

"Declan is my ex-husband."

The confession slipped out in a rush, as though finally speaking the words might somehow relieve the burden she had been carrying.

Justin's eyes widened immediately, and her mouth fell open in surprise.

However, she didn't scream or gasp. She simply remained where she was, studying Tessa with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.

"Your ex-husband?" she repeated gently, as though trying to process what she had just heard.

A moment later, her voice softened, taking on an almost teasing quality.

"Do you still love him?"

Tessa's heart skipped a beat.

She shook her head a little too quickly, pressing her palms against her knees as though she needed something to steady herself.

"I'm married, Justin. And it's been years. I can't possibly love another man when Richard is my husband," she blurted out.

Her voice cracked slightly, revealing emotions she desperately wanted to conceal.

"Really? Does Richard even know that you have an ex-husband?" Justin asked.

Tessa nodded, her expression suddenly weary.

Justin straightened, a strange glint appearing in her eyes.

"If Richard ever discovers that you asked me to pay for Declan's treatment and find a donor for him, what do you think he'll do?"

Silence descended upon the room.

Her question hung heavily between them like a dagger, and Tessa felt her heart pounding violently against her chest.