Semua Bab From Maid to Heiress : Bab 21 - Bab 24

22 Shelved Dreams Five Years Later The mall buzzed with life. Carts rolled across polished floors, children tugged at their parents’ hands, and clusters of shoppers filled the aisles with chatter that rose and fell like a tide. The air was laced with the scent of fried snacks from the food court and the faint, sterile chill of air conditioning.Behind one of the counters stood Tessy, dressed in the mall’s uniform. The scanner beeped rhythmically in her hand as she swiped items across it, calling out totals with a tired but steady voice.Exhaustion clung to her face, subtle lines of weariness softening her features, but her beauty hadn’t dimmed. Her wavy black hair was pulled into a practical ponytail, her ember-hued eyes catching the overhead light whenever she looked up. Her lips, small and quirked naturally at the edges, still held a kind of quiet grace.She was no longer the girl she’d been years ago. She had grown into a striking young woman but her life circumstances hadn’t gr

24Goodbyes and Beginnings Tessy folded her clothes neatly, tucking them into the suitcase one after another. She moved around the small room in a quiet rhythm, fold, place, smooth, like she was trying to keep her thoughts from spilling over. The night moon spilled its silver light through the window, brushing over her face and lighting up the room in soft shades. A faint breeze pushed the curtains inward, shifting them lazily and revealing the world outside.Her eyes drifted. Just beyond, Ryan’s bedroom window stood across the space. She froze, caught off guard by the sight. Memories surged without warning, his voice, his laughter, the sting of his words. For a heartbeat, she let herself feel it, then shook her head sharply. No. Even if she somehow bumped into him in the city, which was unlikely, she would walk past like a stranger. There was nothing left to say. And she was certain he’d ignore her too. Especially after the words he flung at her.The creak of the door snapped her ou