All Chapters of When Obsession Wears a Ring: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Raymond hadn’t slept well in a week. Anytime he closed his eyes, he was faced with scary pictures. The first was a recurring dream of Tessa alone and trapped in a muddled space, crying bitterly. He could see her through what appeared like a maze, but he couldn’t reach her.Morning bled into afternoon and still, there was no word from the man he’d hired. It’s been a week now. He sat in his study, surrounded by scattered papers and a cup of coffee that had gone cold.He had always prided himself on control, control of emotions, control of business, control of outcomes, which was one thing he had picked from his father… But control meant nothing when it came to Tessa.He picked up his phone and dialed her number again. He knew what to expect. His previous attempts had led him straight to voicemail and he had left countless notes. First urgent and demanding, then soft and pleading, then coaxing, then emotional and humbled. He had tried everything just in case she finally got to listen to

“Is there something admirable about the menu?” Tessa turned to face the bearded man leaning closer to her.“Huh?” She raised an eyebrow.“I mean, you’ve been staring at the poor thing for minutes. Ordinarily, I would have let you take your time but my sight is a bit foggy and I need breakfast else I risk fainting.” He made a weird face that sent Tessa over the moon with laughter.He was younger than she first thought, late twenties, maybe early thirties with a loosened scarf and a very expressive face that Tessa found to be quite intriguing.“No,” she said, cheeks warm. “I was just deciding. It’s that intense a choice, apparently.”“You’re in a foreign city. When you’re unsure, order the thing that sounds like the most fun to say,” he said with a small laugh. “I’m Marcus, by the way.”“Tessa,” she answered with a smile, because politeness mattered even when she wanted to retreat into the safety of anonymity.He nodded, like he’d been waiting for a name to attach to the expression he’d

Tessa had just dropped the wilted lavender into the bin when she heard a soft knock on the door. She frowned, glancing at the clock. She wasn' expecting any guest. The housekeeper was done cleaning and had already left hours ago.Without giving much thought to it, she crossed the room and opened the door.Marcus stood there, dressed in a black, well-fitted polo and joggers, holding a fresh bunch of lavender. His smile was warm, a little nervous.“Hi,” he said.For a few seconds, she didn’t respond. She was just… looking.“This is weird,” she managed finally. “Hi, Marcus. What are you doing here?”He rubbed the back of his neck, the lavender shifting slightly in his hand.“Uh, I just wanted to drop this with you. I thought tjhat maybe yours might’ve faded by now.Tessa tilted her head. “And you guessed right.”His smile broke, sheepish and warm. “Good. I was hoping that didn’t sound creepy.”“It’s only creepy if you say you’ve been watching me through the window.”“I mean…” He looked u

Tessa hadn’t meant to look for him, but she did. Every day for the next week, she found excuses to walk the long route through the neighborhood. Past the small café where they’d first talked. Past the bookstore he’d mentioned loving. Past the small shortcut they always went through anytime he walked her home.But she didn’t see him. Not even once.It wasn’t until Wednesday, the next week, that she admitted to herself - painfully, reluctantly that she missed him. Not romantically. No, not that. She wasn’t stupid enough to use the word romantic for anything anymore.But she had felt something around him. Ease.A possibility — even if it was only the possibility of friendship.And now the possibility had vanished. Just like that.She hated that it made her stomach twist. She hated that she found herself sitting at her small dining table, staring at the untouched tea in front of her and whispering to herself, I should have asked for his number.She had thought they’d see each other again

Tessa barely slept.She closed her eyes, but sleep refused to come. She tossed once, then again, inhaling shallow breaths as the roses sat on the kitchen counter like a quiet curse. Who brought them? Who was close enough to leave something right at her doorstep without being caught on sight?And then the note…I’m sorry.Two words, but her mind made them infinite.She woke up early, before the sun properly stretched itself across the buildings. She pushed the duvet away and sat up slowly, staring blankly at the wall opposite her bed.For the first time since moving to this new place, she felt unsafe inside her own home.Her body reacted before her mind: she stood, walked to the door, and checked the locks again. The click of metal against metal sounded too loud in the silence. She double-checked the chain, double-checked the peephole, pressed her forehead against the door, and exhaled shakily.She felt stupid. Dramatic. Overreacting.But fear didn’t care about logic, and her fear fel