Chapter 20
After taking the photo, Stephen handed the phone to Tessa liis gaze remained steady, his tone neutral. “Your friend seems to have sent you a message.
“Hmun? Let me take a look”
Tessa opened the message, and her expression froze.
she knew the phone would automatically display the message as a banner notification, and Stephen had likely seen it.
A flicker of guilt crossed het face as she looked back at him, explaining, “Ex–boyfriend. We’ve broken up.”
“Mm,” Stephen marmured, his face unreadable, offering no hint of emotion.
blocked him on WhatsApp, but I forgot to block his mumber,” she added.
Tessa felt a little flustered, unsure why she felt guilty. At 25, having an ex–boyfriend was perfectly normal, wasn’t it?
Besides, she had been dating before agreeing to an attanged marriage. She hadn’t done anything wrong to Stephen, so why was she feeling guilty? Taking a deep breath, she composed herself. “I’ll block him right now,” she said.
In front of Stephen, she added Zachary’s number to her blacklist.
With a final glance at Stephen, she reassured him, “Don’t worry. Now that I’ve agreed to marry you, my ex is just a thing of the past.”
He gave a bet nod. His dark eyes revealed little emotion, but as she turned away, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
After spending a few days with Stephen, Tessa returned to Rivertown.
she hadn’t told her family about her armval, so no one from the Yates family was at the airport to pick her up.
Instead, it was Stephen’s assistant, Avery Gray, who greeted her.
The black Rolls–Royce Cullinan rolled to a stop in front of the Yates residence.
“Shall I accompany you inside?” stephen asked.
Tessa shook her head. “No need.”
She stood at the front door, a mix of anticipation and apprehension swirling inside her.
He noticed her bestation but didn’t linger.
After the car pulled away, Tessa pressed the doorbell. It had been three years since she’d left home without a key, and now, returning to her own house, she had to ring the bell. It felt strangely unfamiliar.
The door swung open, and there stood Carla, the housekeeper, looking stunned at the sight of her
“Ms. Tessa___ you’re back?” Carla’s voice quivered slightly.
Tessa’s heart tightened. She gave a soft nod and replied, “Yes.”
“You’re finally back. I’ll call Mr. Yates right away.
“He’s not home?
“No, Mr. Yates is at work, and Mrs. Yates is at Ms. Seline’s school for a parent–child event.”
Tessa felt a wave of relief. Having just returned home, she craved some peace and quiet. She wasn’t ready to face her family just yet.
Her stepmother, younger sister, and estranged father always gave her a headache.
Test made her way to her bedroom. It looked exactly as she had left it. It was clean, tidy, and clearly well–kept.
be unparked her suitcase before heading straight to the shower,
As stepped out of the balloon, Carla knocked gently on the door and called, “Ms. Tessa, what would you liker for dinner? I’ll head out for groceries now. Tessa per door and offered a faint smile. “just like before.”
“Got it!” Carla responded cheedully.
She had been working for the Yates family for over a decade, watching Tessa grow up. many ways, Tessa felt like her own daughter.
It had been Carla who found Tessa lying do the show the night Tyla died, and it was also she who had brought Tessa inside
