His Unveiled Passion

Stephen was now leisurely exploring Tessa's bedroom.

Her bedroom was homey yet simple. The bed sheets and the duvet were soft blue.

She also had a walk-in closet attached to the room.

There was a faint, barely noticeable fragrance in the air. It was reminiscent of Tessa's preferred brand of perfume. It had a distinctly floral note to it, light yet gentle.

Stephen wandered around Tessa's room with interest, looking over every nook and cranny he could find.

A white tablecloth was spread neatly across the desk without a single crinkle in sight, and a vase was filled with freshly bloomed ice-blue roses.

A blue ceramic Cinnamoroll was placed right next to the vase. Stephen remembered that Tessa had painted it with her mother.

This very Cinnamoroll had once been broken. Stephen was the one who had sought an expert to have it restored for her.

He carefully picked up the Cinnamoroll, turning it around to inspect it.

It had been mended very well, looking as though it had never been broken in the first place.

Once he finished his inspection, he gently placed it back in its original spot.

He looked to the side and saw a wooden cabinet. Several photo frames were placed on it, all containing pictures of Tessa and her mother.

One of them was a picture of Tessa back when she was possibly five or six years old. She had an adorable pink princess dress on and a big bow in her hair. She was sitting on her mother's lap, dimpling sweetly for the camera. Her eyes seemed to be shining with joy. It was clear that she was having the time of her life.

Tessa was celebrating her 8th birthday in another picture. There was a delicate diamond tiara placed on her head, and her eyes were closed as she made a wish in front of her cake. Her mother, Tyla, was sitting right next to her with a soft smile on her face.

Then, there was a photo of Tessa holding a trophy from a piano competition when she was ten. Her parents stood proudly on either side of her. There was a warm smile on Tyla's face. Tessa was beaming at the camera radiantly, her eyes shining like jewels.

These were all moments in Tessa's past that Stephen wasn't there for.

Stephen reached out and gently caressed each picture, looking at them lovingly.

He would no longer miss out on anything in her life from now on.

Marianne finally left the premises an hour later.

Michelle also departed after whipping up a meal for Wynn.

Tessa felt a weight off her shoulders once they were gone.

She opened the door to her bedroom and said, "You can come out now."

However, there wasn't a single person in sight in her bedroom.

Tessa tilted her head in confusion as she walked into her room. The massive bedroom seemed untouched, with no sign of Stephen anywhere.

She pushed the door to the walk-in closet open. "Stephen, are you in there?"

Alas, she still received no answer.

That was odd. Where did he go? He couldn't have vanished into thin air, could he?

"Stephen, where are you?" Tessa cried out in absolute bewilderment.

Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation around her wrist before she was dragged into a familiar embrace.

She felt her back pressing against a firm chest. Due to the thin fabric of his shirt, she could clearly feel the heat emanating from his body.

"I'm here," Stephen murmured lowly.

He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. As he spoke, his breath tickled against the curve of her neck.

Tessa immediately felt as though a

current had shot through her body,

leaving her numb and tingly. Her

knees felt like jelly, and she could

barely remain standing.noveldrama

Stephen instantly sensed the

change he wrought on her. His tone

turned playful as he said alluringly,

"What's this? Are you so susceptible

to my wiles?"

A soft breath escaped Tessa's lips. She turned around and met his gaze.

Stephen straightened now that they were face to face. His dark eyes roiled with emotion, but they never once left Tessa's face.

After a few seconds, Tessa suddenly stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Stephen's neck, and kissed him.

Her kiss was clumsy, so she merely

gave him a few pecks. Regardless,

she could tell that her kiss felt

nothing like how Stephen had swept

her off her feet earlier.

Meanwhile, Stephen simply stood there, feeling her lips pressing against his and not responding in the slightest.

A pang of frustration and defeat welled up within Tessa. So, she released her hold on him and steadied herself.