His Unveiled Passion

Hayden had booked an extravagant private booth at the restaurant. There were only five of them present, but the table was large enough to seat ten people. Hayden pulled out a chair and politely offered the seat to Stephen.

"Have a seat, Mr. Jacobson."

Stephen was used to people trying to win his favor, so he accepted the offered seat and sat down. However, it was Tessa's first time seeing how others treated Stephen, the president of Jacobson Corporation. He remained stoic despite how Hayden was trying to get in his good graces, and his distant demeanor discouraged people from approaching him.

He felt like a stranger to Tessa. It was hard for her to connect the Stephen in front of her with the one who used to willingly put on an apron to prepare a meal with her.

After Stephen sat down, Xavier sank into the seat on his right. Hayden then sat one seat away from Stephen's left. His choice had been a calculated one—if he was too far, he couldn't talk business, but if he was too close, he risked offending Stephen.

It was why Hayden had chosen to sit one seat away.

Barry sat down on Hayden's left while Tessa purposefully chose the seat that was furthest away from Stephen, which left her facing him directly. Stephen leaned back against the chair as he cast his gaze around the table. Disappointment flickered in his eyes briefly.noveldrama

Xavier had witnessed the entire scene, but he could only sigh to himself silently. Stephen and Tessa were truly a pair of star-crossed lovers.

After everyone had sat down, Hayden pushed the menu toward Stephen. "Mr. Jacobson."

Stephen flipped through it carelessly and ordered a few dishes before pushing the menu back to Hayden, who added a few more dishes. Meanwhile, Tessa kept her eyes lowered, not daring to meet eyes with the man opposite her. She stared at the Lazy Susan on the table and let her mind wander.

The dishes that Stephen picked were all her favorites. Anger bubbled within Tessa's heart suddenly. They had already broken up, so why was he still doing unnecessary things? First, he had asked her to stay for dinner. Then, he had ordered her favorite dishes right in front of her. Why was he acting this way? Did he want to play the role of an

ex-boyfriend still hopelessly in love with her?

Tessa couldn't leave, not with Barry and Hayden present. But being in the same private booth as Stephen stressed her out so much that she almost felt like she couldn't breathe. She didn't understand what he was up to.

Stephen chatted idly with the people around him, but his gaze would always uncontrollably stray back to Tessa, who was seated opposite him. She was sitting with her head lowered. She didn't speak, and she wasn't scrolling on her phone.

She reminded Stephen of a quail with a droopy head. He was overcome with the urge to reach out and stroke her fluffy hair, to pull her into his embrace and hold her tight.

As the waiters served the dishes, Tessa continued to stay mute, keeping her head lowered while she ate. She was actually starving. When she ran into Stephen and Nancy on the plane, she was upset for the rest of the night.

She lost her appetite, and she even suffered from insomnia. She didn't manage to eat breakfast this morning before she had to rush over to the golf course. Her stomach was empty, and she felt like it was collapsing in on itself from hunger.

Tessa didn't try to insert herself into the men's conversation. She also had no desire to participate in their discussions, so she kept to herself and focused on eating.

Stephen had agreed to work with Victorious Corporation. He would send his assistant to sign the contract the next day. Hayden was over the moon with joy, and he downed a few glasses of wine in celebration. Once he had gotten suitably intoxicated, Hayden's polite image slipped as his true personality started to come out. With his face as red as a beet, he started talking about his family history.

Stephen did not pay any attention to Hayden's incessant chattering. He was still completely focused on Tessa. His gaze would constantly stray in her direction while he moved the Lazy Susan so that her favorite dishes would stop right in front of her. śwnovel

Hayden and Barry were distracted by the chatting and drinking, so they did not

notice what Stefan was doing. However, Xavier saw everything.