His Unveiled Passion

Stephen brought over another three cardboard boxes and set them down on the table in front of Tessa. She stared at them in shock before saying, "There's still so many? I thought there were only two cases? Why are there five boxes of documents?"

Stephen's lips curled up slightly, mirth flickering in his eyes. He said softly, "These three boxes aren't documents related to the cases. Open them and take a look for yourself."

Tessa shot him a suspicious look before she leaned toward the boxes to open them. They appeared to have been delivered to Stephen's office recently since they were still sealed with tape and had delivery stickers pasted all over the surface.

Stephen offered a small blade to Tessa.

"What are in these packages?" she asked curiously.

"You'll see once you open them."

Tessa opened one of the packages and saw a box that appeared to be made of a high-quality material. The logo of a luxury brand was printed on the box, and she could immediately guess what was inside. Sure enough, when she opened the box, a white handbag was nestled inside.

"What's the meaning of this?" Tessa asked, turning to look at Stephen.

"A present for you," he answered with a smile. "It's Valentine's Day today-every couple's favorite holiday. Whatever other couples have, I'll make sure that you have too, Tess."

Tessa was stunned speechless for a moment. "We're not a couple," she said after regaining her senses. "You don't need to give me any presents."

Stephen stuffed his hands into his pockets as he moved to stand before her, a smile playing on his lips. "Presents are a must when courting someone. I'm not one to hope for results without putting in any effort."

She was quiet for a long while before she sighed softly. She looked into his eyes with a serious expression. "Stephen, we can never go back to how things were in the past. Too many things have happened, and the distance between us has grown too wide for us to overcome. We can't go back."

The windows had been left open, allowing a breeze to enter and billow past the orchids that had been placed near the window. The faint floral fragrance intermingled with the damp humidity of the evening, slowly permeating the air in the room.

The incandescent lights that hung overhead shone down on them like the daytime

sun.

Stephen stood before Tessa, casting a dark shadow over her. His eyes were lowered as he stared unwaveringly at her. His voice was low and slightly hoarse when he murmured, "I'm still standing in the same place. I'm still waiting for you to turn around to look at me again."

Tessa kept her eyes on the ground, too afraid to look at him. She kept her head lowered and stayed mute.

Stephen studied her for a few moments before he moved closer to her. Taking his time, he bent over her, resting his hands on either side of her. He stared into her eyes, leaving her no way to escape his gaze.

She could see the passion swirling hot and heavy in his eyes. His voice was low and magnetic when he said, "Tess, let's get back together, please?"

Tessa averted her eyes. Her voice was so soft that he barely heard her say, "Don't be like this, Stephen."

The breeze sent the thin curtains fluttering in the air for a moment before they fell elegantly back in place. The air around them was filled with the faint scent of the orchids, adding to the charged atmosphere in the room.

"Like what?" Stephen asked in a sultry voice.

Tessa could hear herself stammering while her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest. She looked away and gritted out, "Don't you already have Marissa? Why do you still want to get back with me?"

"Marissa?" Stephen's eyes darkened. "What does she have to do with anything? She's just an outsider."

He pulled Tessa into his embrace and spoke to her in a gentle but alluring voice. "Tess, let's be a couple again."

Her heartbeat raced as her thoughts turned chaotic. However, her phone started ringing in the next second, snapping her out of her turbulent thoughts and back to reality.

"Excuse me, I need to take this."

Tessa pushed Stephen aside and grabbed her phone. Samuel was the one calling. She gestured for Stephen to be quiet.

Meanwhile, an indescribable

emotion swirled in Stephen's dark eyes after he was pushed away by Tessa. He straightened to his fulf height and looked at Tessa, who was still seated on the couch, her phone clutched in her hand. He couldn't help but feel like they were sneaking around like a pair of illicit lovers.

Tessa picked up the call. Terrified that Stephen would suddenly speak up, she shot him a warning look.

Stephen responded by smiling lightly, watching her with amusement in his eyes.

Samuel's voice echoed from the

phone. "Tessa, weren't you supposed to land at the airport at 6:30 pm? Why aren't you home yet? Chester told me that you didn't get into his car and went off with friend because you had some business to attend to. Are you still coming back for dinner tonight?"noveldrama

"A friend of mine asked me to handle two cases for him," Tessa replied. "I went

with him to discuss the case files. We're just wrapping up, so I'll be back for dinner."