His Unveiled Passion

The haunted house was dimly lit with eerie red lights hanging overhead. Creepy music assailed their ears from hidden speakers, sending chills down their spines. Tessa and Stephen were walking down the path together.

In the beginning, Tessa was only slightly scared and wasn't as terrified as Quentin.

However, her bravery was scattered to the wind when a ghost suddenly fell upon them.

The ghost was wearing a wedding dress, and her hair was a mess. Her face was a deathly shade of white, and tears of blood rolled down her cheeks. The ghost hovered midair, her dull eyes locking with Tessa's.

Tessa screamed and instinctively threw herself into Stephen's arms.

Stephen swatted the ghost away and wrapped his arms around Tessa. Then, he gently comforted her, saying softly, "It's alright, Tess. It's not real. It's just a prop." The ghost wasn't even human.

Tessa remained in Stephen's embrace, trembling in fear.

Stephen continued to hug her, softly patting her back. He soothed her frayed nerves, murmuring words of comfort. "There, there. Don't be scared."

It took a while for Tessa to calm down.

She distanced herself from Stephen's arms and whispered, "I'm so sorry about that. I was startled, and I just..."

"It's alright," Stephen replied. His voice was filled with concern as he asked, "Are you okay? We can leave if you aren't."

"I'm fine. It was just so sudden, so I..." she trailed off, her voice barely audible toward the end.

Stephen could tell that Tessa was frightened.

He didn't make a comment about her state of mind. He only hummed in

acknowledgement before holding Tessa's hand.

Tessa stiffened when she felt the warm sensation against her palm.

Still, she relaxed a moment later.

She didn't draw her hand away. Instead, she allowed him to hold her hand, leading her down the path in the haunted house.

Regardless, the jumpscare earlier had left a lingering sense of terror in Tessa's heart.

Thus, she couldn't help but trudge forward reluctantly and cautiously, rightfully afraid that yet another ghost would scare her witless.

Stephen noticed her unease. So, he stayed vigilant, keeping a keen eye on their surroundings to prevent another scare.

After they walked a short distance, a

hand suddenly appeared from the side. It was about to grab Tessa's arm when Stephen swiftly reacted

and pulled her into his arms just in the nick of time.

At the same moment, another ghost dressed in white floated before them.

She circled around them slowly, like a shark scenting blood.

Stephen immediately saw through her act. The ghost was merely a staff wearing a pair of roller skates.

"Tess, don't look." Stephen's voice

was gentle yet firm. He cupped the back of her head and pressed ker face against his chest, shielding her from the ghost.

Tessa obediently leaned into his embrace. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, threatening to leap out of her throat.

"Excuse me, could you let us pass?" Stephen said to the ghost courteously.

The ghost dressed in white skidded to a stop, stunned.

This was the first time a participant had spoken to her so politely, and she'd been working here for three years!

It caught her so off guard that she had no idea how to react.

According to the script, she was supposed to circle around the participants three times, wailing, "Why did you kill me?"

She had just made her entrance and was about to start chanting when she was asked to move. Sure, he was handsome, but it was still an odd situation to be in.

"I'm sorry. Excuse us." Stephen

noticed that the ghost had been

struck dumb and was blocking their path. he reached an arm out to

prevent the ghost from scaring Tessa as he tried to squeeze past

her. sŵnovel

The ghost immediately snapped out of it, instinctively moving aside to let them pass.

Stephen held Tessa close as they walked farther and farther away from the ghost. "It's alright now, Tess."

Tess whispered, "I think we should leave. I can't do this any longer. I totally overestimated myself."

She was fine with roller coasters, but haunted houses were really not her forte.

"Alright," Stephen replied warmly, his voice gentle and magnetic.noveldrama