His Unveiled Passion

"Tess, the custom engagement ring I ordered for you from Chaumet has arrived at the Haverford store. Feel free to stop by and have a look whenever you have the chance."

Chaumet was a prestigious, internationally renowned diamond ring brand.

Tessa had only agreed to the arranged marriage just days ago, yet the custom ring had already arrived. Had it been ordered ahead of time?

Tessa didn't press for more information. "Okay," she replied.

...

When she arrived at the Chaumet store, the staff eagerly presented the ring. "Ms. Yates, this is the engagement ring Mr. Jacobson had custom-made for you."

Tessa picked up the ring and studied it closely.

The centerpiece was a striking five-carat blue diamond, set in a band decorated with tiny pink and colorless diamonds. Its brilliance shimmered under the light, enchanting everyone who looked at it. "This ring also has the initials of you and Mr. Jacobson engraved inside."

Tessa took a closer look at the engraving, which unmistakably read "SJ TY."

It was evident that a lot of thought had gone into the design.

She slid the ring onto her finger, and it fit perfectly.

"It's stunning," the staff member complimented, clearly impressed.

Just as she admired the ring, Zachary's voice suddenly came from behind her. "Tessa, what are you doing here?"

She frowned and turned around.

As soon as she did, Zachary released Wendy's hand.

A cold glimmer flashed in Wendy's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly, and her expression settled back into its usual calm demeanor.

Tessa wasn't surprised to find Zachary with Wendy.

She gave him a sweet smile and replied, "I came to try on this ring."

At the sound of her words, Zachary moved closer. The moment his eyes landed on the ring on Tessa's finger, his expression darkened instantly.

With a bright smile, Tessa twirled her hand, letting the dazzling diamond sparkle in the light. "So, what do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"

A flash of anger flickered in Zachary's eyes. "It's not."

Both of them knew exactly what the ring signified.

Zachary had always viewed Tessa as obedient and understanding, never once considering that she might desire something that wasn't hers to claim.

Marriage was something he could never offer her.

And frankly, Tessa wasn't worthy of it.

Zachary's face remained cold, and he didn't say a word.

Standing beside him, Wendy gave Tessa a sweet smile. "What a coincidence, Ms. Yates. Zachary and I are here to look at rings as well."

Tessa couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

So, the call Zachary had taken earlier had been from Wendy.

It seemed the "business" he had to attend to was nothing more than shopping for rings with her.

Zachary didn't feel the need to explain himself and silently accepted Wendy's words.

Meanwhile, Wendy's gaze shifted to the ring on Tessa's finger. The blue diamond at its center had to be at least five carats, and it was surrounded by rare pink diamonds.

This ring must be worth seven or eight million dollars. How could Tessa even think of trying it on? Wasn't she embarrassed wearing something so far out of her league?

Noticing the subtle challenge in Wendy's tone, Tessa merely responded with a disinterested, "Okay," before turning her attention back to admiring the ring on her finger, unfazed by the tension in the air. She couldn't help but acknowledge Stephen's impeccable taste-she was thoroughly pleased with the ring.

"Ms. Yates, that ring is absolutely stunning," Wendy remarked with a smile.

"Yes, I think it's beautiful too."

Zachary's expression grew dark with frustration. "Tessa, take off the ring."

"Why?" Tessa feigned confusion, tilting her head as she met his gaze.

"What are you trying on the ring for? Are you pressuring me for a wedding?" he snapped, his anger surfacing. "I'm not marrying you!"

A subtle smile curled at the corners of Wendy's lips as she relished the moment.

"Ms. Yates, Zachary and I are only here today because Mrs. Gomez asked us to try on some rings."

The "Mrs. Gomez" she mentioned was Zachary's mother, Yanis.

Wendy's message was crystal clear-"I've been chosen by Zachary's mother. She's already made her decision, so don't even think about becoming part of the Gomez family."

Tessa couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh as she glanced at the couple in front of her.

She was simply trying on the engagement ring her fiancé had designed for her, yet they were acting as if they had just claimed some major victory.

One was lost in his own delusions, convinced she was trying to pressure him into marriage.

The other was eager to flaunt Yanis' supposed approval.

The Gomez family was nothing more than a small, insignificant household in Haverford-Samuel wouldn't even give them a passing glance.

"Oh, I see," Tessa said, her voice calm and indifferent.

Wendy and Zachary both paused, visibly thrown off by her lack of reaction.

Why didn't she seem bothered?

Wendy scrutinized Tessa's face, hoping to detect a hint of jealousy or frustration.

But Tessa's expression remained stoic, leaving Wendy uncertain.

Was Tessa pretending to be unfazed, or did she genuinely not care at all?

Zachary's expression darkened with frustration.

"Tessa, is this some kind of joke? You knew Wendy and I were coming to try on rings today, didn't you? Did you purposely come here just to mess with me?

"Let me make this clear-there's no future between us. Your attempts to pressure me into marriage won't work.

"Marriage is about compatibility and status. With your background, how could you even think we'd be a good match?"

Zachary continued to berate her, "Just look at yourself. You're an embarrassment!"

He was absolutely livid, unleashing a stream of harsh insults.

Tessa, however, remained unfazed.

A sly smile tugged at her lips as she asked, "Am I embarrassing you again?

"Last I checked, we haven't broken up. So, by that logic, Ms. Cox is the mistress-and you're the one cheating. So, tell me, who's really the one embarrassing themselves here?"

Zachary's fury surged, his chest rising and falling as he snapped, "Are you taking it off or not?"

Tessa's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "No."

"Fine. Keep it on if you want. But don't get any ideas about me buying you a ring or marrying you!" "Right."

Tessa's indifference left Zachary at a loss, his mind racing for a way to react.

With a final glare, he turned and stormed off in a fury.

Wendy quickly followed, calling out, "Zachary, wait up!"

After the two of them left, the staff member stood there, completely baffled. "Ms. Yates, who were they?"

"Just some insignificant people. There's no need to worry about them."

Despite having been together for three years, Zachary had never once considered marrying Tessa.

What he didn't realize was that he wasn't even worthy of marrying her, and she had never thought of marrying him either.

Tessa took a few photos of the ring on her finger and sent them to Stephen.

"How does it look?"

At that moment, Stephen was in the CEO's office at Jacobson Corporation in Rivertown.

As he saw the message from "Tess" on his phone, a subtle smile spread across his face.

He set the document down and quickly typed back, "It looks great. Do you like it?"

"I do."

Stephen's smile deepened.

"I'm happy to hear that."

"Stephen, this ring must have cost a fortune, right?"

"It's not too expensive. You deserve the best."

Stephen's assistant, Gary Waldorf, stood off to the side, quietly waiting for Stephen to sign the papers.

He couldn't help but steal a few glances at Stephen, wondering if he was imagining things.

Was the usually distant, composed CEO actually smiling?

And not just any smile-one so warm and charming, it felt as though a cloud of pink bubbles had surrounded him.

"All set. What are you staring at?" Stephen asked, his icy demeanor returning as he looked at Gary. Shaking himself out of his daze, Gary quickly grabbed the document from Stephen's hands. "Nothing, sir. I'll be on my way now."

Meanwhile, Tessa took off the ring and walked into the high-end men's watch boutique next door. She had decided to buy a watch for Stephen, a gift she hoped to give him when they met in Rivertown. Samuel had recently sent her a photo of Stephen.

He exuded an air of sophistication, with sharp brows, piercing eyes, and sculpted features-just as she had imagined.

Tessa carefully chose a stylish black watch, convinced it would be the perfect gift for Stephen.

As she finished swiping her card, a familiar voice called out to her. "Tessa, what are you doing here..."