His Unveiled Passion

Tessa woke up from her sleep naturally, and it was already 10:00 am when she opened her eyes.

"Ahh!!!" She stretched lazily. "Not having to go to work feels amazing."

She got up from bed, washed up, and went downstairs for breakfast.

The housekeeper, Emma Grant, had prepared breakfast for two. Tessa glanced at the empty seat across from hers but said nothing.

Emma, noticing that Tessa had come down, asked curiously, "Ms. Yates, isn't Mr. Gomez coming down for breakfast today?"

Tessa took a mouthful of her oatmeal porridge before replying, "He didn't come home last night, so he probably won't be eating."

"Oh," Emma said. She realized she had spoken out of turn and turned back toward the kitchen without further questions.

After finishing her breakfast, Tessa received a message from Stephen. He asked, "Tess, should we have the engagement gown custom-made or go with a brand's latest seasonal collection?"

Was it still possible to have a gown custom-made in time?

Tessa wasn't sure when the engagement date was, either. She asked through text, "When is the engagement date?"

Stephen texted back, "It's not set yet. We'll decide when you're done there and back in Rivertown." She messaged in response, "Okay, I should be done with everything here in nine days."

He said, "Alright."

Worried that a custom-made gown wouldn't be ready in time, Tessa replied, "Let's go with a brand's new season collection. I'll go pick one."

Stephen responded, "Okay, let me know once you have chosen."

Tessa was about to exit WhatsApp when a notification appeared from Zachary's chat. She pressed on it and saw there was a video.

In the dimly lit private room, a drunk Zachary leaned into Wendy's arms. He murmured, "Dee Dee, you're finally back. I... I knew you would come back... I've been waiting for you for five years..."

The background noise was filled with rowdy cheering. Tessa vaguely recognized several voices, some of which were Jodie and Zachary's friends.

They were all people she knew.

In the video, Wendy held Zachary with her head lowered. She smiled softly at him, "Zachary, you're drunk."

He nuzzled into Wendy's embrace as his voice came in fragments. "I'm... I'm not drunk. I'm very much sober. You're Wendy Cox, and you're the one I love the most. I didn't misspeak, right? Look, I'm sober..." In the background, someone asked, "Zachary, if Wendy is the one you love most, then what about Tessa?"

Zachary said, "Who's Tessa? I... I only love Dee Dee..."

"Wendy, looks like Zachary can't live without you." Jodie's voice rang out. "Look at him, he's clinging to you after he's gotten drunk, and you're all he sees."

A hint of mockery flashed in Tessa's eyes at that.

She had never heard herself being addressed as Jodie's sister-in-law in the three years she had been with Zachary.

It was hardly surprising, though. Those people never saw her as Zachary's girlfriend, after all.

"How thick-skinned can Tessa be? Wendy's back, and she's still refusing to leave. How utterly clueless of her." The one who spoke was Jodie's best friend. She was the same woman who claimed that the necklace she gifted was fake and had always turned her nose up at Tessa.

Jodie's voice quickly chimed in. "How could an ordinary woman like her ever let go of a scion like Zachary so easily?"

Tessa lowered her gaze, and her lips curled into a cold sneer. Jodie would never say such things to her face. Tessa was now certain that the disdain she had seen in Jodie's eyes on her birthday was not an illusion.

Jodie acted close and friendly with Tessa on the surface, but in reality, she was no different from the rest of them. She genuinely looked down on Tessa.

"Don't worry, Wendy. We're all on your side."

"Yeah! We don't like that Tessa, either. She should know her status and stop dreaming about breaking into our group."

"I think that Tessa has been reading too many romance novels about the domineering CEO falling in love. Her mind is full of marrying into a rich family. It's hilarious! She probably doesn't even realize she's just a clown in our eyes."

"Exactly, she's not even in the same league as us. Zachary was just playing with her. Now that Wendy is back, Tessa should just get lost."

Tessa was as calm as a still lake.

She knew that Wendy had posted this video to assert her claim over Zachary. It was also to humiliate her, forcing her to face reality and leave Zachary as soon as possible.

That was exactly what Wendy had in mind.

Wendy sent the video, imagining that Tessa would be heartbroken and cry uncontrollably after watching it. She pictured Tessa breaking up with Zachary afterward, then packing her things in dejection and scrambling back home.

She could never have expected that the words of those people in the video had no impact on Tessa whatsoever.

Zachary was still clinging to Wendy in the video, muttering sweet nothings. Tessa found it disgusting and immediately exited the video without watching further.

Her fingers danced across the screen of the phone as she typed a message, "I'm definitely not in the same league as you people."

Wendy saw the message, and her lips curled into a smirk. She quickly replied using Zachary's WhatsApp, "At least you still have some sense."

Tessa scoffed lightly when she read the message. A small business like Gomez Group couldn't even compare to one of the subsidiary companies under her family's empire. The profits they made every year were like nothing compared to the investments that Samuel casually poured into a project.

The Yates family had been in business for four generations. By her generation, they were one of the top ten wealthiest and most influential families in the country. Tessa and a common scion like Zachary were certainly not in the same social class.

That group of Zachary's could never have imagined that Tessa's last name was the same Yates as Samuel's.

This little incident didn't affect her mood at all.

It was rare to have a break, and Tessa didn't go anywhere today. Instead, she stayed in her room and spent the entire day browsing the official websites of major brands, selecting a gown for her engagement. Tessa finally settled on three gowns after much deliberation, but she was still indecisive.

The first gown was an A-line gown with a champagne-colored base and light pink embroidery with diamonds scattered over it. The gown was decorated with three delicate pearl chains on each side. They started at the neckline, diagonally wrapping over the upper arm, and continuing to the back. The gown was dazzling and sweet, perfect for a young lady.

The second gown was a bluish-white strapless gown with a circle of roses adorning the chest. It was cinched at the waist and hips, and the skirt was a mermaid style that trailed on the floor. The overall design was mature and elegant.

The third was a cream-colored off-shoulder princess tulle gown. The outer layer was a delicate, white tulle. A few scattered blush pink rose petals adorned the skirt, giving it a romantic and graceful style. She posted pictures of the three gowns on her social media. The caption was, "Having trouble choosing. Can everyone help me pick the best-looking one?"

Within just ten minutes of posting, she received many likes and comments.

Stephen: "They all look great. Just buy them all and change between them if you like."

Her best friend from childhood, Sienna Ziegler, also liked and commented on the post.

Sienna: "Wow, Tess, your taste is amazing! All three suit you well. Let Stephen buy them all, it's not like money is an issue."

Another best friend, Naomi Carlson, commented as well, "Buy, buy, buy! Princess Tess looks amazing in anything!"

Molly: "Wow, wow, wow! Something is happening! Why are you picking out gowns, Tessa? Are you getting married?"

Tessa scrolled through the sea of likes and well-wishes from friends and family, but a few comments stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jodie couldn't respond to that.

Zion: "Tessa, what is this post about..."

Andy Lennon: "Tessa, what a dream you dare to have, huh? This is hilarious!"

One of her colleagues wrote, "These are all new releases from luxury brands. Before showing off, maybe

you should check the prices first... Don't even think about buying them; you can't even afford to rent them."

Another colleague: "So wealthy. Your life is my dream."

Zachary was puzzled.

Tessa raised an eyebrow when she saw the comment. It looked like he had sobered up.

Just as she was thinking this, she received a message from Zachary. He wrote, "Delete that post!"

Tessa replied, "Nope, not doing that."

Zachary texted back angrily, "Are you publicly forcing my hand in marriage now? Didn't you listen to what I told you before?"

She replied with a flippant "Oh."

"Tessa, knock it off now," came Zachary's text.

Tessa ignored him after that.