His Unveiled Passion

Stephen noticed Marissa staring at him, but his expression remained calm and steady.

"Tessa loves eating salmon, but she often gets tiny bones stuck in her throat. So I always remove them for her," he said flatly.

Marissa fell silent at that.

Seriously? Who even asked? She was pretty sure she hadn't asked him anything this time.

Tessa tugged awkwardly at the corner of her mouth, visibly uncomfortable. She really hadn't meant to show off in front of Marissa. But anyone with half a brain could tell that Stephen was doing it on purpose.

Marissa picked up the tab for this meal. Was she going to hold it against Tessa afterward?

Tessa couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Her conscience was too strong for this situation. During the course of the entire meal, she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

But what could she do? She still saw Marissa as a friend.

After lunch, Stephen drove Tessa back to her law firm. Marissa left on her own.

When they arrived downstairs at the firm, Stephen leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Tessa's forehead.

"Tess, I won't go up with you. There's still work I need to take care of at the office." Tessa looked at him and asked, "Did you do that on purpose just now?"

"Do what?"

"Show off in front of Marissa. Peeling shrimp, picking out the fish bones-all of that."

Stephen gave a small smile. "I wouldn't call it showing off. Even if she wasn't there, I would've done the same for you."

Back at the restaurant, when Marissa had commented, "Who knew you'd be the type to peel shrimp for someone", Tessa had remembered. Stephen had always done that for her back when they were dating.

Whenever they ate shrimp, he was the one who peeled them for her. Picking out the fish bones for her wasn't a first-time occurrence either.

Tessa wanted to say something, but Stephen spoke first.

"Though I will admit... I did want her to see it. I wanted her to know that my heart and eyes are only for you. Hopefully, she'll give up sooner."

Hearing that, Tessa suddenly remembered what Marissa had asked her earlier that morning.

She hesitated, then asked, "Do you know next Saturday is Marissa's birthday?" Stephen's expression turned cold. "No."

In the past, Marissa had invited him to her birthday parties every years But he had never once attended, nor had De ever bothered to remember the date. So his answer wasn't a lie.

His blunt reply left Tessa at a loss for words.noveldrama

Seeing her hesitate, Stephen asked, "What is it?"

Tessa lowered her eyes, staring at the tips of her shoes. "She invited me to her birthday party."

"Do you want to go? If you don't, you don't have to." Stephen's voice softened.

"I don't mind going. It's just..." Tessa said honestly.

"Just what?" he asked.

"She asked me to bring you with me."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "And what do you think about that?"

Tessa paused, then admitted, "I told her yes."

"Alright. Then, I'll go with you," Stephen answered simply.

Tessa lifted her gaze to him. "You're not upset?"

"Why would I be?" Stephen's eyes were full of tenderness.

Tessa bit her lower lip, avoiding his eyes. "I know how she feels about you... yet I still agreed to bring you to her birthday. Aren't you worried I don't care enough about you?"

Stephen didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "But do you care about me?"

"Of course I do," Tessa answered without hesitation.

"That's all that matters. As long as you care, that's enough for me. If you want me there, I'll go. If you don't I won't," Stephen said softly, his tone deep and reassuring.

"Let's go, then. I already told her I'd bring you," Tessa murmured.

Stephen nodded. "Alright. Let them all see just how much we love each other." Tessa sighed. "It's not about showing off..."