Tessa was so shocked that she was left speechless.

She had no idea that the Jacobson family had such a scandal in their history. She had never even heard a whisper about it. They seemed to have kept it completely

under wraps.

Stephen continued, “Speaking of which, that mistress was probably my dad’s true love. But unfortunately, they were never meant to be together.

“My grandma really despised immoral homewreckers. As for my grandpa, he was a man of integrity. There was no way he’d ever allow a mistress to join our family and ruin our reputation.

“In the beginning, my dad had everyone fooled. They all thought he had taken his mistress for an abortion and cut ties with her for good.

“But when I was five or six, my mom discovered the truth and fought with him. At the time, they were on the verge of divorce. It got so bad that both sides of the family had to step in. After all, their marriage wasn’t just about the two of them; it was tied to the interests of both the Jameson and Jacobson families.

“In the end, they didn’t get divorced. The pressure from both families forced my dad to break things off with his mistress.

“But even then, my mom could never really get past it. When I was a kid, they would fight all the time about that mistress and her son.

“Later, we were told that the mistress had passed away. That’s when my dad tried to bring her son back and officially acknowledge him as his own.

“But my grandparents never approved. In the end, nothing came of it. After feeling down for a while, my dad eventually refocused on the family.”

Tessa was even more shocked now.

Caleb had always seemed like such a gentleman-kind, polite, and humble. Tessa never would’ve guessed he was the type of man who would disregard his family and cheat on his wife.

Sophia was such a gentle woman. The thought of her almost jumping off the building made Tessa feel a mix of sympathy and fear.

If Sophia had really gone through with it, Stephen would’ve lost his mom. If Caleb’s mistress really married into the Jacobson family with her son, Stephen’s life would’ve been a nightmare too.

Thankfully, that kind of tragedy didn’t happen.

Noticing that Tessa had gone quiet, Stephen shifted his gaze from the laptop to her. His deep gaze carried a silent plea.

He said, “Tess, do you think my family is a mess? Don’t worry, I’m nothing like my dad. When I was a kid, I promised myself I’d only ever love one person. I swear, I’ll be loyal and devoted.”

At that moment, he seemed a bit vulnerable. It felt like he was worried make

his family’s drama would worke

Tessa see him as just another Caleb and drive her away.

Tessa’s eyes began to fill with tears as a rush of emotions hit her.

She felt a mix of both heartbreak and warmth.

Stephen’s painful past broke her

heart. On top of that, he even put et

himself down in front of her. She just couldn’t believe he was afraid she might leave him.

But at the same time, it showed just how much he cared about her. That thought deeply moved her.

Tessa sniffed and pulled Stephen into a tight hug.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, “Stephen, I know. I know everything.”

She knew he wasn’t the type of person to hurt her. Since the moment they had been together, she had never doubted his love.

Stephen wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. The scent of her calmed him in a way nothing else could.

Tessa continued, “As long as you don’t leave me first, I’ll never leave you.”

Her gentle words eased the anxiety in Stephen’s heart, stirring something deep inside him that almost brought him to tears.

Tessa was so amazing. How could he ever leave her first?