The call came to an abrupt stop.

“Don’t flatter yourself” was what Stephen had said.

Those words were like a curse as they echoed repeatedly in Tessa’s mind. Her mind fell into despair as all of the memories where he had showered her in love began to fade.

The snow outside rained heavier, and the northern wind howled, causing the branches to shake a little.

She looked at the snowy blizzard in a daze.

After a moment of silence from her phone, her phone began to ring again.

The tears staining Tessa’s cheeks were still visible, and the sound of her phone ringing only filled her with exhaustion.

It was Samuel calling. “Tess, the Jacobsons came to my ward to call off the wedding.”

Tessa responded in a low hum, her heart already numb from the pain.

He fell silent, acting as if he could not bear to continue. “Have you seen the rumors about Stephen and that female celebrity?”

Tessa did not answer him.

Samuel continued, “I’ll hold a press conference tomorrow, announcing that the Yates family has called off the engagement with the Jacobsons. The entire blame will fall on the Jacobson family.

“Tess, the Jacobsons are the ones who are in the wrong. Don’t feel burdened by it. It’s not humiliating to cancel your engagement with someone else. I’ll find you a much better man in the future.

“With how beautiful and talented you are, I’m sure you’ll be able to find any man you want.”

Tessa remained silent. She didn’t even know how she should respond.

She never thought that the Jacobsons would act so quickly. Stephen had just broken up with her last night, and his family had visited her father to call off the wedding the next day.

Were they in such a rush?

Recalling the pleasant woman’s voice on the other end of the call earlier, Tessa felt a sharp pain in her heart. Was Stephen in such a rush to get rid of her because he wanted to be with Nancy officially?

“Tess, you should rest well. Once the press conference ends tomorrow, I’ll send someone to drive you home.”

Once the press conference ended, the Yates family and the Jacobsons would have nothing to do with each other. Hence, James would probably stop targeting them.

With that thought in mind, Samuel gave her a few more words of comfort and asked her not to be too heartbroken to the point where she’d hurt her health.

Tessa answered absentmindedly to his words.

In a dimly lit private lounge, Zachary sat on the couch, his face entirely hidden in the dark. It was impossible to tell what he was feeling from his expression.

The group of people around him was drinking and chatting, but he was not interested. He did not fit into the lively atmosphere, merely wanting to sit in the corner and let his mind drift.

He had lost contact with Tessa a few days back.

After being discharged from the hospital, he found out that Tessa had moved out,

and the apartment next to his was already empty.

He didn’t know where she had moved to, and she wasn’t answering his calls either.

It was almost as if Tessa had disappeared from his world. He had allowed himself

to self-destruct as he numbed himself with alcohol every day.

After getting drunk, he seemed to have imagined Tessa returning to him once

She had worn the dress he had bought her when they were dating. She even had

a warm smile as she called out, “Zachary.”

He had been so happy that tears filled his eyes as he hugged Tessa tightly.

She had gently caressed his face as she looked at him with pity. “You should stop drinking. Drinking is so bad for your health. Let me take you to get some rest.”

He then covered Tessa’s hand with his own and tilted his head to press it against hers, unwilling to let go. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he confessed, “Tess, I know that I was wrong. Could you please come back to me?”

Tessa smiled, asking softly, “Aren’t I here now?”

His eyes reddened as he replied, “I swear that you’ll be the only love of my life,

and I’ll only treat you well. Can we start over, please?”

Her gaze was filled with warmth as she agreed, “Alright. I won’t leave you again.”

“That’s good. I thought I’d never have the chance to be with you again…” he murmured.

Zachary could no longer suppress his tears as he began sobbing. The relief of règaining something he had thought he had lost was

overwhelming. He was also filled with deep remorse for all of his past mistakes.

Life was great. Tessa had come back to him.

Tessa’s touch was as gentle as water as she gently wiped his tears. Then, she

inched closer and kissed his lips.