Stephen pulled himself out of his swirling emotions and said seriously, “Tess, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Tessa straightened up when she saw the look on his face. “What is it?”

Stephen said, “My dad’s illegitimate son is named James Fullerton. Back then, my grandparents refused to let him into the Jacobson family. He had a rough time on his own in Arcton until a powerful gang leader took him in. Over the years, he built a base and gathered his own men. Now, he even has a private armed force.”

Tessa immediately said, “That sounds dangerous for you! Stephen, you have to be really careful dealing with him.”

Her concern caught Stephen off guard, sending a warmth through his chest.

He pulled her into his arms. “I’ll be fine, but I’m worried about you. You mean everything to me, and I’m afraid that he’ll come after you just to get to me.”

Tessa repeated, “Come after me?”

Stephen said, “Yeah. Taking me down won’t be easy, but you’re my biggest weakness. If he targets you, I—”

Tessa wrapped her arms tightly around him. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Plus, you’ve already assigned two extra bodyguards to me, so I’ll be fine.

“Besides, we’re in Orkford. James has no real power here, and he can’t pull anything off.”

Stephen frowned. “Jacqueline is his accomplice in Orkford.”

Tessa’s head snapped up, and her eyes filled with shock. “What? Jacqueline? But she’s your sister! How could she-”

Stephen said, “I don’t know when she started working for James-I’m still looking into it. She has already fled to Arcton, but my people have found her. They’ll bring her back soon.”

Tessa frowned. “Okay. Speaking of which, Jacqueline didn’t come to our engagement party, did she? She’s your sister, so she should have been there to witness it.”

Tessa’s words reminded Stephen of the incident. On the day of their engagement, he really hadn’t seen Jacqueline.

Back then, he was so focused on Tessa that he didn’t even notice Jacqueline was missing. Susan had kidnapped Seline that day, and it seemed likely that Jacqueline was somehow involved.

Stephen looked at Tessa and gave her one last piece of advice. “Anyway, wherever you go, make sure you have your bodyguards with you.”

Tessa nodded. “I will.”

As they snuggled together on the couch, the doorbell rang.

Stephen stood up. “That must be our food.”

Tessa smiled and asked, “When did you order it? The timing is perfect. I was just getting hungry!”

Stephen replied, “Ten minutes before you woke up.”

Tessa said, “You’ve got great timing.”

Stephen tapped her nose affectionately. “I know you better than I know myself.”

He had ordered the signature dishes from a five-star hotel nearby.

When Tessa saw the logo on the bag, she gave Stephen a puzzled look. “I thought they didn’t deliver?”

Smiling, Stephen opened the containers and arranged the dishes neatly. “If you want it, they’ll make an exception.”

Tessa looked at him, even more

puzzled. Then it hit her-the delivery was only meant for

swnovelet

prestigious people like Stephen.

With a bright smile on her face, she sat at the table and picked up her utensils.

She was starving. She had overslept and missed breakfast. By the time she woke up, lunchtime had already passed.

The table was filled with delicious dishes that were all Tessa’s favorites.

Even though that hotel’s food was pricey and came in small portions, the taste was undeniably amazing.

After the meal, Stephen received a

call from the hospital. They

love

v

informed him that the bone marrow donor had arrived and was

undergoing tests.

Tessa wanted to go to the hospital to check on things. After clearing the table, Stephen drove her to the hospital.

The test results came back, and everything looked good. The hospital

transplant for two days nove