On Wednesday, Tessa returned to work at Shelton Law Firm.

But unexpectedly, Jacqueline showed up too.

She was dressed in a tailored suit from a luxury brand and carried a limited- edition Hermès handbag. Brimming with confidence, she strode into the law firm in high heels and headed straight for Tessa’s office.

The door was open, so she walked right in without knocking.

Tessa was on a call. When she looked up and saw Jacqueline, her brows knitted together.

“Let’s put a pin in this for now. Something just came up, so I’ll hang up first,” she said.

Jacqueline casually sat down on the couch and placed her bag beside her. She glanced around the office and scoffed. “This place is tiny. You call this an office?”

After hanging up, Tessa looked at her with a calm expression. “What are you doing here?”

Jacqueline smirked. “Oh, I forgot to mention that I just invested in Shelton Law Firm. That makes me one of its partners, which means I’m technically your boss now.”

Tessa didn’t seem the least bit surprised. Her gaze remained as calm as ever. “So?”

Jacqueline looked at Tessa with a smile. “It’s just the two of us here, so I’ll drop the act. Tessa, do you have any idea how much I hate you?”

Tessa picked up her glass and took a sip of water. “Is that so? I hate you too.”

Jacqueline didn’t seem the least bit bothered. She simply smiled and said, “Grandma was right about lawyers always being sharp-tongued. But that’s all you can do in front of me, isn’t it?

“Back then, I only treated you with respect because you were Stephen’s fiancée. Did you actually think that meant you mattered?”

With a smug look on her face, she scoffed. “I guess you haven’t heard yet. Grandma’s already setting Stephen up with someone else. You and he are completely over for good!”

Tessa’s hand froze midair for a split second.

A sharp pain clenched at her chest, but she didn’t let it show.

She flashed a perfect smile and said, “That’s great news, isn’t it? Even without me

in the picture, you still can’t marry into the Jacobson family.

“Mrs. Jacobson Senior is out there finding Stephen a match, but you’re still smiling here. If I were you, I’d be hiding somewhere, crying my eyes out.”

Jacqueline’s smug smile faltered instantly. The arrogance in her eyes flickered into shock. “Y-You knew about it?”

Tessa let out a cold laugh. “Your feelings for Stephen are painfully obvious. You must be terrified that Mrs. Jacobson will throw you out, which is why you don’t dare to pull any tricks in front of the family.”

Jacqueline’s face turned pale. “So what if you know? Even if you tell the Jacobsons, none of them will believe you!”

Tessa shot her a cold look, her voice

laced with

disdain. “I’m not like you. I don’t enjoy stirring up conflict or playing dirty tricks. Your feelings for Stephen have nothing to do with me.

“At the end of the day, you’re just the maid’s daughter. With Mrs. Jacobson adopting you, there’s no way she would tolerate your feelings for Stephen.”

Tessa’s words hit right where it hurt. Jacqueline stood up angrily. “So what? can stay single for the rest of my life for him! But you? You’re never going to have anything to do with him again!”

A sharp pain stabbed into Tessa’s chest, and a flicker of sorrow flashed in her eyes.

She buried her emotions and started gathering her things from the desk. “Well then, I hope you get what you want.”

Jacqueline asked, “What are you doing?”

Tessa ignored her. Instead, she rose to her feet and swung the door open.

Before long, she arrived outside Barry’s office.