Tessa didn’t bother saying her thoughts aloud.

She had no idea what to say in the face of Lester’s question. All she could say was two words. “I’m sorry.”

Lester’s heart sank into the abyss.

“It’s fine. Just think of it as a drunkard’s rambling.” Lester’s voice sounded slightly hoarse. “You should rest early. Goodnight, Ms. Yates.”

“Goodnight.” Tessa promptly hung up.

Lester stared at his screen, the call already ended, leaving behind a silence louder than words.

He felt as though his heart had been stabbed through. He had been rejected once

more.

Lester wasn’t heartless at all. It was just that he already had someone else living there.

Unfortunately, that person would never consider him a romantic interest.

Tessa spent her time drawing with Seline in her room after having breakfast the following day.

She brought out a pink hair clip for Seline and said, “Seline, I brought you a gift! Do you like it?”

It was the same hair clip she had gotten Cassandra.

When she made the purchase, she had a feeling that Seline would definitely love the sparkly pink hair clip.

As expected, Seline’s eyes widened with delight. Her starry eyes never left the hair clip in Tessa’s hand. “Oh, it’s so pretty! Thanks, Tessa.”

“Come closer. I’ll put it on you.” Tessa carefully clipped the accessory onto Seline’s silky hair. “There. You look beautiful.”

Marianne had told her that Seline was doing much better mentally. The most obvious sign of her improvement was that she no longer talked in her sleep and had stopped bursting into frightened tears in the middle of the night.

Tessa felt the guilt gnawing her heart lessen at Seline’s progress.

She stayed in the Yates residence for lunch. Marianne had whipped up a meal filled with Seline’s and Tessa’s favorite dishes.

Tessa had spent her entire Sunday at the Yates residence just to play with Seline. She had even stayed in the villa for the night.

Naturally, it also meant that she had to drive to Everbright Law Group bright and early the next day.

Tessa didn’t flinch when she saw Lester. Instead, she greeted him as she usually did. “Good morning, Mr. Cooper.”

Lester returned her greeting with one of his own, smiling. “Good morning.”

There was nothing out of the norm between them. It was as if nothing had happened between them that night.

Tessa walked into her office and quickly immersed herself in work.

She had just finished drafting a lawsuit when the firm’s receptionist knocked at her door. “Ms. Yates, there’s a client here to see you.”

Tessa found it odd. After all, she was certain she had no appointments today.

Nevertheless, she rose to her feet and made her way to the meeting room.

Her eyes landed on a familiar face the minute she opened the door.

Tessa pulled her face into a frown. “Do you need something, Mr. Jacobson?” Stephen was dressed in a slate-blue suit. He had been sitting on the couch emotionlessly, exuding an innate air of elegance.

Regardless, the ice in his gaze immediately melted when he saw her. Then, he parted his lips and greeted Tessa, saying warmly, “Good morning, Ms. Yates.”

The furrow between Tessa’s brows deepened.

Meanwhile, Stephen kept staring at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly in a smile. “I’m here to

mission your firm to handle a few cases for me.” fo

Tessa was rendered speechless.

Her tone was far from kind when she finally found her voice. “If I’m not men, your company has a perfectly good team of elite lawyers that would bend to your every whim, no?”

“Of course Stephen replied blithely as he curled his lips into a smirk. Before she could get a word in edgewise, he continued, “However, I still want to work with you, Ms. Yates. Is that not allowed?