His Unveiled Passion novel Chapter 1

When Tessa Yates arrived to pick up Zachary Gomez from the party, she paused at the doorway, her steps faltering as she overheard the conversation inside.

"Zachary, Wendy's back in town. What are you going to do about Tessa?"

Zachary's voice was calm, almost detached. "What about her?"

"You've been with Tessa for three years now, haven't you? Now that Wendy's back, who's it going to be?"

Through the gap in the door, Tessa saw Zachary light a cigarette.

Amid the thick haze of smoke, he fell quiet for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to hurt Tessa, but I can't walk away from Wendy."

One of his friends let out a weary sigh. "Wendy was your first love. You two shared that intense, unforgettable connection. It's only natural that you'd still be holding on."

Another chimed in, "But seriously, Tessa's been with you for three years. She's beautiful too. Why can't you let go of Wendy?"

Zachary rubbed his temples, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Tessa is beautiful, no doubt. I pursued her because she reminded me of Wendy. All these years, I've been chasing Wendy's shadow through her."

"So, Tessa's just a stand-in?" his friend sighed. "Honestly, I'm starting to feel bad for her."

Another friend asked, "When do you plan on breaking up with her, then?"

Zachary casually tapped the ash from his cigarette. "I'm not sure yet. Tessa's compliant and understanding. Honestly, I'm kind of reluctant to end things."

His friend gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Zachary, you can't keep playing both sides like this. You need to make a decision."

"What's the big deal? Just juggle both of them," another friend added nonchalantly. "If you feel bad about Tessa, buy her some gifts to make it up to her. Women are pretty easy to win over, you know."

Zachary let out a mocking laugh. "Not everyone is like you, juggling three or four women at once. I'm not that reckless."

Outside the door, Tessa gave a bitter smile before turning away and walking off.

Once she was outside the restaurant, she strolled along the riverside, her mind swirling with memories of the past three years with Zachary.

For three years, she had thought their relationship was built on love, but now, she realized she had simply been a replacement for Zachary's first love.

Standing by the water, Tessa felt torn between two worlds. To her left, the city's busy streets pulsed with life; to her right, the river stretched out, merging with the dark horizon.

A tear quietly slid down her cheek as the strong wind from the water tousled her hair.

In that instant, she made a decision.

Taking out her phone, she dialed a number.

"Hello, Dad. I've made up my mind. I'll come home and go through with the arranged marriage."

The darkness of the night made the faint glow of the streetlights seem even more insignificant, their light drawing swarms of tiny insects that danced around.

Standing beneath the dim light, Tessa stared at the endless night sky, her voice calm, almost detached. "It's nothing. I've had my share of fun. I'm ready to settle down and get married.

"It was my fault back then. I was reckless and immature. I shouldn't have fought with you or run away from home. I realize that now.

"I'll come back to Rivertown as soon as I take care of things here."

…

Tessa wandered alone outside for hours, and by the time she returned to Evergreen Villa, it was well past 10:00 pm.

As soon as she stepped inside, the housekeeper, Emma Grant, greeted her with a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"Ms. Yates, you're back! This is the soup you made for Mr. Gomez, right? I noticed it had cooled, so I warmed it up again. I was just about to take it upstairs, but since you're here, would you like to bring it to him yourself?"

Without a word, Tessa took the bowl and headed upstairs.

She pushed the door open and found the desk area empty. The computer screen glowed faintly, but Zachary was nowhere in sight.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, where the light still burned brightly.

Why was he showering so early?

Tessa placed the bowl of soup down on the desk.

Her attention was drawn to the constant pinging of WhatsApp notifications on the computer.

She moved the mouse and clicked to open the app.

It was a message from Wendy Cox.

"Hey Zachary, I'm back. My flight lands at Haverford Airport at 11:30 p.m. Can you come pick me up?"

The message had only been sent ten minutes ago.

That's why Zachary was showering—he was getting ready to pick up his first love.

"Zachary, I've missed you so much these years apart. I could never forget you, and I regret so deeply breaking up with you to focus on my career overseas.

"We were both too stubborn to admit our true feelings. But deep down, I believe you still care about me, don't you?

"Over the years, I've had a few relationships, but none of them ever lasted. Every time I was with someone, something always felt wrong. Now I realize—the one I've always loved is you.

"I've been too afraid to return to Haverford because I feared you still hated me, and I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you with someone else. I was scared you no longer loved me.

"I made a mistake back then. Zachary, can you ever forgive me?"

Tessa stared at the messages in silence, the weight in her chest almost suffocating.