All Chapters of When Obsession Wears a Ring: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Tessa sat on the cold metal bench outside the café, fingers pressed to her temples, trying to breathe normally. But her heart was still punching against her ribs from what she’d seen on Derek’s phone… from what he’d admitted.The tracker. The photo from weeks ago. Him being… there. It was all a lot to take in.Her voice came out small. “How long, Derek?”He sat beside her, not touching, not leaning in, just there, like he was afraid any closeness would make her crumble or bolt. He made a face but did not answer.Tessa chipped in again after the stretched silence. “How much did you see?”“Tess…” Derek exhaled shakily. “I didn’t follow you inside your home, if that’s what you’re afraid of. I didn’t invade your privacy that way.”“That way,” she repeated, almost a laugh, but broken and humorless. “You literally stalked me, Derek.”His jaw clenched. “I know, Tess. And I’m sorry. I… I...”She rubbed her palms together, swallowing the lump rising in her throat.“So tell me,” she whispered.

Tessa woke up the next day in the arms of an unclad Raymond. She wasn’t clear on how they landed there. The last thing she remembered was going to bed hungry and alone. She was fully dressed and didn’t remember any other thing happening. Of course Raymond still had some trace of decency left.She wanted to wriggle out from his hold and wake him up, he didn’t have the right to sleep on her bed. But as she stared at his peaceful form, she thought otherwise.He looked relaxed but stressed, his large hand cuddled her tightly, as though he was scared of her leaving, as though he didn’t want her to leave. The unmistakable early-morning hardness pressing against her hip. Tessa looked up again at the majestic man in her bed, then shook off the thought that tried to crawl in.She tried again, to wriggle free, this time slowly, but the slow mumbling of “hi you” from him told her that it was unsuccessful. She froze and looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes were warm, the rich brownness of it burn

Tessa didn’t leave her apartment for the rest of the week. Not for frequent early morning run or even to pick up the meals she ordered… she simply opened the door, grabbed the tray, and shut it again like she was afraid the hallway might bite her.At first, she told herself it was because she didn’t want to risk seeing Derek but within, she knew she could not explain how much of her still wished, Raymond has tried, to even stay or pushed back when she asked him to leave. It sounded conflicting even to herself - how does she explain that a part of him wanted him to leave, and the other part wanted him to at least try and stay. On the third day, she opened her door to collect her lunch and saw a bunch of neatly wrapped flowers. There was no note this time, but she left it. She had rung the housekeeper and asked her to take the flowers home for herself.Derek called, texted and even her buzzer but Tessa ignored everything. A part of her could tell that she was about to get mixed in anot

Tessa could see Derek’s frame as she moved closer, wide-eyed, disbelief etched into every line of his face. “What the… what the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded, staring directly at Raymond as if he had just walked into some twisted fever dream.Raymond didn’t budge. Not an inch. Not even a flicker of hesitation. “I should be asking that. You’re not coming in by the way. Go back to wherever you are coming from,” he said flatly, his frame solid, immovable. His hands were tense at his sides, but his eyes were locked on Derek like he could melt him with a look alone.“I… I can’t believe this man,” Derek stammered, disbelief mingled with a trace of anger. “After all this… after everything… you’re just back? In her apartment?”Raymond’s jaw tightened. “Even worse, I live here now. And I’m staying.” He leaned slightly forward, the kind of lean that didn’t threaten Derek physically but suggested that crossing him would be catastrophic.Tessa’s mind raced. She tried to step forward, hand

The next day, Tessa walked into Raymond’s private jet as they prepared to depart for New York. She almost cried as he held her tightly and guided her up the stairs and into the jet. This would be the first time she had traveled with him to a public event. She had had the man of every woman’s dreams all those years, but never had a chance to publicly claim him as hers.As though he noticed the sudden sadness that enveloped her, he pulled her into a warm hug that melted it all away.“I’m going to make it right, I promise,” he said cutely.Tessa almost laughed at the expression on his face. Did he actually think she was sad about the exposure?He noticed the new expression on her face and made to ask, but Tessa shook her head and said, “You know, I was just thinking about how this would be my first time flying with you on a trip this big. It’s just a bit weird,” she finished with a chuckle, noticing the shift in his expression almost immediately—like a child who suddenly regrets their ac