His Unveiled Passion

Tessa then followed the police officer to the station to give a statement of her own.

When Marissa finally stirred from slumber, it was already 11:00 am. Tessa had left the police station and returned to the hospital by then.

Marissa felt dizzy when she peeled her eyes open. Her complexion was pallid, and her face was lined with fatigue. After allowing her eyes to adjust to the bright lights, Marissa looked around the room, taking in the blurry silhouettes that were moving about.

"Tessa?" Marissa murmured, her voice hoarse.

"You're awake," Tessa replied, turning to face her.

Marissa's brows knitted together. "Is this... the hospital?" she asked.

"Yes." Tessa handed her a glass of water. "Here, drink this."

Marissa pushed herself into a sitting position. She accepted the water Tessa offered her and took a few sips. "Thank you," she said.

Tessa sat down on the edge of the bed and studied Marissa, concern evident in her eyes. Her voice was soft when she asked, "How are you feeling? Do you feel better?"

Marissa's lips parted slightly before she said, "I'm dizzy, and my entire body feels sapped of strength. Why am I feeling like this? How did I end up in the hospital?"

Tessa explained, "Last night, I saw you being carried by a group of men who looked like they were up to no good at the entrance of a bar, so I decided to check out what was happening. They drugged you. The police have been informed, and Wynn also beat those thugs to a pulp to save you."

"I was drugged?" Marissa asked, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "What type of drug did they use on me?"

Tessa pressed her lips together. "It's a type of drug that heightens a person's libido, also known as an aphrodisiac."

Marissa's brow furrowed tightly as she stayed mute. Tessa gave her a few minutes to process this undoubtedly shocking news before she spoke up again. "Ms. Scott, the man who drugged you last night has been arrested and thrown into jail. You can drop by the station to take a look at him if you'd like."

Marissa looked at Tessa, a complicated emotion swirling in her eyes. "Tessa, why did you save me? Aren't we supposed to be rivals for Stephen's affection? Shouldn't you be thrilled to see me being drugged and assaulted?"

Tessa frowned upon hearing her words.

"Ms. Scott, I think you have a prejudiced perception of me." A hint of anger flashed in Tessa's eyes. "We don't have any bad blood

between us, so why do you el net

me to just stand by and watch you be

harassed by someone else? Besides, we're both women. We should be helping each other."

She pinned Marissa with a

disbelieving and exasperated look. "Why would you think that I'd be

happy if saw you being sexualet

assaulted? Just because we're rivals? That's ridiculous, Ms. Scott. I'm not that twisted of a person."

Marissa felt a little awkward. "I'm sorry, Ms. Yates. I misjudged you because of mynoveldrama

own pettiness. Thank you for saving me last night."

"No problem."

Marissa downed the rest of the water in the glass.

"Are you hungry? I can order some food. What would you like to eat?" Tessa asked.

"Since you're offering, I'm not going to hold back! I want to eat the squid-ink spaghetti and smoked salmon salad from Fabiano's!"

Fabiano's was a classic, high-end restaurant that served Orkfordian cuisine. Just their appetizers cost hundreds of dollars.

The squid-ink spaghetti and smoked salmon salad were the restaurant's signature dishes, each priced at over a thousand dollars. Not only that, but their restaurant only allowed registered members to enjoy their food delivery service.

When Marissa said she wasn't going to hold back, she hadn't been kidding.

"Okay," Tessa replied with a smile.

It felt as if whatever friction that existed between them had melted into

nothingness after Marissa took the initiative to decide their meal. Tessa went ahead and ordered the dishes that Marissa wanted.

While they waited for their food to arrive, Marissa continued chatting with Tessa.