NOVEL NEXT Chapter 155: Ere 2
Elena froze for a second, her eyes flicking back to the road. "Wilder? As in the Wilders?" she whispered back, her voice barely audible but tinged with shock.
Naomi nodded with a smirk. "Yup. Billionaire family, and she's our boss's girlfriend. Can you believe that?"
Elena's jaw nearly dropped, but before she could say more, Tessa's laugh cut through the front seat like a bell. "You know, your whispers are so not whispers," she teased, her head still nestled against Parker's shoulder.
Both women turned around in their seats, faces red with embarrassment.
"Don't stress too much about my status," Tessa said with a wave of her hand, her smile warm but mischievous. "And, yeah, I'll be staying with honey now. Are you happy, baby?" She tilted her head up to look at Parker with bright, starry eyes.
Parker raised a brow at her, smirking. "So... this is the big surprise?"
Tessa grinned. "Yup! Not only are we gonna be at the same school, but I'm crashing at yours now too. Isn't that perfect?"
He nodded, playing along. "Alright, but how the hell did you convince your parents to go along with this?"
Tessa's grin turned sly. "Oh, I just agreed to a few of their terms. Once they were sure I'd be safe, they didn't put up much of a fight."
"What kind of terms?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.
She just laughed, waving him off. "That's my little secret."
Parker reached out and pinched her cheek lightly. "Keeping secrets already?"
Giggling, Tessa hugged his neck and leaned closer. "I missed you so much, honey."
Her words softened something in him, and he gave Elena a nod. "Let's get moving."
The drive home was smooth, the usual tension eased by the quiet chatter between Elena and Naomi, who found themselves laughing softly at random jokes. In the backseat, Tessa snuggled closer to Parker, occasionally giggling along with the others, her warmth a constant presence against him.
When they finally pulled into the gated driveway, the massive automatic gate opened like it had been expecting them all along. The car slipped through, and the gate swung shut behind them with a quiet thud.
Once parked, everyone climbed out. Naomi and Elena headed to their rooms after giving Parker a quick goodnight, but Tessa lingered. Parker scooped her up effortlessly, rolling his eyes at her exaggerated attempt to look asleep.
"You're so extra," he muttered under his breath, but there was a fondness in his voice as he carried her inside.
She didn't budge, though he caught the faintest hint of a smirk. By the time they reached his room—absurdly large and practically glowing with perfection—he gently laid her on the bed.
But Tessa wasn't done with her antics. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down with her, locking him in place. "You're not going anywhere," she teased, pressing a kiss to his lips before settling back against the pillows.
Parker let out a mock sigh but wrapped an arm around her anyway. "Fine. But don't think you're getting away with keeping those secrets forever."
She just giggled, burying her face against his chest. "Shh, let's sleep for a bit," she whispered, her voice softening.
With a quiet hum of agreement, Parker held her closer, his eyes slipping shut. The room fell into peaceful silence, save for the sound of their steady breathing as they both drifted off into a light, dreamless sleep.
****
Naomi stood outside the bedroom door for a moment, knocking lightly, but no answer came. She hesitated, her hand on the doorknob, before pushing it open just enough to peek inside. And there they were.
Parker and Tessa, curled up together on the massive bed like they belonged to some perfect romantic drama. Tessa was snuggled into his chest, a soft smile on her lips like she'd found her entire world right there in his arms. Naomi's cheeks immediately flushed red, and she froze in the doorway, completely forgetting why she was even there.
She quickly placed Parker's bag on a chair by the door and backed out like a thief caught in the act. Shutting the door quietly, she leaned against it, her heart racing. The image of the two of them kept playing in her head on loop—Tessa's blissful smile, the way Parker held her like it was second nature. It was a scene straight out of a K-drama, and Naomi could feel her stomach doing flips.
"What a beautiful scene," she whispered to herself, touching her burning cheeks. "They look so good together…" She shook her head quickly, trying to snap out of it. "Get it together, Naomi! You're acting like one of those drama-obsessed girls."
Still flustered, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, mumbling to herself about how ridiculous she was being. Elena was already there, setting up the ingredients for what looked like a full-blown feast. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
"Why the spread?" Naomi asked, her voice still tinged with embarrassment.
Elena smirked without looking up. "To welcome Madam Tessa, of course. If she's staying here, we've got to set the vibe right."
"Madam?" Naomi burst out laughing, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Elena shrugged, grinning. "Am I wrong, though?"
Naomi couldn't argue with that, so she joined in, helping to prepare the meal, their laughter filling the kitchen as they worked.
****
Parker jolted awake, his heart doing that quick double-beat thing like when someone sneaks up on you, except this time it was a soft, teasing voice in his head that startled him.
{Master~}
He blinked, half-confused, half-annoyed. "Ere?" he murmured groggily, his voice raspy from sleep.
Tessa stirred beside him, a little sigh escaping her lips as she snuggled closer. Parker froze for a second, hoping she wouldn't wake up because dealing with Ere and a groggy Tessa at the same time? Yeah, no thanks.
{Master, I missed you. Come get me. I want to be back immediately! Also, I smell meat. Lots of meat, hehe~}
Parker groaned softly, his head falling back against the headboard. "Ere, for fuck's sake, what do you mean come get you? You're a literal shadow monster. You can pop up whenever you want!"