The exhaustion was visible in Stephen's eyes as he shook his head gently.
Tessa said, "Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep?"
"Alright," Stephen said gently.
Voices rose in the distance, causing Tessa to look over. The rescue team had finally arrived.
Melody was also awakened by the noise, and she came downstairs, rubbing her tired eyes. "What's that sound?"
Tessa looked at her and answered, "The rescue team is here."
Walking over, Melody immediately froze when she saw Stephen standing in front of Tessa. "This is?"
"He's…" Tessa trailed off momentarily before she finally said, "This is the man who called yesterday, Stephen Jacobson."
"Oh, he's the man from yesterday." Melody's voice rose, and there was a hint of curiosity in her tone. She then turned to give Tessa a look.
At that moment, Samson, who had tactfully stepped away earlier, walked toward them and greeted Tessa. "Good morning, Ms. Yates."
Tessa smiled in return. "Good morning, Mr. Lohan. Thank you for coming all the way here."
Then, she turned to Melody and introduced him. "This is Mr. Jacobson's friend, Samson Lohan."
Melody greeted them both. "Hello, Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Lohan. Don't just stand there, come on in and have a seat."
"Melody, they've been on the move since last night, and they haven't gotten any sleep yet. Could they go upstairs and rest for a bit?"
"No problem. I'll take care of it. There are still a few empty rooms upstairs with beds inside. I'll go and tidy the rooms up. Give me a few minutes."
"Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me."
"Ms. Yates, this newly bought phone is for you," Samson said as he handed her a box.
Tessa glanced at Stephen, but he remained silent.
Melody quickly said, "Tessa, how can I let you cook? I'll do it."
Tessa turned to Melody. There was a glimmer in her eyes as she smiled brightly. "Let me do it."
Melody immediately understood the meaning behind that look. Her face broke into a knowing smile. "Alright, then. You can cook the food, but I'll help you light the fire. You probably don't know how to use a wooden stove."
"Alright."
Tessa cooked a simple carbonara pasta and placed it on the table. "Come and eat now."
Samson secretly glanced at Stephen. Could he really eat the food Tessa had cooked? What if Stephen fired him for eating that bowl of pasta?
Although Samson was touched by the gesture, he was also terrified.
Stephen glanced at him calmly, seemingly having guessed what was going on in Samson's mind. "You should eat."
Having received Stephen's permission, Samson finally dared to sit at the table. Then, he picked up a fork and smiled at Tessa. "Thank you so much, Ms. Yates."
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