Directed by Castille Landon, teen romantic drama ‘After We Fell’ is a steamy and turbulent tale chronicling a typical bad-boy good-girl affair. Based on the homonymous bestseller by Anna Todd, the story follows the tense and intimate long-term liaison of Hardin and Tessa. Hardin is a cynical hipster who does not hesitate to beat up people at the bar if they speak fowl of her beau. On the other hand, Tessa is a conventional beauty who suffers from indecision and flirts with other men. However, Tessa’s employer Christian Vance comes off as a mysterious character. We also do not quite know his role in the story until the end. Let us decode the involvement of Vance in Tessa’s life in greater detail. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who Is Christian Vance to Tessa?
‘After We Fell‘ begins with the news of Tessa getting a job in Seattle, and we come to realize that Tessa is already privy to Christian Vance, the owner of the company. Kimberley, Vance’s wife, welcomes Tessa to Seattle and into their family. Kimberley is also pregnant, which calls for more celebration. But Hardin conjures obstacles for Tessa. He does not want Tessa to leave him and go to Seattle. Neither does Hardin agree to move with her altogether. He changes his decision later, but that is beside the point.
In Tessa’s first visit to Vance publishing, Kimberley lets out that Vance had also offered Hardin a blank slate position at the company, which Hardin politely rejected. In Vance’s affluent household, Tessa effortlessly feels at home, although she misses Hardin. However, Hardin comes to visit Tessa often, and they seem inseparable. However, Vance’s demeanor strikes odder than Hardin’s — it is more a question of why Vance integrates them into his family rather than why Hardin turns down the job offer.
Kimberley tells Tessa that Vance was looking forward to the meeting. But we wonder whether Vance has any ulterior motive to give Tessa the job. Well, it turns out he has an ulterior reason — although has more to do with Hardin than Tessa. Vance is a family friend of Hardin’s, and he looks out for the couple, especially Hardin. The big reveal at the finale entails that Vance is Hardin’s biological father. While he couldn’t let out his identity to Hardin, he tries to help him in other ways.
Vance first offered Hardin the position, and when the latter turned it down, Vance went to Tessa with the offer. Hardin’s relationship with Tessa is no secret to Vance. Therefore, when he cannot spend more time with his biological son due to Hardin’s reservations, Vance reaches out to Tessa. He also probably understands that keeping Tessa in his chalet would be somewhat reasonable since Hardin would come to visit, which happens several times. Hardin flies to the West Coast on numerous occasions to meet the apple of his eye. Therefore, we conclude that Vance is only Tessa’s employer, albeit with a penchant for nepotism.
