Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy was just about to explain when the shrill ring of his phone cut him off.

His heart stuttered. Was it Sheila calling?

He'd intended to head straight to Moonstrand Villas, but then he'd realized-if Jessica was leaving, Vince would be the one to drive her. She hadn't been back to The Gilded Whisper Estates for the past two or three days, which meant she must have had somewhere else to stay. So he'd waited outside Zimmerman Manor, and sure enough, he'd seen Vince walk her out.

He'd tailed them all the way here.

His original plan was just to find out where she was living and leave.noveldrama

But in the end, he just couldn't help himself. He'd followed her inside.

Sheila would be worried if he didn't show up soon.

But the call wasn't from Sheila. It was Kane Sutton.

Timothy hung up, his voice noticeably gentler as he turned back. "What's going on between Sheila and me isn't what you think. Seven years ago, when I married you, it was because_"

His phone rang again.

Still Kane.

Irritated, Timothy snatched up the call. "This better be important, Kane!"

"Timothy, Sheila just fell from the terrace at Moonstrand Villas. If I hadn't come by tonight, worried she'd be spending the holiday all alone, God knows how long she would've been lying there before anyone found her!"

Timothy's face tightened. "How is she now?"

"She's in the ambulance-listen, the paramedics are working on her right now. Just how cold-hearted can you be, leaving her all alone at Moonstrand Villas?"

"Which hospital? I'm coming now."

Without a second thought, Timothy grabbed Jessica by the arm, pulled her away from the door, and yanked it open, still clutching his phone as he headed out.

Left facing the door, Jessica's smile didn't last. Tears spilled down her cheeks before she even realized.

Kane had sounded frantic just now, his voice raised in panic.

It was so late that the world outside seemed unnaturally quiet, making it all too easy for Jessica to hear every word from Timothy's phone.

Sheila had fallen from the terrace at Moonstrand Villas.

Jessica knew about Moonstrand Villas, though she'd never set foot there. She'd heard the staff at the Lawsons' mention it before—the villa Timothy's grandparents had given his mother on her eighteenth birthday.

Before Timothy's mother passed, she'd transferred the villa to him. He treasured the place, never letting anyone in except his sister, Sallie. Not even the cleaning staff were allowed inside; Timothy and Sallie always insisted on tidying the place themselves.

Only Sheila could make Timothy this anxious.

Only Sheila ever broke through his boundaries.

Sheila was allergic to hotels. All she needed was a change of sheets, but Timothy insisted on bringing her home, just to make Jessica uncomfortable.

If Sheila twisted her ankle or had a sore throat, Timothy would drop everything to be by her side.

Suddenly, Jessica doubled over with a dry heave, bright blood spilling from her lips onto the floor-a vivid, shocking red that made her eyes sting.

A sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen, her head swimming. She doubted she could even make it to the hospital on her own.

With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone and texted her physician, asking them to send an ambulance from the hospital.

Just to be safe, Jessica left the door unlocked.

Clutching her stomach, she tried to make it to the sofa, hoping to rest for a moment...

By the time the paramedics burst in, Jessica had already collapsed on the floor.

They rushed to lift her onto a stretcher, carrying her down to the waiting ambulance, and started working to stabilize her immediately.

Meanwhile, Timothy and Kane waited outside the emergency room for news about Sheila.

Kane was livid, barely containing his anger.

"Timothy, if you're never going to have a future with Sheila, at least be honest with her. Do you even realize she's still waiting for you-after all this time?"