Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She couldn't help but admire him-how did he manage to act so effortlessly detached, as if nothing could ruffle him?

With a lazy elegance that felt almost flirtatious, he blew a thin stream of smoke toward her face. "Still haven't made up your mind, have you?"

Jessica wanted nothing more than to disentangle herself from him. Frustrated, she made a dismissive gesture. "Whatever's going on between us, we'll handle it ourselves. Just don't take it out on anyone else. If you promise to leave the Wheeler family alone, I'll disappear from your life-out of your sight, out of The Gilded Whisper Estates-right this minute."

Timothy's handsome, gentle expression abruptly darkened. He took a hard drag on his cigarette, exhaling a perfect ring of smoke, then flicked the ash into the car's built-in ashtray, leaning halfway into the car.

Jessica instinctively pressed herself back against the seat.

But Timothy only stubbed out the cigarette properly, refusing to throw it out the window even in anger.

For all his faults, this man never lost his composure or his manners-sometimes it was chilling, how controlled he was.

Only moments ago, he'd been gripping the half-finished cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, looking one second away from flinging it away in fury. But he still hadn't littered.

Instead of withdrawing, he leaned in closer to Jessica, his long fingers tipping her chin up. His voice was icy, edged with something she couldn't name. "You know, not only are you stubborn, you don't even know how to play along."

"Daddy!"

up and stepped

windshield, she saw Henry clasping

thing she said to Timothy was, "Timothy, I asked you to look for Jessica. How'd you get back so

found her, she's in the car. Let's go. We're

opened the

Henry

dripping with concern. "Jessica, I really don't think you're pretending. Are you okay? You look

secret and accepting his betrayal, that nothing he or anyone else did could affect her

two-faced act still cut

people who said one thing to your face and

afford to confront

the driver's door, Jessica shoved open the passenger side

Sheila called after

made a face. His mom was being so unreasonable. Miss Sheila

He was completely exasperated.