Goodbye, Mr. Regret

It used to be Ines who saw Jessica's potential and favored her, but now, after Mr. Smith had sought Jessica out, every word he said seemed filled with nothing but praise. He, too, regarded Jessica as a rare talent.

Jessica's mere presence had always been an emotional blow to Sheila. Now, to Sheila's dismay, Jessica had become an obstacle in her career as well—not a major one, perhaps, but enough to leave Sheila struggling for air, unable to claw her way back.

The elegant composure Sheila had so carefully maintained nearly crumbled in an instant. The confident arch of her brows quivered as if a string had snapped, her rose-red lips faded into a dull rust, and the easy curve at the corners of her mouth turned into a mechanical, muscle-strained imitation of a smile.

She had arrived for Mr. Smith's interview in such high spirits, never imagining it would end like this.

Timothy's brow furrowed, his eyes darkening with a stormy intensity.

Ines, as Jessica's mentor, might have been biased, loving her protégé's work with a touch of partiality. But Mr. Smith didn't even know Jessica personally; his judgment was based solely on her work. And both of them, independently, believed Jessica had extraordinary talent in animation.

Jessica's comic adaptation of *The Grand Canal, Venice*, he'd known she possessed a spark and

even approached Jessica about pursuing a job after seeing that piece, but she had refused

she had gone behind

talent matter? Even if she made a name for herself in that field, could she ever make as much as he did

both of them. Her

and their son needed her

men had been drawn to her. There was no way he'd let her parade herself out there, inviting even

when even Mr. Smith seemed taken with her. There was no way Timothy would trust Jessica to work under a man like that-Mr. Smith, whose reputation for romantic entanglements was infamous, whose sense of

that world. He simply couldn't

as a hobby, he had no objection. But throwing