Goodbye, Mr. Regret

The only effective way forward was to start with Vince.

Vince slid behind the wheel, started the car, and gunned the engine. His heart slammed against his ribs. If Jessica really was Salome...

He shut his eyes, unable to let his thoughts go any further.

If it was true, the pain was unbearable.

He'd been right there, always by her side, yet he'd watched her suffer and when Timothy set that cruel trap-he'd even chosen, just once, to turn his back on her.

Timothy knew Salome too. She'd always depended on him as a child, always wanted to be near him.

Timothy probably knew more about her than anyone.

On top of that, he'd once confided in Timothy about her birthmark—something so intimate, so private. Now, Timothy and Jessica were married. If Jessica was Salome, if she had that birthmark, Timothy would definitely be suspicious.

So, when Timothy claimed he had news about Salome... what if he meant Jessica?

If that was the case-and Timothy used information about Salome to torment them in court, to force Jessica back to The Gilded Whisper Estates-then Timothy's actions were truly unforgivable.

Vince's hands shook as he pulled out his phone and dialed Jessica.

"Hello, Vince?" Her voice trembled through the speaker, and his heart twisted with worry and a tenderness he could barely contain.

"Jessica, where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to my hometown."

"With Herbert?"

"Yeah, he's giving me a ride."

Vince's voice quavered, and Jessica wondered if Timothy's condition was more serious than she'd realized. Why else would Vince sound so shaken?

what, she'd never wanted Timothy dead. But whenever she remembered

I want to come see

"Okay."

"I'll hang up now."

sent him the

told her, wouldn't he? There was no

to see where Jessica grew up-maybe he could find some clue,

without proof. He didn't want

needed to understand her childhood,

car sped down the

left the accident scene and reached The Gilded Whisper Estates in just over twenty minutes; now, they'd only been on the

was already merging

was wheeled out of surgery and slowly

Jessica and Vince to be waiting for him

wanted to

opened his

so

the doctor, voice tight with worry. "How is

the

"the

all been treated. Nothing internal, just some new tearing along an old abdominal wound. You

body has its limits."

"Thank you, doctor."

Jessica and Vince were gone. His heart

that gripped him had nothing to

much as scraped

to spill over with

those days, clear

had everything

several times now, yet she hadn't come to