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?

dead. But whenever she remembered the pain he'd caused

me your location. I want

"Okay."

"I'll hang up now."

sent him

have told her, wouldn't he? There was no way he'd just leave Timothy to come visit her

to see where Jessica grew up-maybe he could

without proof. He

understand her childhood, her life,

sped down

The Gilded Whisper Estates in just over twenty minutes; now,

was already merging onto

Timothy was wheeled out of surgery and

happened, he expected Jessica and Vince to be waiting

wanted to see

his eyes,

were all across his back, so he

the doctor, voice tight with worry. "How is

stable," the doctor

"the

of burns on his back and several smaller wounds, but they've all been treated. Nothing internal, just some new tearing along an old abdominal wound. You should all encourage him to take

body has its limits."

"Thank you, doctor."

and Vince

had nothing to

he so much as scraped his knee,

to spill over

remember those days,

had everything changed so

several times now, yet she hadn't come to