Goodbye, Mr. Regret

When Jessica opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.

Startled, she shot upright in bed.

She'd gone to bed early last night, exhausted from the day. How did she end up somewhere else?

She pulled open the curtains. Outside the balcony, the ocean stretched as far as she could see.

Jessica hurried out of the bedroom.

In the open-plan living area of the villa, Timothy was sitting at the dining table.

"Awake?" he asked, calm as ever.

This strange villa made it instantly clear to Jessica: she was almost certainly no longer in Riverside City.

She strode toward Timothy, her gaze icy.

"Where are we?"

"Have some breakfast first," he replied, setting the silverware on the table with practiced elegance.

"Timothy!" Her voice trembled with anger as she glared at him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. He must have brought her here. There was no way she could have slept all the way from The Gilded Whisper Estates to here without waking up, and now it was morning.

She tried to remember last night. After getting home, she'd only had a glass of water.

So, he must have drugged her.

"What did you put in my water?"

Her health wasn't great to begin with. She couldn't risk strange substances.

Timothy answered without missing a beat, "Just something to help you sleep. Don't worry, it wasn't a sedative. It won't hurt you."

frustration was boiling

on her beautiful face. "You must know, Jessy, that if I've brought you here, I don't intend to let you go back so soon. Don't be angry. You're here now-make the best of it. We

She felt like he'd lost his mind-his actions had

to our marriage,

to discuss that now. I haven't had a real meal in days. Let's eat

hoping to figure out her location, but there was no signal at

soup, his tone lazy and indifferent. "This is a private island. There's no one else here. If you behave and stay put for a few

"Otherwise what?"

dark and inscrutable. "Otherwise, I

tablecloth, and yanked. Breakfast crashed to the floor-soup and

leaned on his

housekeeper appeared, head bowed,

ordered the kitchen to prepare breakfast

change his

walked out

was built right on

sea, the scenery almost

breathtaking, but she couldn't

it. She

just as

on an

no signal at all. She didn't even know where she was. Anger surged

was sitting on the terrace

spilled over him, giving him an air of refined

every bit the perfect gentleman, yet everything

to him, her heart pounding painfully in

She knew she wasn't blameless—she'd chosen him, after all. But

exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "I know you hate

didn't care if she

stand the thought of life without her. Keeping her

go and losing