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."

boiling over. "I want to go

gaze warm and steady, lingering 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

were cold as ice. She felt like he'd lost his mind-his actions

marriage,

I haven't had a real

to figure out her

There's no one else here. If you behave and stay put for

"Otherwise what?"

lifted his gaze, eyes dark and inscrutable. "Otherwise, I

stormed forward, grabbed the tablecloth, and yanked. Breakfast crashed to the floor-soup and coffee splattering everywhere, even onto

He leaned on his cane

head bowed, and quickly

the kitchen to prepare breakfast again, then disappeared

to change his

out of

right on the edge

sea, the scenery almost

breathtaking, but she couldn't

She circled

just as Timothy

they were on an island escape

phone was still dead, no signal at all. She didn't even know where she was.

the villa, Timothy was sitting on the terrace overlooking the

light spilled over him, giving him an air of

gentleman, yet everything he did was

over to him, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

she'd say those words to him. She knew she wasn't blameless—she'd chosen him, after all. But now, at

exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "I know you

didn't care if

thought of life without her. Keeping her nearby

letting her go and losing every chance he