Goodbye, Mr. Regret

The threat in the air was palpable.

Hollis could tell immediately-this was not a man he could afford to cross.

After a long while, Timothy stepped out of the visiting room, his chest tight, as if an invisible hand was squeezing the breath from his lungs.

That stormy night in the capital... she must have been terrified.

She'd called him for help, and he hadn't made it to her side.

Only now did he realize: she'd watched her mother jump to her death, then spent the entire night locked in the house by her father as thunder crashed outside. The shock and fear had robbed her of speech.

Everyone dismissed her as mute, but not a single person ever stopped to ask why she couldn't speak.

As for how she ended up with the Greene family...

That was another heartbreak entirely.

At least she'd found her grandmother.

"Mr. Lawson, about your father-in-law-"

"Enough. He's no father-in-law of mine!"

Jessica's adoptive mother had been driven to her death by that man.

With a trembling voice, Timothy bit out, "He's only got two or three months left on his sentence. Pay whatever it takes to get him released early and send him out of the country. The farther, the better."

He was just about to leave when Vince's car pulled up.

Jessica and Vince stepped out together.

Vince felt a pang of guilt toward Jessica. She'd come to him for help to find her birth father, and he'd already started the search.

Fortunately, with a name, photo, and details, it hadn't been hard. He'd found the man was locked up here and brought Jessica along.

The moment Vince saw Timothy, his expression tightened.

could only be

Vince demanded, "What are

reason for coming. Had he overheard her conversation with Vince, then tracked down her father on

refused to

came to

nerve calling

arguing with Vince. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Jessica, his eyes

shook as he spoke. "Jessy, that night, during the

of that night brought a wave of emotion crashing over Jessica. She cut him off

was startled by the fluency

night, she'd pinned all her hopes on

But he hadn't come.

been at the airport,

talk now," Vince said, his voice full

stood frozen, surprised that her

she felt the warmth of a hand

looked up at Timothy in his wheelchair-he could only

to know-I did get your call that night. I went

you went to

She scoffed.

went.

Not only

the

stock

swan brooches. Then you

them all to

smile was icy. "Timothy, you really do have a knack for twisting the

exactly the right moment."

not what

not what

could speak, she caught every word, no longer unable to respond as she once had no longer silenced

gaze hardened,