Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sheila abruptly stopped talking.

Timothy hadn't said a word, and she didn't dare spell things out too plainly.

Whatever she did, Sheila always put herself first-she'd never risk causing herself any kind of irreparable trouble.

"What are you trying to say?" Jessica asked, completely baffled.

Sheila glanced at her but didn't elaborate. She turned and walked away, leaving Jessica more confused than ever.

Jessica wanted to believe Sheila's claim that Vince was willing to help her unconditionally, and that it wasn't because he was in love with her. Honestly, she didn't think it was love, either.

Vince was good to her, but it felt more like the care of an older brother than anything romantic.

After all, when a man looks after a woman, it doesn't always mean love-it could be friendship, or even something like family.

But she and Vince hadn't known each other long enough for real friendship, and as for family...

He did give off that protective, big-brother vibe.

She remembered the day she suddenly found her voice again. Without thinking, she'd called him "Vince," but in her heart, it felt like she was calling him "brother."

Jessica was an only child; she had no siblings. Vince, on the other hand, came from the reputable Zimmerman family, and he was their eldest son-there was no way they could be related.

She turned Sheila's words over and over in her mind, but couldn't make sense of what she'd been trying to imply.

Sheila had to be hinting at something. But if it wasn't love, what kind of "devotion" was she alluding to?

Jessica thought about it the entire ride home, but without more information, it was impossible to guess.

Could Sheila be suggesting that Vince wasn't actually the Zimmerman family's eldest son? Was he really her brother?

she was sure she'd grown up as an only

was the

return to her hometown. She didn't want this matter to cause any

to my hometown for a few days. I'm leaving now and won't return right away," she

had a cab take her to the train

already on the road

he'd been there, he'd seen childhood photos

ever followed Jessica back here, he could easily stumble across those photos

what happened in the future, but for the next month at least, he couldn't let Vince

drive you home," he

almost instantly: "That's

Timothy put his phone aside

pick the lock and let him into Jessica's house, but since she was coming home anyway, he decided against it and

half an hour, a taxi pulled up. Jessica got out and immediately spotted Timothy's

Her expression darkened.

he hadn't objected to her trip-yet here he was,

he wanted to keep tabs

on his cane,

glared at him, her eyes cold. She signed, "Was this really

was to deal with the photos, so he tossed out a half-hearted, "I was worried

She knew all too well that, for now,

care about anything else her only goal was to help Vince

tolerate Timothy for the time

her anyway. Jessica unlocked the door and went inside, Timothy

spent a while tidying up the house, completely ignoring Timothy. Once everything was in

walked to a nearby florist, bought a bouquet of chrysanthemums, and headed to her grandmother's