Goodbye, Mr. Regret

So Vince ended up accompanying Jessica to the hospital.

On the drive over, guilt gnawed at him.

He'd known exactly what Timothy was after from the start-anything to do with his kid sister always set him on edge. He also understood that, even if he hadn't reacted the way he did, Timothy would have just found some other way to get under his skin.

But what really infuriated him was that Timothy had the nerve to blackmail him by keeping secrets about his sister.

Tomorrow...

"Jessy, I'm sorry."

Jessica wanted to reply. She guessed Vince was apologizing for injuring Timothy, probably thinking it might prevent Timothy from appearing in court. But after her sudden attempt at speaking earlier, her throat still ached, and she didn't dare try a long sentence.

She needed to check with Dr. Herbert Wheeler about what she could say.

So, she motioned for Vince to pull over.

She typed a message on her phone and showed it to him: "Vince, don't blame yourself. You wouldn't have hit him for no reason. Did something happen?"

She added a brief note about her throat.

She explained that after she'd startled everyone by making a sound, Dr. Wheeler had told her about a colleague overseas who'd spent seven years researching aphasia, and that there was hope for a cure. She'd agreed to treatment and had recently undergone a minor surgery.

Vince had visited her at the hospital the day after she arrived abroad, right after her operation. Since there was no guarantee the treatment would work, she hadn't told anyone. Now, with her throat still sore and still in the early stages of rehab—practicing basic sounds, not full sentences—she needed Herbert's advice before speaking much.

Vince nodded. "Alright. For now, just rest your voice."

Whisper Estates. He'd known Timothy was scheming to get rid of him, but concern for his grandfather's health and the company had made

playing the same trick again, using his sister

drove on while Jessica held

answer.

replied, "It's nothing. Don't worry about

on to

at the front desk, paying bills and picking up

up to him. "How

303, third floor," Secretary

took the elevator up. Timothy was awake, his clothes streaked with blood. The doctor was resetting

a wave of relief when she realized

be looking at another operation. Are you trying to

that, his injuries were all

of it was from a cut inside Timothy's mouth-he'd taken a hard blow, but it wasn't

been as

that Timothy had baited Vince with news about his

greedy longing in

missed her-desperately. But it went beyond mere days; their entire relationship had been unraveling for a long time. She didn't come home anymore, and when she

seven years

care about me, don't you?" he asked,

signed back, "You're overthinking it. I just came to see

court tomorrow. If you're fine,

was ready

called after her, "I know

and glanced

muscle twitched in