Goodbye, Mr. Regret

But the anger he'd kept bottled up was now beyond his control.

His eyes, rimmed red and brimming with tears, lost all their usual pride. Swallowing his pride as the eldest son of the Zimmerman family, Vince pleaded in a low, desperate voice, "Timothy, please, just tell me. Even if you won't do it for me, do it for my mother-she's bedridden, barely holding on. Please?"

Timothy pressed his lips together, silent.

Vince's heart ached.

So did Timothy's.

But there was no turning back for him now.

"My mother always treated you well, didn't she? Your mom passed away early, and Salome loved having you around. She even asked my mom to treat you as her own son. When you were sick, when you got hurt, my mother took care of you did you forget all of that?"

He hadn't forgotten. Not at all.

That was exactly why Timothy respected Vince, why he tolerated so much.

Still, Timothy said nothing.

He'd already prepared himself for this moment.

This was the only way he could bring Jessica back into his life.

Once everything settled, he would come and confess in person.

But for now, he needed to make their marriage public-everyone had to know that Jessica was his wife.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want a divorce."

Vince saw he was getting nowhere. His anger boiled over.

After twenty years searching for his lost sister, he'd finally found out she was alive -yet Timothy refused to say a word.

It was the kind of hope that hovered just out of reach, so close you could almost touch it, but no matter how hard you tried, it stayed beyond your grasp.

It was suffocating. Maddening.

in his way was Timothy-someone

couldn't hold back; he beat

his men drag Timothy out

all, Timothy never

kept up, he'd be

options, rushed into the house, shouting, "Madam!

the commotion. As they hurried out of their rooms, Secretary Allen dashed to Jessica's side. "Madam, please, you have to stop Mr. Zimmerman. If he

and Larkin ran outside, finding Vince wild with rage, pinning

kill you right now! Are you going to talk or

still refused to

came down. Timothy's head snapped to the

face, swollen and bruised, and realized that if this continued, his broken leg would only get

would be responsible for

his fist

darted forward and wrapped her arms tightly

protect Timothy so much as prevent a disaster-how would they appear in court tomorrow if this went

froze, his

him sharply. "What are you doing? How

out to Jessica, then coughed up more blood.

"Jessy, you... you can

around to stare at Jessica-she'd

hadn't just made a

Jessica up in his arms and spun her around. "You really

Jessica froze, bewildered.

practiced her speech exercises every day, but she'd never dared hope she'd recover her

is wonderful! Come on, say 'Grandpa,' let me hear it!" Larkin was nearly in tears from

struggling on one

gripped Jessica YoYou can

arm

say should be mine."

glance, brushed his hand off her arm, then looked