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.

the one standing in his

Vince couldn't hold back; he

drag

it all, Timothy never fought

he'd

out of options, rushed into the house, shouting,

of their rooms, Secretary Allen dashed to Jessica's side. "Madam, please, you have to stop Mr. Zimmerman.

Vince wild with rage, pinning Timothy to the

I could kill you right now!

refused

fist came down. Timothy's head snapped to the

and bruised, and realized that if this continued, his broken

be responsible

raised his

her arms tightly around Vince from

prevent a disaster-how would they appear in court tomorrow if

froze, his hand suspended

and scolded him sharply. "What are you doing? How could

Timothy started to call out to Jessica, then coughed up more blood.

with emotion. "Jessy, you...

snapped his head around to stare at Jessica-she'd just

stunned. She hadn't just made a

spun her around. "You really can

Jessica froze, bewildered.

she'd never dared hope

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

struggling on one

gripped Jessica YoYou can talk-the

arm

say should be mine."

cold glance, brushed his hand off her arm,