Goodbye, Mr. Regret

It was deep winter in Aetherion, the kind of cold that bit through your coat and made Riverside City seem almost mild by comparison.

Timothy and Sallie set out close to noon, under a sky so blue it almost felt like a promise. By the time they reached the Zimmerman family home—after more than ten hours on the road and a jump across time zones-the sun was already sinking. Here, the sky was leaden and gray, the wind howling through the bare trees, carrying the threat of rain. Maybe it was just their mood, but the world itself seemed unwelcoming.

The Howard family home wasn't far from here, and in their rush to leave, neither Timothy nor Sallie had bothered to pack. Sallie wore only a camel wool coat, thin protection against the biting wind as she pulled the collar tighter and reached for the doorbell.

A housekeeper answered the door, spotted Timothy and Sallie, then turned and disappeared back inside.

Vince, having received Sallie's call earlier, had been on edge, worried Timothy might actually show up. He'd told the staff clearly: if anyone from the Lawson family came, don't let them in. Not under any circumstances.

Sallie's anxiety slipped into her voice. "Sage, what are you doing? Open the door!" But Sage ignored her, scampering off down the hallway. She found Vince in the living room. "Miss Lawson and the eldest Mr. Lawson are here."

"I'll deal with it."

Vince didn't want the staff letting them in-once they crossed the threshold, it'd be much harder to get them out.

But he knew Timothy. If Timothy had come all this way, he wouldn't give up that easily.

Right now, the Zimmermans' home was filled with rare warmth. Jessy had only just returned, and their parents, especially their mother, were visibly happier, even healthier. Jessy was showing her mother how to make paper snowflakes, their laughter echoing from the study.

Their father was in the kitchen, cooking dinner himself.

It had been a long time since the Zimmerman family felt so close, so at peace. Vince was determined not to let Timothy ruin that.

The housekeeper didn't open the door. Sallie pressed the bell insistently, shivering in the wind, her thin coat no match for the chill.

Finally, Vince appeared.

"Do you think ringing the bell nonstop isn't disruptive?" Vince stood at the white iron gate, face cold and hard. "The staff won't open the door. Can't the legendary Lawson siblings see the obvious?"

Sallie had always been Miss Lawson-pampered, protected, and never denied anything. Even when she was at fault, no one dared to be truly harsh with her.

But this was different. This time, they were the ones in the wrong. She had no choice but to swallow her pride.

She forced a smile. "Vince, we know you don't want to see us. We're here to apologize to Jessy."noveldrama

Vince's gaze was

icy as he looked

from Sallie to Timothy. "Jessy doesn't need your apology. She

doesn't care, especially not fromnet

you, Timothy. She doesn't want to

see you. Don't come here and ruin her mood, or ours. Don't expect me to forgive you just because we used to know each other."

The wind whipped around them, tossing Timothy's hair, tugging at his tie and the

hem of his suit jacket. Still, he stood straight as ever.

"Vince." Timothy's voice was low, almost muffled by the wind. "Let me see her. Just once."

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"Don't push it. Seeing her won't change anything." Vince was resolute, his anger barely contained "The moment you decided to keep it from her-that she was Salome-you ended things between you. And between you and this family. Don't expect forgiveness, not from her, not from me. If you had even a shred of conscience-if you remembered how kind my mother was to you you'd never have done something so heartless."

Timothy had grown up without a mother. Mrs. Zimmerman, who'd once been close friends with his mother, had always looked out for him. When Salome was little, she'd loved playing with Timothy, insisting Mrs. Zimmerman treat him as her own. When Timothy was sick, Mrs. Zimmerman would care for him; when his father was too busy for school meetings, he'd ask Mrs. Zimmerman to go in his place. She'd always agreed, never hesitating.

Even after Salome disappeared bringing Timothy a birthday cake, Mrs. Zimmerman never blamed him-not once. Her kindness never wavered.

Compared to all that, how could Vince not hate him now?

"You don't understand how I felt," Timothy tried to defend himself.

He'd been scared to lose her-just as he had now. In the end, he lost her anyway, and left another wound behind.

"Do you understand me? Do you understand Jessy? Do you understand what my mother feels?" Vince's voice trembled with anger, his eyes colder than the wind itself. "Timothy, just go. Don't come back."

Inside, Yates stood at the window, cigarette in hand, watching the scene outside.

The first night he met Jessica, Timothy had smashed a glass over something Kane Sutton had said. Yates had sensed even then that Timothy had feelings for Jessica.

But he'd never guessed things would end up like this.

They'd been friends for years. Despite everything, seeing Timothy like this still made his heart ache, just a little.

The wind howled, tugging Timothy's hair into wild disarray.