Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy finally twisted around and slid back into the driver's seat.

He saw the flames licking up from the front of the car.

"Get out!" Jessica's voice was sharp with urgency.

The firelight danced in her eyes, painting them a wild, desperate red. She hadn't meant for him to die.

Timothy grabbed her hand, pulling her from the car as fast as he could manage, his steps long and hurried.

But his leg was injured—he couldn't move quickly. Behind them, the fire crackled louder, danger creeping closer with every second.

He let go of Jessica's hand. "Run!"

"We're leaving together. Move it, no arguments." Jessica darted around to his injured side, gripping his arm, practically dragging him forward.

Timothy glanced at her, catching the fierce determination on her face. The corner of his mouth tugged up, just a little.

She still cared, didn't she? She couldn't bear to see him die. That had to be it.

But there wasn't enough time.

The front of the car was wrecked, oil leaking everywhere, the wiring a tangled mess—that's what had started the fire. When the electrics go up, it's only a matter of time before the gas line ruptures. They needed to be fifty meters away, at least. Timothy looked back. The flames were crawling down the length of the car, eating it alive. They'd only made it twenty, maybe twenty-five meters.

Lance, moving faster than anyone, pushed forward, already close to safety. He must have sensed they were nearly at the fifty-meter mark.

"Ma'am! Sir!" Mabel and the driver arrived, faces drained of color at the sight before them.

Mabel's eyes darted across the chaos, spotting Jessica hustling Timothy away from the burning car.

Vince's car skidded to a stop just as Mabel reached them. He barely had time to open the door before-

A deafening explosion shook the ground.

BAM.

Timothy didn't hesitate. He grabbed Jessica and threw himself over her, shielding her with his whole body as they hit the dirt. His hands clamped over her ears, muffling the roar.

Even so, Jessica felt the shockwave hammer her, a blast of hot air slamming into her back.

"Jessy!"

"Little Mute!"

Vince and Herbert tore across the safe zone, rushing toward them.

Jessica heard Timothy grunt-a low, strangled sound. Burning debris rained down, some of it landing on Timothy's back, flames searing his skin.

"Timothy!" Vince shouted, already peeling off his jacket as he ran. He smothered the flames with quick, practiced movements, cutting off the oxygen.

The fire sputtered out. Vince hauled Timothy to his feet, but as soon as Timothy tried to stand, his knees buckled. He collapsed into Vince's arms, unconscious.

Herbert, face tight with worry, helped Jessica up. His mind was a blur-everything had happened so fast, and danger had been so close.

"Little Mute, are you alright?"

Jessica's gaze flicked to Timothy, limp in Vince's grasp. She frowned, then finally answered Herbert, "I'm fine."

Timothy had passed out. Whatever else he'd done, Vince would never leave him there, not even if he were a stranger.

Vince said to Herbert, "Take Jessy home. I'll get him to the hospital."

He hoisted Timothy onto his back and hurried to his car.

Jessica stood rooted to the spot. That had been way too close. She hadn't realized that resisting Timothy would end like this. Her hands still shook.

Herbert didn't know all the details, but it was obvious-Timothy had been hurt protecting Jessica.

They were still married, after all. They had a son together. They might be on the verge of divorce, but it hadn't come to the point of wanting each other dead.

Maybe, in spite of everything, Jessica still worried about him.

Herbert tried to keep his voice steady, even though he was rattled. "Little Mute, maybe we should go to the hospital too. His injuries look serious."

"No." Jessica shook her head.

If Timothy hadn't dragged her

away—if he hadn't tried to carve his

name into her skin-she wouldn't

have run

She had no idea where

he'd been planning to take her, and she'd been terrified Vince and

Herbert wouldn't find her at The

Gilded Whisper Estates.

In the end, Timothy had saved her life, put her safety above his own. But all of this

every terrible thing-had started because of him.

She looked at Herbert. “Just take me back to The Gilded Whisper Estates."

"Alright."

The drive was silent. Jessica's mood was as bleak as the night outside Herbert wanted to comfort her, to ask what had really happened, but seeing how closed-off she was, he kept his mouth shut.

When they finally reached the house and she was about to get out, Herbert couldn't hold back any longer, his eyes shining with worry. “Did he do something to you again?"

Jessica looked at Herbert's anxious face, and for a moment, she almost broke down.

Timothy had drugged her and

brought her to that island, tried to brand her, and when she fought

back, he wouldn't listen. The suffocating sense of being trapped, powerless under his control, still

strangled her heart.

She was drowning.

And she had nowhere to let it out.

She knew Herbert had left the Wheeler family for her sake. But she couldn't drag him into her darkness. If she told him everything, he'd stop at nothing to help her.

She couldn't let someone else fall with her.noveldrama

"Herbert, it's nothing. We just had an argument. He wanted to take me somewhere, and I didn't know where or why. I was scared, that's all."

In the end, she decided to keep her pain to herself.

Maybe, if Vince asked, she'd tell him.

But Herbert...