Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 33

Jessica sat beside her on the antique wooden settee.

The two of them faced each other across a small coffee table, which was scattered with all sorts of delicate paper cuttings.

"Jessica, I'm just not satisfied with any of these decorations," Latonia sighed. "It's

a pity your grandmother passed away years ago. The neighbors told me you're quite talented too. Could I trouble you to make some for me?"

Jessica nodded silently.

She didn't speak a word.

Latonia had heard from Herbert that Jessica still hadn't regained her voice.

Latonia led Jessica around the villa, asking her to help spot the best places for the decorations. Jessica took her time, studying the rooms, and snapped photos on her phone of the spots that needed some color.

Communicating in gestures and notes on her phone, Jessica let Latonia know she could finish everything in about two days.

Latonia, who hadn't seen Jessica in so long, insisted she stay for dinner.

Afterwards, Latonia had Herbert drive Jessica home.

Herbert glanced over.

moving with practiced grace. "I'm not heading home. I need to buy some materials-could you drop me at the fabric market on

cuttings?" Herbert

smiled and

used for cutting designs. Your house has a classic look-if I

with effortless elegance, her fingers nimble and wrists poised, making her sign language almost

himself looking forward to seeing

from her grandmother

Now, it seemed, she had blended old traditions with

even surpassed her

off at the fabric market, but instead of

to wave him off, insisting she

can't speak—it'll be hard to communicate with the sellers.

relented, letting him tag

when

Lawson was carefully

confrontation, Jessica ducked down another

twins, both twenty-nine this

hard-charging career woman. After college, she'd used her degree to launch a

down on Jessica, seeing her as