Goodbye, Mr. Regret

A nurse wheeled Timothy down the hall toward his room, with Naylor hurrying right behind. Secretary Allen stepped forward to steady Phelps, guiding him in the same direction.

"When did he end up in another accident?" Phelps asked, his voice tense.

"A few days ago," Allen replied truthfully. He'd only discovered Timothy was hospitalized when he came by to get his signature on some important documents.

"Do you know how it happened?"

"Not exactly. I didn't dare ask too much."

Phelps let out a frustrated sigh, his brow furrowing deeper. He pressed on, asking what had happened that evening.

Allen recounted everything as it had happened, then handed over Timothy's phone. Blood had dried in streaks along the screen, and the display was frozen on a photo. Phelps tapped to see it more clearly, realizing it had been opened from Vince's social media feed.

Jessica wasn't just anyone-she was Salome. So Timothy had

Allen asked, careful to keep his

"Jessica is Vince's younger sister. She and Timothy were inseparable as kids. She knew Timothy had lost his mother, and she'd always try to share hers-every winter, when they built snowmen, she'd make an extra one just for Timothy. But in this photo, there were only

from the Zimmerman family. And President Lawson had coughed up blood-all over

have to take an urgent call. I'll be back in a

We'll stay with

end of

contact. Still, she wasn't the kind to blame others unfairly. Secretary Allen was just Timothy's assistant; he probably didn't know the whole

waited for her to say hello before blurting, "Ma'am, President

weeks left in the cooling-off period before it's final. He's agreed to everything. As far as I'm O concerned, we're already finished. Whatever happens to him-hospitalization, fainting, whatever-is none of my business. If you

to keep in touch. If you call me again about