Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Herbert forced a bitter smile. "I brought you some breakfast. Eat a little first.”

Jessica gave him a grateful nod, her silent thank you as expressive as any words.

When Herbert got off the plane, he'd stopped to buy breakfast. By the time he reached her, the morning chill had already settled in.

Jessica really was hungry.

As Herbert opened the food container, she glanced at him and asked if he'd eaten. Herbert assured her he'd had something earlier, on his way over.

He'd brought her a hearty soup-the kind Jessica had been craving since yesterday, but hadn't been able to find nearby.

She finished the bowl in one go, not leaving a drop, her hunger plain to see.

Herbert, ever the doctor, knew exactly why. With her sore throat, she'd probably barely eaten anything lately. If she wanted to speak again someday, she had to be careful with what she ate.

She hadn't even contacted him until she was safely in Aetherion.

"Little Mute," he asked gently, "how did you manage to get on the flight to Aetherion?"

Jessica explained-Vince had flown her to Cloverdale by helicopter. And then, after Timothy's sudden car accident, she'd easily caught a flight from there. Even this apartment had been arranged by Vince.

Herbert immediately tensed.

First Mr. Smith, now Vince. Just how many people were lining up to take Jessy from him?

"Little Mute, why don't you just stay at my place? Vince and Timothy are friends- what if he lets something slip about where you are..."

He knew full well how hard she'd fought to get away. The last thing she wanted was to end up back with Timothy.

Jessica smiled and responded with her hands, "I trust him."

If Vince had ever intended to betray her to Timothy, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help her escape.

Besides, her marriage with Timothy would be settled in court. The hearing was in two weeks, and Timothy had done more than enough for the judge to grant a divorce.

Herbert's fingers trembled.

She trusted Vince-after knowing him for such a short time.

Suddenly, Vince felt like a formidable rival.

The pressure was on.noveldrama

Still, he said nothing more. He and Little Mute were, at most, childhood neighbors. There was nothing more between them. He had no right to interfere with whoever else might show interest in her.

But once she was divorced, he'd start pursuing her in earnest. The sooner he could officially be with her, the sooner he could chase away every other man with designs on her.

Herbert wanted to take Jessica to the hospital for a checkup, but Jessica insisted he rest for a bit and recover from the jetlag.

"It's fine," Herbert said. "This won't take long Your vocal cords are the priority looked at your photos closely-looks like there's some bleeding. Have you coughed up blood?"

Jessica remembered the third morning after everything happened-she'd spit out

blood while brushing her teeth.

She'd assumed it was from the cancer.

There hadn't been much blood, but maybe it was her throat after all.

Suddenly anxious, she signed with trembling hands, "Will it affect my recovery?"

"Don't worry," Herbert reassured her. “I won't let anything happen to you. Let's go to the hospital now."

Jessica followed him outside.

At the hospital, no sooner had Herbert walked in than a nurse greeted him as "Director."

Jessica's eyes widened. Her hands moved in rapid surprise: "You're the director of this hospital?"

It was a huge hospital.

Herbert nodded. "Yeah."

He wasn't just skilled-he also had the Wheeler Group behind him. He wasn't in charge of the group yet; his family would never let him start a war with the Lawson Group Over a woman.

As for what Timothy had said the other day about "one punch worth ten million

dollars"...