Chapter 5

REGRET

The Wilson Mansion

The house was silent, too silent. Mr. Wilson sat in his office, the walls closing in on him with every passing second. He gripped a glass of whiskey in one hand, swirling the amber liquid like it held the answers to all his mistakes.

“What have I done?” he whispered, pacing back and forth in his leather slippers. “I gave her away... my little girl.”

He gulped down the drink, hoping it would numb the storm raging in his chest. But it didn’t. Nothing could.

Images of Kristen’s face haunted him, her cold eyes at the hospital, the pain and betrayal she couldn’t even hide. That look had cut deeper than any words.

“How could I have been foolish enough to marry her off to that ruthless man? What has he done to her? Why was she even in the hospital?” he muttered, raking a hand through his thinning hair.

No one gave him answers. And the truth was, he didn’t have the courage to face Don Carlo. The man could destroy him with a snap of his fingers. He had made a deal with the devil, and now his daughter was paying the price.

“But Kristen…” He sank into the chair beside his desk, leaning his head back as the memories came rushing in.

Ten Years Ago

Christiana, his wife, lay on the hospital bed, pale and fragile. The cancer had drained every ounce of strength from her, but her spirit remained.

“Promise me you’ll love and protect our baby girl,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re not going anywhere, Chrissy,” he said, his voice breaking. He clutched her hand tightly, refusing to accept what was coming.

“Just promise me,” she insisted, squeezing his fingers with the little strength she had left.

“I promise,” he choked, tears streaming down his face. “You know I love her… as much as I love you. I’ll take care of her.”

Christiana smiled weakly and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You two will have each other…”

But he had broken that promise.

He married Carolina a few years after Christiana’s death. She had seemed kind at first, grieving her own loss, mother to a young girl named Sophie. It felt like fate. Two broken families coming together to heal.

But that illusion faded quickly.

Carolina was beautiful but dangerous. Manipulative. Addicted to gambling. She wasted her late father’s money, spent company funds like water, and dragged his business into a pit.

“I’ll fix this, my love,” she once whispered to him as he stared at the piles of unpaid bills on his desk.

“You gambled with company money, Carolina. That’s embezzlement. What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped.

“I panicked… I thought I could win it back,” she said, faking tears, rubbing his shoulders like she always did when she wanted to distract him.

Even then, he had let it slide. Foolishly. Lovingly.

But the final straw came when she borrowed money from Don Carlo’s casino. A loan so large it could have saved the company. But Carolina didn’t use it to save anything. She bought jewelry, designer clothes, threw parties, and lost the rest at the poker tables.

And when it came time to pay it back, they couldn’t.

That’s when Don Carlo offered them a way out.

“Your daughter for your debt,” he had said with a cold smile.

At first, he thought he meant Sophie. After all, it was Carolina’s debt.

But somehow, some way, Carolina twisted the deal. She convinced him to offer Kristen instead.

“It’s just marriage,” she had said flippantly. “Don Carlo is rich. He’ll take care of her.”

He didn’t know how she did it. Maybe it was her lies, or maybe he was just too weak to say no.

And now, Kristen hated him.

“I curse the day I met you!” he shouted suddenly, flinging the whiskey glass against the wall. It shattered, the sound echoing through the house.

Footsteps came running. The office door slammed open, and Carolina walked in, her eyes wide.

“What happened here?” she asked, feigning concern as she stared at the broken glass on the floor.

“What happened here?” he snapped. “You happened here, you wicked, manipulative witch!”

Carolina raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You convinced me to marry off my daughter like she was a piece of furniture. You lied. You schemed. You let that monster get his hands on her!”

Carolina crossed her arms, smirking. “Oh please. Don’t act like you were forced. You could’ve said no. But you didn’t. You’re just a coward who couldn't protect his own daughter.”

Wilson felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

Because deep down… she was right.

He had failed Kristen. Failed Christiana.

“I should never have married you,” he said coldly. “You're poison. Everything you touch turns to ash.”

Carolina simply rolled her eyes. “Save the drama. You made your choices, just like I made mine.”

And with that, she walked out, leaving the room and his heart in shambles.

Wilson sat there in silence for a long time. Then, he did what he should’ve done years ago. He picked up the phone and called his lawyer.

“I need to change my will,” he said firmly. “Transfer everything, my company shares, properties, savings. All of it to my daughter. Kristen.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Are you sure, sir? That would leave your wife and stepdaughter with… nothing.”

“I’m not ‘sure.’ I’m damn certain,” Wilson growled. “They don’t deserve a dime. My real daughter is the only one who matters now.”

As they spoke, Mr Wilson didn’t notice Carolina standing outside the door, her face pale with rage.

The Next Morning

Carolina sat in her car, lips curled in a wicked smile as she stared at the lawyer’s office building.

“He wants to give her everything?” she sneered. “We’ll see about that.”