Lahat ng Kabanata ng Too Late to Regret: Kabanata 211 - Kabanata 220

Charlie’s expression softened slightly.Just thinking of her somehow dissolved his exhaustion.He still felt guilty about not personally picking her up yesterday—but thankfully she was safe, and Rex had gotten everyone home.“Charlie, son…”From the hospital bed, Beatrice called out weakly.She’d been rushed to the hospital in critical condition. After emergency treatment, she was barely stabilized, but throughout the night she experienced tremors and nightmares, caught in a feverish haze.Charlie and his father Denny had stayed at her bedside the entire night without rest.The doctors said she’d suffered extreme shock.Her soaked evening gown had weighed her down in the lotus pond, and underwater roots had tangled around her limbs. She’d struggled violently, leaving her skin scraped and cut in several places.When Charlie heard she’d fallen into the lotus pond, he had prepared for the worst.Thankfully, despite her timid nature, his mother had a strong survival instinct.Denny had be

“No talk. Not talking. Don’t want to talk.”Candice rejected him three times in a row—clean and firm.She pushed away the tall figure leaning too close and stood up from her seat.“I need to use the restroom. Please move.”Charlie didn’t budge.His body was angled toward her, one hand resting on the table, the other gripping the chair back. His eyes were dark with helplessness. After looking at her for a long moment, he finally said,“Alright. If you don’t want to talk, then we won’t talk. I’ll speak, and you can listen.”“President, I really need to pee. It’s urgent!”Candice pushed at him again.The next moment, her hand was caught by his, and he rose with her.“Then let’s go to the restroom first. I’ll go with you.”“No need. There are no monsters in the restroom—I don’t need an escort.”Her tone turned cold.She tried to pull her hand away.Charlie held on tighter, his voice tinged with a hoarse softness.“…Whether there are monsters or not, I’ll be with you.”Candice’s expression

She looked at Candice like she’d seen a ghost—Then her face flushed red.Was she trying to humiliate her?!“Candice, you don’t need to mock me with your words! Yes, I’m not as favored as your new fling. He kicked me out because of you. Sure, you’re basking in glory now—but how long do you think that will last? Sooner or later, you’ll be the discarded one too!”“Mhm. Makes sense,” Candice agreed.And she even looked like she completely supported the statement.Jessica: “…”She was speechless.Why wasn’t this woman arguing back?Seeing Jessica frozen and unable to respond, Candice sighed inwardly.After interacting several times, she’d realized: Jessica wasn’t particularly good at confrontation, nor was she some manipulative mastermind. She had no real schemes, and if you flustered her just a bit, she’d fold. If she had any strength at all, it was persistence—and maybe an ability to cry a lot.Honestly, Candice was starting to feel a little sorry for her.“Miss Barnes, I think you shou

"Okay."Candice responded and stepped aside.Charlie glanced at her face, which showed no emotion, and softened his tone. "Get some rest early tonight. Don't wander outside too much. The temperature difference here is quite large, so be careful."After finishing his words, he stepped toward the stairs, not waiting for her response.Candice stood still, unmoving.The simple exchange, seemingly insignificant, gave her a strange feeling. Something was shifting, just a subtle change. She had felt it after their conversation on the plane, and it had become more pronounced this afternoon. It was like the first fallen leaf of autumn, barely noticeable to others, but she could feel it in the air.The sound of his footsteps on the stairs gradually faded away.She slowly walked to the railing near the stairs and stood there, lost in thought as the empty stairs stared back at her.This man always seemed so adept at sensing her thoughts. E

The smile fell from Candice’s face.The emotions she had been suppressing for days were ignited by just a few words from him.A ball of negativity, like hot oil, rolled through her chest and shot straight to her brain.“You told me to enjoy myself, so I did—what’s wrong with that?”“Who you want to see, what you want to do—that’s not up to me, is it?”“Charlie, I’ve already cooperated with you enough. Haven’t I been gentle, obedient, accommodating, and tolerant enough?”And now he’s upset with her?What right does he have to be upset?!Charlie looked at her furious expression, and a sharp pain flashed through his chest.After a long silence, he finally sighed lightly. “I’ve disrupted your mood this whole time and failed to make you happy. I’m sorry. I didn’t give you enough confidence—it’s my failure.&r