Semua Bab REGRET UNTIL SHE SAYS GOODBYE : Bab 301 - Bab 310

SARA’S POVOur wine arrived first, and then a fruit juice for Danielle who didn’t hesitate to open it up.She would have taken a sip directly from the carton but I snatched it from her before she could.“What have I told you about this?” I chastised, giving her a hard glare.She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, “sorry, Mommy.”I didn’t dwell on it but reached for a glass instead and poured one for her.She took it with a small smile while I set it down, only to find Derek watching me.It was that same look from earlier, the one I couldn’t understand nor decipher.I cleared my throat and he averted his gaze while I closed the juice and leaned back in my seat, suddenly wishing there was something else to do so I wouldn’t have to be discomfited by the silence.Unable to stand it for longer than a couple of minutes, I cleared my throat for the upteenth time today then blurted out without thinking twice, "Thank you for luck today.”“You should say that to Danielle,” Derek nudged his h

THIRD PERSON’S POVThe house was quiet when they arrived.Derek pulled into the driveway then turned off the ignition but kept the headlights on.Being that everyone was out, there was no one to receive them and the quiet driveway was the kind that would spook fear in the heart of a child home alone.Every sound was amplified, from the click of the car door as he unlocked it, to the quiet jingle of his keys when he turned off the ignition.He could even make out the rustling of his clothes and when that happened, he glanced to his side, then backwards, trying to see if he had woken either of them.He hadn’t, but a couple of minutes later, Danielle stirred without the noise.Slowly, she leaned forward in her seat to take a peek out the window, rubbing at her eyes hard.“We are home?” She mumbled, voice hoarse and barely audible from sleep.Derek nodded, “Yes, we are.”He got out of the car quietly after, then headed over to the backseat, pulling the door open with equally gentle moveme

SARA’S POV After downing the cup of tea that Derek made, which surprisingly did help with my headache, I reached for a glass of water to alleviate my thirst.Derek was gone, the next step in my day was preparing breakfast for Danielle.I still didn’t know what time it was but seeing as Derek was still home, I surmised that it was still early, not until I actually checked the time and realised that it was nearly noon.No wonder Derek had said he was going out.I didn’t just sleep in, I had slept through nearly half of the day already.My thoughts snapped to work and my face fell when I realised that I might have to call in sick or make up some excuse for my absence.Also, Danielle was supposed to be in school.Why hadn’t Derek taken her?He wasn’t here so I asked Danielle herself who said, “Mommy, Daddy said I could stay at home today,”That answered my question but it didn’t help my knotted brows.Why did he say that? Was it because of me? Because I didn’t wake up early enough?I had

THIRD PERSON’S POV Alyssa’s Father didn’t outrightly say who those words were meant for but because of how it was worded and the red to bring it up in the first instance, as well as judging by Alyssa’s reaction to it, Derek solved the puzzle immediately.In retrospect, Mr Ford was telling him the gala would be the perfect time and place to propose marriage to his daughter.Moreover, the way he said it made it sound like he had already decided on it and was just waiting to tell him so he could carry it out.Slowly, Derek alternated his gaze back to Alyssa who didn’t look at him.He couldn’t tell if it was because she couldn’t bear to or if it was because she didn’t want to catch his expression.Either way, she kept her eyes on her father and when Derek glanced down, he noticed how tightly wound her fingers were together.“Imagine the picture it’ll paint publicly,” Mr. Rhodes continued with a prideful town. “Two established families, two legacies merging together to become one.”Derek

SARA’S POV Rina’s question reverberated in my ears long after we parted ways.“If Derek does end up proposing at that gala, how would you feel?”I hadn’t given her an answer, not an appropriate one. I just said something to get her off my back, something as simple as- “I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”That was what all I said and I left it at that even though she didn’t look convinced that I had the capabilities to ‘deal with it.’Thankfully, she didn’t press and let it go. We finished our Drinks, paid then stepped out of the cafe to head home.Well, I headed home.She on the other hand, said something about wanting to pay a visit to her cousin so she headed off in the opposite direction.However, one thing I also couldn’t get out of my mind was how tightly she hugged me before we departed and this hug lingered because it wasn’t the usual kind we shared. It was the rarer type that said a lot and nothing at the same time.By the time I reached home, the house looked exactly the