All Chapters of Regret Is Just The Beginning: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“Hi, Diana.”Merlin greeted her with a warm smile as he leaned lightly against the door frame. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his blue jeans, his milk-coloured shirt stretching neatly over his broad shoulders. His long curly hair fell freely around his face, giving him an easy, unforced charm. “You look well,” he added honestly, his eyes resting on her for a moment longer than necessary. “You settling in all right?”Diana nodded, returning the smile. For the first time in a long while, the smile came easily. “Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you.” Her voice sounded lighter, freer, like someone who had finally stepped out of a tight space and could breathe again.Merlin nodded once, satisfied. “Well, Emma and I were thinking about going to the grocery store.”“Yeah!” Emma chimed in sharply, bouncing on her toes, her laughter spilling freely. She clutched Bun-Bun tightly to her chest, her eyes bright with excitement.Merlin chuckled before continuing. “I figured you were still unpac

Selena sat quietly at the long white table by the window, her legs swinging back and forth beneath her chair as she focused intently on her painting. Her small fingers were stained with blue and green paint, smudged across her knuckles and nails, even dotting her wrist where she had accidentally brushed against wet color. On the paper in front of her was a drawing that looked like a house—large, uneven, and crowded with flowers. The roof leaned awkwardly to one side, and the windows were drawn too close together, but Selena worked carefully, her tongue poking slightly out between her lips, determined to make it perfect. She added another flower, then another, filling every empty space with color.Beside her painting sat a neatly arranged tray of food Mrs. Willis had just brought in. A slice of cake rested on a small plate, its frosting peaked in careful swirls. A glass of milk stood beside it, already forming tiny condensation beads on the outside. A bowl of cut fruits was placed

“What?” Lucas said sharply, his voice cracking with shock and wounded pride. His eyes widened as though he had been slapped in front of everyone. For a brief second, he simply stood there, staring at Diana, unsure whether to feel insulted or angry.Around him, the other staff exchanged stunned glances. Some leaned closer to their desks, others straightened, curiosity now burning brighter than amusement. The quiet laughter from moments earlier died instantly.Merlin let out a low chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “How dare you come in here—”“The data spike between days three and four,” Diana interrupted calmly, her voice cutting through the tension without effort. She hadn’t even looked at Lucas. Her eyes were still fixed on the laptop screen. “Too clean. Looks manufactured. Basic error.”Lucas scoffed loudly, bending closer to the laptop as though the screen might suddenly defend him. “What? That’s bullshit,” he snapped. “No, that can’t be true.”He scrolled rapidly, fingers movi

Both Linda and Merlin hugged Diana tightly, their excitement spilling over without restraint, without concern for the watching eyes around them. "Diana, this is huge," Linda said the moment they pulled apart, her eyes shining brightly with unshed tears of joy. "Nobela worthy, ah!" She laughed loudly, clapping her hands together in delight. "I'm taking us to dinner tonight. We're going to celebrate big time. Champagne, the best restaurant in town, everything!"She emphasized every word with exaggerated gestures, her hands sweeping through the air. Merlin nodded beside her, a proud smile fixed on his face as he looked at Diana, his eyes reflecting genuine admiration.Diana's heart swelled at the genuine joy radiating from their faces. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to feel it fully: the validation she had craved for years, the recognition that her work mattered, the overwhelming sense that she had not wasted her years or her brilliance chasing something impossible."Thank yo

Both Henry and Diana stared at each other for longer than was normal, the silence stretching between them like a thin wire pulled too tight, threatening to snap at any moment. No one at the table dared to breathe too loudly. The air itself felt fragile. Henry's face was stiff, his jaw clenched hard, the muscles twitching slightly as if he was holding back words that wanted to burst out violently. Diana, on the other hand, looked calm, almost disturbingly so. She gently swirled the wine in her glass, watching the deep red liquid move in slow, hypnotic circles, catching the light, then lifted it to her lips and took another measured sip.Thompson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight in his chest growing heavier by the second. He could feel the tension pressing down on everyone, suffocating. He sighed deeply and leaned toward Diana, lowering his voice in a way that was meant to sound comforting, fatherly."Diana," he said softly, his eyes filled with genuine concern, creases