Lahat ng Kabanata ng Regret Is Just The Beginning: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

"Mine as well," Rosa said again, her voice clipped and commanding, her chin raised imperiously as though she were addressing hired help instead of a guest at her family's table. "Don't dally. I'm waiting."Lauren's smile stiffened almost immediately. The warmth that had sat easily on her face moments ago drained away like water through a sieve, replaced by shock, then something sharper. Resentment. Her fingers tightened slightly around the cutlery she had just reached for, knuckles pressing white against the silver handles. She felt heat rush to her cheeks, a flush she tried desperately hard to suppress, to hide behind composure.'Who do they think I am?' she whispered furiously inside her head, her wide eyes fixed on Rosa for a brief second before she could control her expression. 'Their maid? Their servant?'Slowly, Lauren turned her gaze across the table, and it landed squarely on Diana.Diana was smiling.Not the polite smile she used to wear constantly, the one that begged sile

Diana smiled.It was not the kind of smile that came from happiness or relief. It was thin, restrained, the sort that formed when someone had finally exhausted every emotion they were supposed to feel. Her shoulders were relaxed, her spine straight, her eyes steady as they met Lauren’s.“You’re really proud of something that I already threw away?” Diana asked calmly, her voice low and even, untouched by the poison Lauren was throwing at her.Lauren laughed softly, the sound light and sharp at the same time. She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers over the brooch pinned elegantly to the right side of her red gown. It caught the light beautifully, the tiny stones sparkling like they were pleased with themselves.“Selena’s brooch,” Lauren said, tapping it with a finger. Then she raised her other hand and touched the diamond necklace resting on her collarbone. “Henry’s necklace. They’re all mine.” Her lips curved wider as she leaned slightly closer. “And soon, the Mrs. Golding titl

The door to Diana's apartment opened slowly, and the familiar scent of clean sheets, books, and quiet welcomed her back like an old friend. Morning light filtered softly through the curtains, warming the room just enough to make it feel alive again, to chase away the shadows that had gathered in her absence. Diana stepped inside carefully, her movements slow and cautious, tentative, as though her body was still unsure whether it could trust the ground beneath her feet, whether her legs would hold her weight.Merlin held her firmly on one side, his arm steady and secure around her waist, while Emma clung to her other hand with both of hers, walking beside them as if this was the most important task she had ever been given in her young life. Diana could feel the little girl's grip; gentle, protective, determined, filled with care beyond her years. It made her chest tighten in a way she didn't try to fight, didn't want to suppress."Easy… easy," Merlin murmured softly as they guided h

"Mr. Golding."The sudden voice cut through the quiet of the study, sharp enough to make Henry's hand freeze mid-air. His fingers were already curled around the edge of the document inside the manila envelope, the paper slightly pulled out. He paused.Slowly, he turned his head.Mrs. Willis, the housekeeper, stood by the door with her hands folded neatly in front of her apron, her posture respectful as always, careful. Her face carried that practiced expression she wore whenever she sensed tension in the air but chose not to acknowledge it directly."It's Selena's first day of school this semester," she said gently, her tone apologetic for the interruption. "She and Miss Lauren are awaiting you downstairs."Henry exhaled, the breath leaving him heavier than expected, weighted with something he couldn't name. His eyes drifted back to the envelope in his hand, then to the half-exposed document, as though it might speak if he stared long enough, as though the words might reveal thems

Henry remained standing where he was, frozen like a statue carved out of shock. His mouth was still slightly open, his eyes locked on Diana across the hall as if he had just seen a ghost rise from the dead.The laughter around him faded into a blur. The clinking of glasses, the hum of dignified conversations, the soft music floating through the chandelier-lit hall; all of it dulled in his ears. All he could see was her.Alive. Radiant. Laughing.“Henry.”Lauren’s voice came gently at first, then firmer as she stepped closer. She placed her manicured hand on his shoulder, her touch light but deliberate. “Henry,” she repeated, snapping him out of his trance. “What are you looking at?”He blinked quickly, like someone waking from a dream. “Uh…” He swallowed and glanced back in the direction he had been staring. “I thought I just saw Diana.”“Diana?” Lauren repeated, and then she let out a soft laugh that carried disbelief and mild mockery. “Here? No way.”Her hand slipped off his shou