All Chapters of HIS REGRET AFTER I WALKED AWAY : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

RYAN'S POVIt was about one in the afternoon when my mother returned home, her face twisted in frustration.I heard the commotion from upstairs. Tyler was sitting on the couch, engrossed in his game console. He glanced up casually. "Mom, who made you mad this time?"Mother threw her bag onto the sofa with a sharp thud. "It's that awful Catherine again."Tyler blinked, quickly putting the console aside. "Wait, who? Did you go see her?""No, why would I go looking for trouble? I ran into her at the Luxury Brand Square earlier. She and her two lovers those men I can't even ganged up on me. I don't even know what they did, but when I went shopping with my friends today, the security wouldn't let me in. Said I was blacklisted.""Blacklisted? Seriously?" Tyler's eyes went wide.Mother groaned, pacing back and forth. "Yes! There were five or six other ladies in the store, and they let everyone in except me. Everyone was staring

RYAN'S POVI sat in the office, scrolling through my phone, frowning at the trending topics. My hand tapped the desk in quiet rhythm, though the movement didn't disguise the tension in my jaw.Derek, standing beside me, seemed nervous, shifting from one foot to another. "Mr. Brooks, I didn't leak anything. Someone's done this on purpose. Do you want me to get someone to stop it from trending?"I shook my head, my lips pressed together. A flash of something anger, frustration, maybe guilt passed through my eyes."No. Let it be. This... this is the Gray family's doing."Derek hesitated, then nodded, understanding. The Gray family had a long memory and a long reach. If they wanted Catherine suppressed, no one could challenge them. And if I tried to stop the topic from trending, it would offend my future in laws. Best to stay out of it."Then what do we do about it?" Derek asked cautiously."Nothing. Don't worry."

Catherine's pov Sarah's fingers dug into Ryan's sleeve, small and trembling. She was scared, unsure how to react, caught between the chaos I had unleashed and the moment she had been expecting all evening.My eyes flicked toward Sarah, then back to Ryan. My lips curved into a faint smile."You've never noticed me," I continued, almost to myself, a tinge of sarcasm in my voice. "Even when I came to the hospital every day to check on your wife, I was invisible to you."Ryan's hand tightened on the brocade box. I could see his mind racing, recalling memories he had buried—times when I had been quietly there, selfless, patient, unnoticed. I remembered our divorce, our conversations that never went beyond a few short sentences, and the way he had ignored my life completely. He had never really known me.Sarah's eyes widened as she glanced at Ryan. She could see the storm building behind his gaze, the first flickers of doubt and guilt. Her lip

Ryan Pov RYAN'S POVThe banquet hadn't slowed down.Glasses clinked. Voices mingled. Music carried through the air as if no scene had unfolded earlier. I moved from group to group, shaking hands, smiling, exchanging polite words with company heads and investors. Every muscle in my face begged to relax.Finally, I found a chair and sank into it.Almost instantly, Sarah appeared at my side."Ryan, you holding up?" She placed a warm cup of water on the table and gently rubbed my shoulders from behind.The pressure was right, but it didn't ease me. Something gnawed inside my chest a shadow I couldn't name.I pressed her hand softly. "You've been walking all over with your dad, greeting guests. You must be worn out. Sit, rest a little.""Okay."Sarah slid into the seat beside me with a soft smile. She peeled an orange carefully, offering a slice to me. I didn't reach for it. My eyes fixed on h

SEVENTEENCATHERINE'S POVI wouldn't have stayed at the beach house that night, but sleep had pulled me under anyway. The loud ring of my phone cut through the darkness. I fumbled for it on the nightstand."Hello?""Madison Clark? It's me, Daphne."Her voice snapped me awake. I quickly recognized it—Michael's secretary. Michael had sent Daphne to Marseille so she wouldn't have to face the tech complaint alone."What's going on?"I dragged myself toward the bathroom, one hand pressed to my chest."There are urgent files waiting for your signature. When will you be in the office?"I closed my eyes, glanced at the clock on my phone screen, and muttered, "8:30."The call ended. I splashed cold water across my face, letting it sting my skin awake. My reflection in the mirror looked strange my lips drawn tight.Why did I drink so much last night?By the time I reached the offic