All Chapters of HIS REGRET AFTER I WALKED AWAY : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CATHERINE'S POVI was already irritated, but receiving a gift from Caleb who was in Palmont surprised me in a way that lifted my mood. I opened the message, smiled, and slipped the small ring onto my finger. It covered the faint mark from my old wedding ring perfectly. The delicate diamond glimmered under the club's lights, and for a moment, I forgot all my worries.Then I felt Ryan's gaze. He noticed the shift instantly. My light smile made his eyes darken, and I could feel a cold weight settle over him.Cynthia, standing nearby, had not expected such an extravagant present. Her lips pressed into a thin line as jealousy and irritation swirled together. She leaned forward, her voice raised just enough to grab attention."Catherine Clark, didn't you say your boyfriend is Michael? You even used his name to get into this club. And Mr. Caleb, the male model people have been gossiping about he's sending you gifts now? You two must be more than friends

CATHERINE'S POVMy head throbbed as I rubbed my temples. The headache from last night's drinking was intense. As I moved, my blanket slipped, leaving me shivering in just a thin camisole.I frowned. What happened last night?I was about to pull the blanket back when something caught my eye. A man lying next to my pillow. He was topless, asleep, his hair messy, but his features strikingly handsome.I froze. My mind raced.Did I sleep with a stranger? Last night was a blur. I remember drinking too much, feeling upset, and then... Ryan? No, it wasn't him. Did I really just...Panic surged. I couldn't look at him anymore. I scrambled for my clothes, hurriedly dressing, my hands shaking. When I reached for my purse, it was gone. Not on the floor, not on the chair. I searched again, my heart hammering.Then I noticed the notepad on the desk. A string of digits was already written down someone had left their number, probably wo

CATHERINE'S POVI stared at the screen until it went dark, my reflection staring back at me like a stranger."You'll find out."The words echoed in my head, cold and deliberate. Whoever this man was, he wasn't done with me.I set the phone down on the nightstand and lay back against the pillows. My heart was still racing. My mind was a hurricane.What did I do last night?The memories refused to come. Fragments, nothing more. The club. The bathroom. The water. Then nothing. A void where hours should have been.I pressed my palms against my eyes.Focus. Think. What do you remember?A face. Vague, blurred. A voice, low and amused. "880 isn't enough."Who was he? A stranger? Someone I knew?I reached for my phone again. Opened my messages. Scrolled to the chat.No profile picture. No name. Just the string of digits I'd torn from the notepad.I typed: "Who are you?"

CATHERINE'S POVI didn't go home.I couldn't. Walker was probably still there, sprawled on my couch, asking questions I didn't want to answer. And the walls of my apartment felt too thin, too close. I needed air. I needed distance.I drove.The city blurred past me neon lights, empty streets, the occasional taxi. I didn't know where I was going until I got there.The beach house.My father's beach house.I parked and sat in the car for a long time, staring at the dark windows. The key was still under the third flowerpot. I knew it without checking.What am I doing here?I got out anyway.The air was cold. The ocean roared somewhere beyond the dunes. I found the key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.The house smelled like dust and salt and old memories. I didn't turn on the lights. I just walked to the window and stared at the black water beyond.He didn't break his promi

CATHERINE'S POVSarah was gone, but her words lingered like poison in the air."You're nothing. You were nothing before Ryan. You'll be nothing after him."I sat at my desk, staring at the door she had slammed behind her. My hands were steady. My heart was calm.She's wrong.I opened my laptop and pulled up the encrypted file. Everything I had on Sarah Gray. Every lie. Every manipulation. Every crime.Not enough. Not yet.I needed more. I needed proof that would hold up. Proof that would destroy her completely.My phone buzzed.Jason: "The waiter's name is Marcus Bell. He's been working at The Celestial Lounge for three months. Before that, he worked at a private clinic in Norfolk. A clinic owned by the Gray family."My breath caught.There it is.I typed back: "Get me everything on that clinic. Patient records. Staff lists. Anything that connects Sarah to Marcus."Ja