𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕺𝖋 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊 (ZhanYi)

Shadows of Regret

Wang's Pov.

I was lost for words the night Lee walked in. The whiskey in my glass felt like the only company I had left. My head was a mess, swirling with the chaos that had unfolded in the last few months. I had been drinking before Lee arrived, but it didn't stop me from blurting out what Sean had said. The words came out in pieces, heavy and sharp, like glass breaking.

Lee sat down slowly, processing what I had told him. For a moment, he was silent, his face pale, the shock settling into his features like a punch to the gut. Then, he reached for the bottle. The only thing he could do in that moment was join me. We drank together, as we often had in our worst moments. The alcohol dulled the pain, but not enough to make me forget. Nothing could make me forget what I had lost.

Hours passed, the room darkening as night fell outside. The weight of everything that had been said, everything that had happened, hung between us like a heavy fog. I could feel the tension in the air, but neither of us had the strength to confront it. Instead, we drank until the room spun, and the world outside blurred into insignificance.

At some point, Lee stood up, his movements slow and deliberate. "I need to get a few things done," he said, his voice thick with alcohol and exhaustion. I barely acknowledged him, my mind lost in the haze of my own misery. He left quietly, closing the door behind him, and I was alone again.

The days that followed were agonizing. Each morning I woke up to the same crushing weight on my chest, as if the universe was punishing me for all the mistakes I had made. My heart ached constantly, a deep, hollow pain that wouldn't go away. I missed Sean more than I thought was possible. Every second without him felt like a lifetime, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had ruined everything.

Lee had gone to confront Sophia, to make sure she never contacted her daughter again. He didn't give me all the details, but I knew enough. Sophia was toxic, a poison that had seeped into every aspect of Lee's life. He couldn't forgive her for killing her own brother, his husband. The loss had hollowed him out, leaving behind a man who carried the weight of his grief like a second skin. I had never seen Lee so distant, so determined to cut someone out of his life completely.

Meanwhile, my ex-wife had finally moved out of my house, taking her children with her. It was a strange kind of relief. I had always felt suffocated in my own home, trapped in a life that no longer felt like mine. Now, the house was empty, and I had the space to wallow in my self-pity without interruption. The silence was both comforting and suffocating, a reminder of everything I had lost.

The weeks dragged on, each day blurring into the next. Yanli had been working tirelessly with the CIA, using her hacking skills to help bring down the criminal networks that had ensnared us all. She was relentless, driven by a desire for justice that I couldn't fully understand. But I was grateful for her help. Even from a distance, it felt like a small victory to see the people responsible for so much pain finally being held accountable.

But despite everything that was happening around me, my thoughts were always on Sean. I saw him occasionally, from a distance, his presence like a ghost haunting my every move. I couldn't bring myself to talk to him, couldn't face the rejection I knew was inevitable. But I watched him, desperate to hold on to whatever small connection remained. The day of the sentencing was approaching fast, and I knew that once it was over, I might never see him again.

The day of the sentencing arrived with a cold, heavy atmosphere that matched the dread in my chest. My father, his colleagues, and his business partners stood before the court, awaiting their punishment. The charges were extensive—drugs, smuggling, murder. There was no escape for them now. Life without parole. It was what they deserved, but that didn't make it any easier to watch.