Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Did someone just send her a Christmas Eve gift?

Herbert.

It had to be him. Again.

Timothy grabbed his phone and called Secretary Allen.

"Go buy 999 gift-wrapped apples and have them delivered to The Gilded Whisper Estates. And arrange for a Christmas tree."

He hung up before Allen could respond.

Timothy picked up the apple sitting on the vanity, meaning to toss it into the trash -but after a moment's hesitation, he set it back down. The last time he'd pretended to throw away that necklace Herbert gave her, she'd been furious. Why was he getting so worked up over an apple anyway?

Was she out to dinner with Herbert again tonight?

Agitated, Timothy pulled out his phone and dialed Jessica.

Meanwhile, Jessica had already bought the gold-plated cutlery and bowls. Carlisle and his crew-five key members in all-were present to witness her officially naming Daisy as her goddaughter.

Just as her phone buzzed with Timothy's call, Jessica glanced at the screen and muted it, choosing not to answer.

Vince beamed at her. "Hey, why don't I take a photo of you and Daisy to commemorate the occasion?"

"Great idea,” Jessica replied.

Vince snapped several pictures, then helped Jessica get a few group shots with Carlisle and the others.

Earlier, on her way over, Jessica had noticed apple vendors lining the street. She'd bought a bunch, and now everyone was holding one, grinning for the camera as they posed for the photo.

At that very moment, the new movie's trailer dropped across every social media platform. Vince had picked this date for a reason; now, movie teasers were flooding the internet, and there was even a promotion on Christmas Day, theaters in every city would be giving away themed merchandise.

Catching wind of the campaign, Vince switched on the big screen in their private room. The film channel was running their trailer during primetime.

He changed the channel just in time to catch the start: the screen exploded in a wash of deep-blue waves, only to fade quickly to black. Over the sound of surging tides, words appeared, each letter tapping out with the rhythm of a typewriter:

"When the umbilical cord becomes a message in a bottle, can you hear the silent cry?"

A deaf boy lay sprawled on a beach as waves crashed over him. The umbilical cord snaked from his abdomen, twisting into a fragile glass bottle. Somewhere, a mother's agonized cries in the throes of childbirth seemed to threaten the fragile vessel with shattering.

The scene shifted: a ship, moments before disaster. A pregnant woman in labor, her screams splitting the night as a storm raged outside. Just as the child was about to be born, a monstrous wave hurled the helpless ship against the rocks.

...

Everyone was transfixed, eyes glued to the screen.

Several heartbreaking moments flashed across the trailer. Daisy watched tears streaming down her face. She'd grown up without a mother, in the film, the boy's mother had given him life at the cost of her own. Yet, she found ways to stay with him, even after death.

As the trailer drew to a close, all the glass bottle umbilical cords exploded into a brilliant starry sky. The deaf boy tipped his head back, and in the silence, it was as if he could see that the stars above had formed a message in Morse code.

The closing caption read: "Let the umbilical cord connect a heartbeat once more."

On-screen, a cord emerged from the boy's body, alive once again...

The message: *Message in a Bottle*-coming soon.

Jessica knew every beat of the script, but seeing the trailer, so beautifully crafted, moved her deeply. The rest of the

crew Carlisle and the others et

were

dabbing at their eyes. This movie was their silent cry as well. Five hard

years, and it was finally about to

reach the world.

Vince saw the nostalgia-and pride-etched on their faces. He started clapping, rallying the room into applause.

Raising his glass, Vince declared, "Here's to our film's release and runaway success. Cheers!"noveldrama

As dinner wound down, Vince told Carlisle he was having a new studio built for them. They could keep making movies, and as long as they did, he would keep investing. Watching the trailer, he had no doubt about their talent.

Because words weren't always an option for them, they'd learned to see more, to use their eyes—and it showed. The visuals were stunning, every frame bursting with emotion.

Even Yates, known for being picky, had been impressed by the film. Vince felt certain they had a real shot at success.

Meanwhile, Secretary Allen's team delivered the apples and set up the Christmas tree in the bedroom, arranging everything perfectly.

Timothy slipped the restored necklace into a velvet pouch and hung it on the tree.

It had belonged to his mother; he would give it to no one else.

He added a handwritten note, sealed it in another pouch, and hung it alongside the necklace.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a trending notification.

He tapped it open-it was the movie trailer.

He'd seen the project files before and knew Vince had snapped it up. Now the campaign had started; it wouldn't be long before the movie hit theaters.

Smart timing, he thought.

Timothy watched the trailer, and for some reason, Jessica was the first person to come to mind. He opened up Vince's profile and saw a new post in his feed. He tapped to see more.