Chapter 6: The Regret Begins

A full month passed after I arrived on Wanoki Island.

Life settled into a peaceful routine.

Every morning, I joined the research team before sunrise.

Every afternoon, I organized reports and assisted with conservation projects.

Every evening, I walked along the beach, watching the waves erase footprints left in the sand.

Little by little, the scars in my heart began to heal.

The nightmares that once haunted my sleep became less frequent.

For the first time in years, I wasn't living for someone else.

I was living for myself.

One afternoon, Adrian found me sitting alone beneath a palm tree, reading a book.

"You always find the quietest places," he said with a smile.

"I guess I've had enough noise for one lifetime," I replied.

He sat beside me, leaving a respectful distance between us.

"The others are planning a diving trip this weekend."

"Would you like to join?"

I looked toward the endless ocean.

"I've never tried diving before."

"Then it's the perfect time to learn."

"Sometimes the only way to move forward is to experience something you've always been afraid of."

His words made me smile.

"You always know what to say."

Adrian laughed softly.

"Not really."

"I just believe everyone deserves a second chance."

The sentence lingered in my mind long after he left.

A second chance.

Perhaps that was exactly what this life had given me.

Meanwhile, in Bellamore, the atmosphere inside the McLaren Group had become unusually tense.

Employees noticed their young president growing colder with each passing day.

Meetings ended early.

Documents piled up on his desk.

Even Sarah noticed the change.

"You're making mistakes you've never made before," she said one afternoon.

Emil rubbed his temples tiredly.

"I've just been busy."

"Busy enough to forget three meetings this week?"

He remained silent.

Sarah sighed.

"Is this really about work... or is it about Penelope?"

"Why does everyone keep mentioning her?" Emil replied impatiently.

"Because ever since she left, you've stopped acting like yourself."

"She'll come back."

"She always chased after me."

Sarah looked at him quietly before speaking.

"And what if she doesn't this time?"

Her question left Emil speechless.

That evening, after returning home, he unconsciously walked toward the guest room Penelope used whenever she stayed at the McLaren residence.

The room had already been cleaned.

Every trace of her had disappeared.

Only a small blue bookmark remained inside one of the novels on the shelf.

Curious, Emil picked it up.

On the back, written in neat handwriting, was a simple sentence.

"Some people spend their whole lives waiting to be chosen."

"One day, I hope I choose myself instead."

Emil stared at the words for a long time.

He had never seen the bookmark before.

Nor had he ever wondered what Penelope truly felt.

For years, he had assumed she would always be there.

Waiting.

Smiling.

Forgiving.

Now, for the first time, he questioned whether he had taken her devotion for granted.

Back on Wanoki Island, the weekend diving trip finally arrived.

The ocean was calm, its surface sparkling beneath the bright morning sun.

"Don't be nervous," Sophie encouraged me while helping me adjust my diving gear.

"Everyone feels scared the first time."

I nodded.

"I'm more excited than scared."

Adrian approached carrying extra equipment.

"Ready?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"Just stay close to me underwater."

Moments later, we descended beneath the crystal-clear sea.

The underwater world stole my breath away.

Schools of colorful fish swam gracefully between vibrant coral reefs.

Sunlight filtered through the water like shimmering ribbons of gold.

Everything was peaceful.

Everything was alive.

When we resurfaced nearly an hour later, I couldn't stop smiling.

"Well?" Adrian asked.

"Worth trying?"

"More than worth it," I answered.

"I feel like I've been seeing the world through closed windows my entire life."

"And now?"

"Now I finally opened one."

Adrian smiled.

"I'm glad."

Later that evening, everyone gathered around a beach barbecue.

Laughter filled the air as the volunteers shared stories from the day's adventure.

Sophie suddenly nudged Adrian with a teasing grin.

"Director Hale, you've been paying a lot of attention to Penelope lately."

"Should we be expecting some exciting news?"

Several volunteers laughed.

Adrian looked embarrassed for the first time since I had met him.

"Don't make assumptions," he replied calmly.

"Penelope is simply an important member of our team."

His answer was respectful.

It didn't make me uncomfortable.

Instead, it made me appreciate him even more.

He never pressured me.

He never treated kindness as a transaction.

Everything he did felt natural.

That night, after returning to my room, I stood on the balcony overlooking the moonlit sea.

I realized something that surprised me.

I hadn't thought about Emil all day.

Not once.

The realization didn't make me guilty.

It made me feel free.

Far away in Bellamore, Emil sat alone inside his office long after every employee had gone home.

His phone screen remained illuminated.

Penelope's contact was still pinned at the top of his messages.

His fingers hovered above the keyboard.

For the first time in his life, he considered sending her a message.

"How have you been?"

He typed the words.

Then erased them.

"When are you coming home?"

He deleted that as well.

Finally, he locked the phone without sending anything.

He didn't know why.

Perhaps because deep down...

He was afraid she might never reply.