Chapter 84 Look Back
The next day, Regina decided to visit her grandmother's grave.
Regina wanted to share some recent happy memories with her.
That morning, Regina had even taken out the red ribbon she used to wear.
Douglas watched the vivid red ribbon nestled in her thick, flowing hair, his eyes narrowing slightly as if pricked by an unexpected sting.
On the way, they were both lost in thought and didn't talk much.
They got to the cemetery at ten in the morning. The snow had stopped the night before, and the sun finally came out on the cold winter day. Regina placed a bouquet of white lilies in front of the tombstone.
She stood there silently for a long time.
With her eyes reddened, she gazed at Tasha's kind, gentle face on the headstone, a smile touching her lips.
At last, she spoke silently in her heart, 'I always thought that if you were gone, the sky above me would surely collapse, but I want to tell you that things haven't been so painful. Everything is moving in a positive direction.
'I'll live well. Don't worry about me.'
Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was a serene calm in her gaze.
She turned to Douglas, who had been quietly by her side, and smiled. "Thanks for coming with me today. Let's go back."
Douglas stared at the tombstone for a bit.
Regina sensed something hidden in his eyes but couldn't figure out what.
On the way back, Douglas noticed Regina typing on her phone and then deleting it.
He asked, "What's up?"
"My mom's been messaging me."
Even though Regina had changed her number, some social media accounts stayed the same. She hadn't blocked Melissa, so Melissa kept sending messages.
"What did she say?"
The usual stuff.
"She wants to see me. Sandra might be getting married," Regina said flatly, "to Vitas."
Douglas smirked. "Really? Congrats to her."
Some things didn't need much thought to understand.
Regina clutched her phone and went silent.
By the time they got back to the city, an hour had passed.
As soon as they got home, Regina got a call from Helen Hill, the producer of the "Post-Nuptial Passion" radio drama.
She quickly answered.
"Regina, you mentioned you'd be free after Christmas for recording. Which days work for you?"
"I'm free all next week," Regina said, feeling excited. "Any day works."
"Alright, give me a moment. I'll get back to you in about half an hour."
"Okay."
After Helen hung up the phone, she immediately called Dougal.
When she got his response, she was a bit taken aback. His reply was similar to Regina's—they both said they had availability this week and could make any day work.
So, Helen scheduled their recording session for three days later.
Once Regina received the confirmation, she immediately thought it was time to explain the situation to Douglas.
She headed to the living room and found Douglas sitting on the sofa, seemingly texting someone.
"Douglas, I need to tell you something." Regina walked up, looking more lively than at the cemetery. "In a few days, I need to go to Normon City for a radio drama recording."
Douglas fiddled with his phone, his voice calm. "Alright."
Regina remembered Nicole mentioning that Douglas liked good voices and had attended a Dubbing Club event at Normon University. She felt a bit strange inside but didn't know what to say.
In the end, she said nothing.
Douglas noticed Regina quickly getting excited about the trip to Normon City for the recording.
He sat on the couch, feeling a bit lost.
He thought, 'If Regina finds out Dougal is actually me, will she be surprised or shocked?'
At first, Dougal felt a pang of regret, thinking that Regina had completely forgotten about him.
However, he later told Nicole that if Regina couldn't remember him, it was better for her not to—he didn't want the past to disrupt her present life.
If Dougal's identity were to be revealed to Regina, she would undoubtedly delve deeper into it.
Douglas didn't know how to explain things to her.
His decision to participate in the radio drama recording was solely because he knew it was one of her wishes. He wanted to check off every item on her wish list.
The more Douglas thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Dougal pressed his fingers hard against his forehead, feeling uncertain about the upcoming recording session in three days.
Meanwhile, someone else was equally restless.
On Christmas Day, Philip didn't go home but stayed in his office all day and night.
When Mars entered, he felt the office was as cold as an icebox.
"Mr. Sterling," Mars began carefully, knowing Philip would be displeased no matter what. "We've been investigating, but we still can't find any concrete evidence."
Philip looked up, his cold expression oppressive.
Mars continued, "But someone saw Douglas leaving the Peace Club with Ms. Valrose that night. Douglas was holding her."
This was just a fleeting glance from an alleged eyewitness. Douglas had held Regina tightly, and the suit covering her made it hard to see her face, even if photographed.
"Mr. Sterling, if you want Ms. Valrose to know the truth about that night, just tell her the person at the Seasons Hotel wasn't you, but possibly Douglas. She'd definitely seek confirmation from Douglas."
Philip interrupted with a self-deprecating laugh, "Maybe if she knew it was Douglas that night, she'd feel relieved."
Mars paused, stunned. But on second thought, it made sense. Douglas was Regina's current husband nominally.
Mars felt lost, unsure of Philip's next move.
With bloodshot eyes, Philip muttered, "What do I have to do for her to look back at me?"
