Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Grace had just spoken those words when something felt wrong. Why did it sound like she was trying to be playful?

The room went dead silent. The only sounds were her and Ethan's breathing. It felt like the energy radiating from him was seeping into her skin.

She didn't really know Ethan, but it was impossible to miss how attractive he was to women. The thought startled her, and she quickly got up from the small stool.

"I should get going, Mr. Henderson."

Grace hurried toward the door, but just as she opened it, his voice stopped her. "I'll have Tim drive you home."

"Sure, thank you."

But the moment she got in the car, regret crept in. Tim clearly wasn't friendly toward her. She could tell by the way he looked her over. Even from the back seat, she could feel the contempt in his eyes.

When they pulled up to her place, she couldn't keep it in any longer. "Mr. Bennett, do you have something against me?"

Tim kept both hands on the wheel, his tone even. "Ms. Lambert, I still don't know what you're after, but whatever it is, I'd be careful if I were you. Mr. Henderson might let it slide once, but you might not get a second chance. He's not exactly the forgiving type."

No one would be able to stop Ethan if she pushed him too far.

Grace hadn't expected a warning about Ethan's temper from his own assistant. To her, Ethan didn't seem as cold and distant as everyone made him out to be.

She was about to open the door when Tim said again, "I mean it, Ms. Lambert. There's no stopping him once he loses control."

Grace figured he just wanted her to stay away from Ethan.

She gave a faint smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Tim could tell she wasn't really listening to him. One day, she'd learn the hard way.

...

Ethan was in the study by the time Tim made it back to the villa. The room held an

air of subtle sophistication. He sat in a chair with a book in his hands.

He sensed Tim walking in and asked, "You took her home?"

Tim hummed in response.

Ethan turned a page and rested a hand against his cheek, saying nothing. Tim waited about a minute before asking, "Do we need to handle Jessica?" Ethan's lashes fluttered slightly, but his tone stayed distant. "No."

Even though Tim had been by Ethan's side for years, he still couldn't figure him out.

At times, it seemed like he cared about Grace. After all, he hadn't said a word back then even though she was the reason he had spent two years with injured legs. He just left the country without a word.

But other times, it felt like he didn't care at all. He rarely stepped in or interfered in Grace's life. Most of the time, he just stayed on the sidelines, only showing the slightest flicker of emotion in his eyes when she was near.

Meanwhile, Jessica called Chester, the man who had tried to assault Grace. She wanted to check if everything had gone as planned at the hotel and whether Grace was completely ruined.

But Chester's line was unreachable. A flicker of excitement crossed Jessica's face.

Chester was known to mess with women for days. Was he ignoring her calls because he found Grace so irresistible that he wanted to keep her around longer?

Jessica smiled, her mood soaring. Grace hadn't shown up at the office today, which could only mean she had already been ruined.

Jessica hurried into Yancey's office and said hesitantly, "Mr. Henderson, I'm not sure if I should say this, but my friend saw Grace go into a hotel last night with someone we've worked with before."

Yancey had been looking for an excuse to get closer to Grace, so he immediately looked up. "Are you sure? Who was she with?"

"Chester Reeves. He used to work with Henderson Group."

Yancey nearly snapped his pen in half. Everyone knew about the vile things Chester did. He loved drugging women, taking compromising photos, and using them for blackmail.noveldrama

If a victim refused to give in, he'd ruin her reputation with those photos and videos. No one in these circles ever felt sorry for them since Chester had enough money to buy their silence. And if that didn't work, he could drive them to the brink.

Yancey took a deep breath, his expression darkening.

Sensing his anger, Jessica stoked the fire. "We all know what Chester's like. Grace must be out of her mind to get mixed up with him. And she's still your fiancée. If people find out..."

If word got out that Grace was damaged goods, Yancey's reputation would take a hit right along with hers.