Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Grace finally understood why Quentin always had that pained, disappointed gaze when he looked at her.

She had been part of what led to Albert's death. But if Albert had spoken to her before he passed, he likely hadn't held a grudge. He was probably just frustrated, wishing she had done better.

Even though she couldn't remember everything, a wave of guilt crashed over her. Overwhelmed, she slapped herself hard.

Her cheek turned red from the slap, and Liam flinched in shock. "Grace! What are you doing?"

She shook her head, forcing herself to steady her emotions, and continued up the path. "Come on. Take me to Grandpa."

Liam stiffened with regret, afraid that saying anything more might set her off again. Bringing her here suddenly felt like a terrible mistake. They walked for another ten minutes before Albert's tombstone came into view.

Grace stopped in her tracks. A strange heaviness settled in her chest, making it hard to move forward. Even so, Liam gave her space. She hesitated for a long moment before finally stepping forward.

The black-and-white photo on the headstone bore a kind expression. The second her gaze fell on it, tears blurred her vision and spilled down her cheeks.

A wave of dizziness hit her, and she instinctively reached for the gravestone to steady herself. It took her a long time to focus enough to read the inscription. A few fresh bouquets rested at the foot of the grave, their petals adorned with glistening dewdrops.

Her face went pale as a sharp pain shot through her head. She lowered herself to kneel, but the moment her knees met the ground, a deep ache clenched her chest, making her shudder.

Liam quickly stepped in and helped her up. "Grace, that's enough. Let's go back. You need to rest."

He realized Alice had been right after all. Coming here might actually help Grace remember. If Alice hadn't mentioned it, he never would have dared to bring Grace here.

He took a deep breath, hesitating. He couldn't bring himself to tell Grace that coming here had been Alice's idea.

Grace pulled his hand away and lowered her head in silence. After a long moment, she lifted it and fixed her gaze on Albert's face in the photo, etching it into her memory. Only then did she let out a bitter laugh.

"Liam, was I really that blind before?" Had she done so many foolish things for Yancey?

Liam kept quiet. To him, Grace had been downright reckless.noveldrama

They spent an hour at the cemetery before heading back, but Liam had barely driven a mile when a heavy truck suddenly slammed into them.

"Grace!" Without thinking, Liam shielded her, pulling her into his arms.

A sharp branch from the wreck pierced his shoulder, blood soaking through his clothes. A few drops splattered onto Grace's face.

He took a shaky breath. At that moment, he was no longer the arrogant, carefree heir. "Grace, I'm starting to think your last accident wasn't just bad luck. We need to look into this when we get back."

Grace had only suffered minor injuries, but she saw several men stepping out of the truck. She reached out, pressing a hand lightly against Liam's head. "Stay put."

He suddenly realized they might not make it out of this alive. He had never faced a real brush with death before, and his voice wavered.

"My bank card password is my birthday. I sold a car yesterday, so there's still a few million in my account. You and Alice can split the sports cars and models. I got you a designer bag before-gotta be fair, right?"

He let out a shaky breath. "Oh, and there's this girl I like at school. If I don't make it, Grace, give her a share of my inheritance. Her family's struggling, but she never accepts anything from me. She's always hanging around that annoying top student, though. If I survive this, that guy's getting a punch to the face."