Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Yancey froze. At that moment, he was at a loss for words, and his face turned ghost-white.

Grace bent down, picked up the coat, and tossed it back at him. "This coat is worth thousands of dollars. Don't throw it around like it's trash. Every penny you're spending is from the Henderson family. You haven't earned anything on your own."

Yet another hit. The last trace of color drained from Yancey's face. He held the coat against him and turned away slowly. But as he opened the car door, he still couldn't help himself. His voice trembled, his eyes burning. "Grace... That guy you're seeing, who is he? Can I at least meet him?"

He just needed to know how he lost. Even if he was a loser, how could a waiter beat him?

Grace didn't even open her eyes when she answered, "Why do you want to meet him? He doesn't like being around people."

A waiter who didn't like being around people? He probably just didn't want to embarrass Grace in public because of how ugly he was.

And it wasn't like Grace lacked options. Her own younger brother, Liam, looked like he walked out of a magazine.

Yancey got into the car and slammed the door shut. Fine. Let her hide him. He would find that guy sooner or later.

After Yancey had left, Grace stayed there, waiting until 9:00 pm. Finally, Ethan's car pulled up. She didn't say a word this time. She figured he was still pissed.

But the car stopped right in front of her, and from the cracked window came a low voice.

"Get in."

Grace blinked, stunned for a beat, but then she quickly opened the door and slipped inside. She was frozen to the bone. The heat inside the car made her shiver and instinctively rub her hands together.

Ethan's eyes never left the file on his lap. He didn't even glance at her.

Still, Grace noticed that the dark shadows beneath his eyes had deepened. It didn't make him any less handsome just a little more worn.

The car pulled into the main house in Palm Bay. Grace got out of the car first and moved to open the door for Ethan.

Ethan stayed silent as he was brought to the study. Grace didn't know what to say either, so she simply sat nearby, quietly sorting through his documents.

Then, Tim pushed open the door and stepped inside with a small bottle in his hand. "Mr. Henderson, here are the meds. It was a rush order from overseas."

Ethan gave a short hum and took the bottle, popping one pill and chasing it down with a sip of water.

Grace frowned slightly. Was that for insomnia? It didn't look like the typical sleeping pills.

She stood up and followed Tim into the hallway, stopping the latter with a hand on his arm. "Mr. Bennett, is that for his sleep?"noveldrama

Tim turned to her with the same curt professionalism as before, then shook her hand off. "It's none of your concern, Ms. Lambert."

With guilt weighing heavily in her chest, Grace lowered her voice and asked, "Has his insomnia gotten worse?"

Tim scoffed. "Thanks to the thoughtful gift you prepared, Ms. Lambert."

Her heart sank. Maybe seeing that face-the one that had lived in his memory for so long-had unsettled him more than she had imagined. She pursed her lips, guilt crashing over her.

And even now, Ethan hadn't said a word of blame. It was her, still stuck in the past, holding onto what had happened on the island.

Moments later, she inhaled deeply and uttered, "There's a very talented alternative medicine practitioner in my father's hometown. I'd like to take Mr. Henderson to see him."

"There's no need for that, Ms. Lambert. I don't trust you anymore." Grace's face flushed red with guilt as she lowered her gaze.

"Liam said was a sickly child before I turned eight, and barely anyone had seen me. It was only after I went to my father's hometown and saw the practitioner that I finally got better."