Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Liam fought through the aches in his body and quickly moved to sit at the small table. Carefully, almost reverently, he laid out the stack of books Andrea had brought. There were more than a dozen of them. They were all thick, heavy volumes packed with real-world business case studies.

Andrea was betting on her future. The better Liam did, the better her life would be down the road.

"I'll read every single one," Liam said seriously. "Will Grace come to see me if I finish them?"

It would take him at least six months to get through everything. By then, Grace would probably be ready to let him out.

Andrea smiled sweetly. "That's what she said. She's counting on you, so don't let her down."

Liam nodded fiercely, his expression turning determined. "I won't!"

For the next three days, Andrea visited him daily.

Since Grace hadn't called to check in and the guards assumed Andrea's entry to the venue was authorized by her, nobody questioned it. After all, all she did was chat with him and keep him company-nothing suspicious.

What they didn't understand was how easy it was for emotions to form when two people were thrown together every day, especially when one of them was barely 20 years old, vulnerable, and desperate for comfort.

Grace's plan had been simple. She wanted Liam to reflect on his mistakes and learn his lesson. She had planned to check on him when his 20th birthday rolled around.

Meanwhile, Liam buried himself in his studies. Every day, he pushed through his physical pain, and every day, Andrea was there to encourage him.

Whenever he was about to break down, she would softly remind him, "Grace doesn't want to see you give up."

Those words carried him through.

Meanwhile, Grace was drowning in work. After finalizing all the investment terms with Yasmine, she started chasing down new partnership opportunities for Lambert Group.

She hadn't expected to see Ethan's name pop up when her phone buzzed.

"You need business deals?" His voice was as cool and detached as ever.

But Grace knew better. If he was calling her, he wasn't asking out of politeness. Ethan had more resources at his fingertips than most people could dream of. Even crumbs from his table could keep the Lambert family afloat for the next decade.

"I do," she said lightly. "Is this charity, Mr. Henderson?"

He was silent for a beat. Then, he said, "Meet me at Velvet Eclipse at 7:00 pm."

Grace's heart skipped a beat. She nodded so fast it made her dizzy. "Should I prepare anything?"

"No."

He hung up without another word. Not even a breath was wasted.

Grace put down her phone, feeling vaguely like she had just been hung up on by someone who hated her. Was he still mad about what happened last time?

Sighing, she threw on a light touch of makeup and headed to the mall. If she was going to see Ethan, she

couldn't show up empty-handednet?noveldrama

She couldn't get cheap gifts either, and certainly not watches. Someone like Ethan wouldn't even glance at a watch unless it cost more than most people's homes.

After a careful search, she settled on a pair of silver-blue cufflinks that cost 200 thousand dollars. It was high-end enough to be tasteful without being over the top.

She was leaving the mall, gift bag in hand, when something else caught her eye.

A vendor was selling colorful beads, and a little stand next to them offered thin strings for threading. Something about it caught her eye. She crouched down, intrigued, and started picking through the beads one by one. With each one she chose, she held it up to the sunlight, checking carefully for blemishes.

After carefully picking out the best ones, Grace followed the vendor's instructions and began threading the beads onto a thin red string. It was more work than she expected-fiddly and time-consuming-but somehow, she didn't mind.

She had a feeling Ed would like something handmade.

Once she finished the first piece, she started selecting beads for a second. This time, it was for herself. She thought a matching pair would be a nice touch- something subtle and just for the two of them.

But as she focused on threading the second string, footsteps approached from behind. She didn't look up at first. Not until she heard that familiar, mocking voice.

"Well, well. Isn't this a surprise?" Simon sneered, "Has the Lambert family really fallen so far? What are you doing, selling beads outside a luxury mall?"

Grace frowned and slowly turned her head. A few feet behind Simon sat Ethan in his wheelchair, watching quietly. The two men were supposed to be here for a joint site visit.

Rel

Lambert Group's landed

had

ties to the Henderson and Yule families.

Usually, it would've been Tim handling this sort of thing. But today, for some reason, Ethan had come in person. This was a rare move, practically unheard of.

Simon didn't care enough to wonder why. The moment he saw Grace, he couldn't help himself. Taunting her was a habit he had never quite shaken.

She was still crouched down, the half-finished work dangling loosely from her finger.

Simon walked over and snatched it up, tossing it into the air and catching it like a toy. "And this cheap little thing, who's it for? Don't tell me you're giving this to someone like it means something?"

Grace rose to her feet, her expression tight. "Mr. Yule, that's enough," she said sharply, snatching the string back from his hand.

Just then, Ethan spoke for the first time. "Simon."

He said only one word. His voice was calm but carried unmistakable weight.

Simon scoffed and raised his hands in mock surrender before turning and strolling back to Ethan's side.

As they entered the building, he muttered under his breath, "It looks like she's really going to give that thing to someone. If a woman ever gave me something like that, I'd toss it straight in the trash. That's so embarrassing."