Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Yasmine had met Yancey before. Back then, she had just thought he was a spoiled rich kid—self-centered, soft, and maybe a little dumb but harmless.

The Yancey she saw today felt like a stranger. He was so different from who he used to be.

Yancey's expression was eerily calm, but something violent churned behind his bloodshot eyes. Dark circles hung heavy under them like he hadn't properly slept in days.

"So, she never loved me. I was just a target? A decoy? That's what I was to her? No wonder I've experienced so many assassination attempts. Were they all connected to her?"

He shouted the last part.

Yancey had always been oblivious, but it was true that he had survived a shocking number of assassination attempts only because the Henderson family's power and protection had been nearly impenetrable.

For a while, he had even wondered why his life seemed more targeted than even Ethan's.

If what Yasmine said was true, it wasn't bad luck. It had been part of a plan all along.

Grace. It had all started with Grace.

Yancey's fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. The shame was unbearable. He had been so sure she would never leave him-so sure she would always belong to him. He'd been a fool-the biggest fool.

His jaw tightened until it felt like his teeth might crack. But after a few seconds, he forced himself to go still again. He appeared cold and expressionless. Without another word, he brushed past Yasmine and disappeared down the hallway.

Yasmine stood there for a long moment, uneasy. She thought maybe she should warn Grace.

Yancey was not in a good place. Something about him felt dangerous.

But before she could make a decision, her phone buzzed with more work calls. And with those calls pulling her attention away, she forgot all about it.

...

Meanwhile, Grace had started wiring the investment money to Yasmine's studio in batches.

Yasmine didn't disappoint. Every cent she received was put to precise use. She was producing short dramas for streaming platforms. They were cheap to make as there was no need for tedious TV licensing, and the return on investment was almost immediate.

Based on their projections, once all three projects dropped, Grace would pocket at least 60 million dollars.

Finally, a little breathing room. For the first time in months, she didn't have to panic over fundraising.noveldrama

Lambert Group was still undergoing a massive overhaul. All the old,

outdated product lines had to be scrapped. Luckily, even though.

Quentin had been too soft who net

managing people, he had always been obsessive about quality. Because of that, they still had a loyal customer base.

When they slashed prices on all their old inventory, orders flooded in. Within a week, every single item had been cleared out. They even started trending a little online.

Seizing the momentum, Grace issued a full directive across the company-all products had to be updated to match modern aesthetics without compromising quality.

She personally promoted a wave of young employees who had been overlooked before. Those were people full of design ideas, people who actually understood what the new generation wanted.

It was a gamble, but Grace had no choice.

She worked herself to exhaustion for an entire week. When she finally paused to breathe, her body felt like it might give out.

What she didn't know was that during this same week, Liam had been desperately trying to reach her. No matter how much he begged, the guards wouldn't let him have a phone.

They had locked him in a remote estate outside the city. His world had shrunk to a single suite. The only human contact he got was the person who silently delivered his meals every day.

At first, Liam believed Grace would come for him. He told himself it was just a matter of time. But as days dragged on with no sign of her, hope curdled into despair. Most of the time, he was in pain, so much so that he curled up on the cold tile floor, rocking his body and gritting his teeth to keep from screaming.

How could she just leave him like this? Weren't they supposed to be family? Weren't they supposed to stick together, no matter what?

He had lost everything.

The thing that hurt wasn't even the confinement but realizing that Grace, who used to treat him so well, had thrown him away without a second thought.

Tears streamed down his face, dropping silently onto the floor. He didn't even try to wipe them away.

Then, the door creaked open, and someone stepped inside.

Liam stayed curled up, his voice raw from crying. "Get out," he rasped.

But the person who entered didn't leave. A sweet, almost musical voice said, "Mr. Lambert... I'm a friend of Grace's."