Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Threading a string of cheap plastic beads together to make jewelry? Wearing that in public was just asking to be laughed at.

Ethan said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see Grace crouched outside, meticulously sorting through the tiny beads under the sunlight.

She finished threading the second bracelet and tied it around her wrist. When she finally stood up, she staggered a little from squatting so long. Her skin was so fair it almost glowed, and the simple beaded bracelet on her wrist only made her look even more striking.

Since she had agreed to meet Ethan at 7:00 pm, and the time was getting close, so she simply stayed outside and waited.

Sure enough, about an hour later, Ethan and Simon came out of the main doors.

The moment Simon spotted her, he frowned.

Grace, however, simply stepped respectfully behind Ethan. "Mr. Henderson, should we head to Velvet Eclipse now?"

"Yeah," Ethan replied casually.

She quickly followed him to the car. Tim was in the driver's seat, with Simon sliding into the back as well.noveldrama

Grace hesitated for a second, then took out the small gift she had prepared.

"Mr. Henderson, this is for you," she said, handing it over. "It's a formal apology for what happened with Andrea."

The gift box was small but exquisite. Anyone could tell at a glance it was from a high-end brand.

Simon snorted at the sight of it. "I heard Lambert Group is strapped for cash these days. Looks like you're still willing to bleed for a good apology, though."

Ethan looked at the box but didn't immediately take it. Instead, his gaze dropped to her wrist. She was still wearing that hand-threaded beaded bracelet, the tiny colorful beads vivid against her pale skin. It was simple but somehow beautiful. Grace kept holding the box out awkwardly. Seconds ticked by, feeling like hours. She was just about to mumble something to ease the awkwardness when Ethan finally reached out and accepted the box.

Still, he didn't open it. He just set it aside like it meant nothing.

Simon, sitting beside them, grinned like a cat who caught a mouse.

"Well, you should at least be grateful, Ethan," he drawled. "You could've ended up with that cheap little bracelet instead."

Then, he turned back to Grace, smirking. "So, who's the lucky guy you're giving that thing to?"

Grace took a deep breath. She really couldn't stand Simon. He was too loud, too arrogant, and had no sense of boundaries.

She said nothing, but Simon just kept going, grinning wider.

"Are you gonna give it to your secret boyfriend? Let me tell you, men are just like women. We like expensive gifts. The more you spend, the more it shows you

care.

"You buy Ethan a luxury gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but you give your boyfriend

something you strung together off a street vendor? If I were him, I'd be pissed. Lambert Group might be

broke, but you don't have to

embarrass yourself like that."

Grace finally lifted her head, her voice calm. "That's because you don't understand."

Simon had lived his whole life in easy mode. No one ever challenged him, and no one dared suggest he didn't know what he was doing.

Growing up in the Yule family, Simon had been trained for one thing-inheritance.

He had been drilled in everything from strategy to etiquette. He was raised to lead and expected to excel. And he did. In every measurable way, he was top of the class.

His only misstep-his only real stain-was the marriage arranged for him three years ago. The Yule family had chosen a woman he had never met. And just like that, he

was married off like a piece in a power play.

If not for that one decision, his life would've been flawless.

So now, hearing Grace—a woman half the circle still mocked behind closed doors-accuse him of not understanding something? He almost laughed What exactly didn't he understand?

He was fluent in all of it-equestrianism, poker, golf, finance, business ops, you name it. There wasn't a field he couldn't dominate.

With a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, he leaned back lazily in his chair. "Alright," he said coolly. "Go ahead. Tell me what it is I don't understand." He gave her a slow, assessing look.

"Grace, the business contact you're meeting tonight? That's me. The project? I only handed it off as a favor to Ethan. If your answer doesn't impress me, even he can't save you."