Regret Came Too Late

That evening, Grace left work half an hour early, stopping by the supermarket to pick up fresh ingredients. Then, she rushed home.

With two hours until Ethan's arrival, she had more than enough time to prepare a small meal.

She worked alone in the kitchen, moving swiftly. Just as she was finishing and with only 20 minutes left before the scheduled time, the doorbell rang. Assuming it was Ethan, she quickly went to open the door.

"Eth-"

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Carmen standing outside.

Her mood instantly soured, and her expression turned cold.

Carmen shoved the door open without hesitation, the aroma of freshly cooked food immediately hitting her.

"Grace, you still have the heart to cook here?" Carmen snapped. "Do you even know that Alice and Liam have been craving your food? Alice is sick, and she keeps asking for your cooking. Get your things. You're coming home with me." Grace didn't bother responding. She simply raised a hand to shut the door.

Carmen, already in a foul mood, shoved it open with force.

"You bought this place with Alice's money, didn't you?" she sneered. "She's sick now, and all she wants is a meal from you. Yet here you are, indifferent. You're heartless!"

She stormed into the dining area without invitation.

Seeing the beautifully plated dishes arranged neatly on the table, Carmen's fury spiked. Without a second thought, she grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and yanked.

In an instant, the dishes toppled over. Food splattered across the floor, and plates shattered. Even the tablecloth landed in a crumpled mess on the ground.

"Alice and Liam haven't had a single bite, but you're here feasting alone?" Carmen spat.

Grace stood still for several seconds, her chest rising and falling. Without a word, she pulled out her phone and called building management.

The staff in the security office hesitated. "Ms. Lambert, we didn't intentionally let her up. She said she was your mother, and just a few days ago, she bought a villa for her other daughter. One of our staff recognized her, so we let her through."

"I don't know her. Right now, she's trespassing and causing a disturbance. Please remove her immediately," Grace said coolly.

Carmen never thought she'd see the day when security threw her out. Standing outside the complex, she stomped her foot in frustration, shaking with rage.

had come looking for Grace in such a short period. Her patience had run dry. If Alice didn't love Grace's cooking, she wouldn't have bothered.

pick up the shattered porcelain.

was at the entrance, dressed

why did Ethan always show

Her voice was hoarse when she finally said, "Mr. Henderson, I'm sorry. Maybe it's best if

to forget everything about

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through

rolled closer. Then, Ethan caught

have Tim clean

for him. He had been standing outside

noticed the surprise flashing across Tim's face when Ethan said that. For some reason, it made her

muttered. "I can

to pull her hand away and continue picking up the

"Tim," Ethan called out.

stepped inside. "Ms. Lambert, just sit

already headed toward the bathroom to retrieve

had no choice but to stand up, only to have Ethan take

tissue was placed at her fingertips. Ethan then wiped

fingers. Moments ago, her body had felt flushed from the surge of emotions, but now, wherever his skin brushed hers, it

filled the space between them, and the air felt

palm was bleeding, but

the trash. "Do you have

"Yes."

her gaze landed

dropped. Her palm hadn't bled that

realized it had

of it, it had already seeped through her pants.

had been feeling off

she couldn't look up. She

awkward situation happen to

stiffened as heat rose to her cheeks. Just then, his voice