Regret Came Too Late

Grace tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Finally, she grabbed her phone and started searching online. "My boss bathed me. Are we still in a purely professional relationship?"

"I passed out from period cramps and woke up to find out that my boss changed my pants and bathed me. What do I do?"

She posted both questions in a forum, but even after hitting send, her body still felt unbearably hot.

The thought of going to work tomorrow and facing Ethan made her nervous.

It didn't take long before replies flooded in.

"Are you sure this is just your boss and not your boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend doesn't even treat me this well. Your boss definitely likes you."

"Forget boyfriends, even my husband isn't this considerate. You don't seem to mind it that much. Why not just be with him?"

"Your relationship is definitely no longer just professional."

Grace quickly replied, "He has absolutely no interest in me."

That comment was immediately met with disbelief.

"How is that possible? You're seriously slow when it comes to relationships. How does he treat others compared to how he treats you?"

"He's cold to others. He's cold to me too."

"Yeah, because bathing you during your period is totally something a cold person would do."

Grace felt speechless. She hesitated for a long time before opening Ethan's contact. She finally sent a message.

Mr. Henderson, are you still awake?"

It took ten minutes before he replied, "No."

for tonight," she

"Okay."

stared at the screen, completely puzzled. Ethan was impossible to read. Was it

Another 30 minutes passed, and she still couldn't bring herself to ask directly. But if she didn't ask, how

the other side of the city, Ethan sat in his study, resting his head on one hand as

to tell that Grace was anxious, even through

him for a while. When his phone buzzed again, he glanced at it but didn't pick

was immediately led to her new workstation by Tim upon arriving on the top floor

wasn't in a particularly special location, but anyone

while focusing on work, she couldn't stop thinking about how she would handle

work for

moment she realized he wasn't coming, the tension she had been holding onto finally eased, and she could finally focus

...

Yancey sat in a dimly lit bar, drunkenly scrolling

different department without consulting him, and she wasn't taking his calls. He had a feeling that Grace wasn't

The realization irritated him.

another drink, a hand

been drinking a

Southbrook, he had been paying far more attention to

woman, and she used to

you?" Alice asked, her tone light but probing. "She messaged me earlier. She said she's sure you'd change your

with Grace, he had always been the one in control. There

was just another one of Grace's games, any trace of hesitation he felt would harden into

immediately straightened up. "She

Yancey's skin. That wouldn't do. She needed

under my skin since she knows I've been feeling down lately,"

but there was a flicker of smugness in his eyes.

out of the bar

one to call Sloan earlier. Sloan had been infatuated with her for a long time, and she had never outright

heir to the Sidler family, he had status. She wanted every man in this circle to

his eyes locked onto