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."

you for

"Okay."

confused by his reply. She stared at the screen, completely puzzled. Ethan was impossible to read. Was it really him who changed her

kept going back and forth. Another 30 minutes passed, and she still couldn't bring herself to ask directly. But

study, resting his head on one hand

to tell that Grace was anxious, even

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

The next morning, she was immediately led to her new workstation by Tim upon arriving

desk wasn't in a particularly special location, but anyone heading into Ethan's office would have

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

to work for the next two

moment she realized he wasn't coming, the tension she had been holding

...

the city, Yancey sat in a dimly lit bar,

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

The realization irritated him.

drink, a hand pressed

Sloan said you've been drinking a lot tonight. Is

why, but ever since that incident in Southbrook, he had been paying far more attention to Grace than before. She wasn't as weak and useless as he had once

beautiful woman, and she

not drinking because of my sister, are you?" Alice asked, her tone light but probing. "She messaged

Grace, he had always been the one in control. There was no

believed this was just another one of Grace's games, any trace of hesitation he

straightened up. "She

get under Yancey's skin. That wouldn't

my skin since she knows I've been feeling down

spat, but there was a flicker of smugness in his

the

for

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

Sloan lingered, his eyes locked onto