Regret Came Too Late

Grace's eyes flicked to Ethan, but Tim was standing in the way.

"Mr. Henderson, I swear I didn't mean to do it. My mind just went completely blank after drinking those three glasses."

By now, Ethan was seated in his wheelchair, facing away from her. He still hadn't said a word.

Grace's face turned red with frustration as she saw Tim turning to push Ethan away.

"Mr. Henderson!"

Finally, Ethan lifted his head. His clothes were straightened, his gaze was calm, and his voice was low. "I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Grace nodded vigorously but felt like his expression had darkened even more. She stood frozen in place, helplessly watching as Ethan was wheeled away.

The business partners followed, leaving one by one.

The once-bustling private room now fell into a deep silence.

Grace collapsed into a chair, the lingering effects of the alcohol hitting her stomach, making her feel utterly miserable. She sat there for ten minutes, only to hear footsteps approaching from outside the room. She thought the staff were here to clean up the mess.

But suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed, and before she could adjust to the darkness, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist.

Her back was pressed against the wall, and the man's overwhelming presence surrounded her instantly.

She tried to focus and see who it was, but the darkness blurred her vision.

The next instant, his lips crashed onto hers. Her pupils contracted, and her hands instinctively pressed against his chest, struggling to push him away.

But the aftereffects of the alcohol hit her hard, and she felt weak.

The lack of oxygen only deepened her disorientation, and she could sense herself being lifted. Her legs unconsciously wrapped around his waist.

feeling was so surreal that she couldn't tell if it was

was undeniable, like a flood of repressed emotions

escape. She was unable to distance

The lack of air made her dizzy,

...

the same private room. The surroundings were unchanged, but a whole hour had passed. She rubbed her temples,

desperate for

years and that Yancey had always looked down on her. It seemed like no other man had ever really appeared in her

a man didn't feel all that strange at her age, and there was no need to

She sighed, feeling parched.

legs wobbled, and she almost collapsed to the

the chair for support and took a

left the private room, she realized the entire floor was empty like it had been cleared

She suddenly felt so

pm when the elevator

hail a cab to go home

an hour ago, she hesitated to get too

heard

really are a bad penny that just won't quit. How do you

arranged to have a meal with Ethan. Was this hotel the place they were

straight to the private room where he had arranged to meet with

want to provoke Jodie, so she took a

face, paused for a few seconds, and then began

That's why you were so eager for my brother to post those words on his

nonsense are

vel

on. You're playing it acting all innocent, but you're actually fooling around with someone else in a place like

to her, but