Regret Came Too Late

Grace froze for a moment, suddenly recalling how things had gotten quite intense every time she had been with Ed. She had always quietly taken birth control pills afterward, so there shouldn't be any possibility of pregnancy.

She lowered her gaze and smiled. "It shouldn't be possible. We took precautions."

The way she spoke so bluntly about such a topic clearly showed she truly had no feelings for Yancey.

Yancey's fingers, hanging loosely at his side, curled slightly. Then, he pulled out a check for five million dollars.

"Last night, Jodie confessed to Uncle Ethan of her own accord. This check is from him, and he also arranged for foreign specialists. They said the whip marks on your body won't leave scars. Do you want to go to the hospital?"

Looking at the check in front of her, Grace could easily imagine Ethan's indifferent expression. Since she had already taken the whipping, there was no point in refusing the compensation.

She accepted the check and forced a smile. "Please thank him for me."

Worried that she might be upset, Yancey tried to comfort her. "Jodie has been spoiled by Uncle Ethan for many years. I suggest you stay away from her next time. She can get away with anything thanks to his favor."

Grace lowered her head, rinsed her mouth with water, then splashed her face again to regain her composure.

"Got it."

For now, she would just have to swallow this bitter loss.

However, the healing process of her injuries was truly unbearable. The wounds itched horribly, making her want to scratch herself raw.

On top of that, Jodie kept sending threatening messages. "Next time you get close to Uncle Ethan again, I promise you'll suffer even more."

Feeling irritated, Grace simply blocked the number.

home and rested for three ore days. During this time, Ed sent her a message saying he wanted to see

and was focusing on recovering,

as always, came with darkness. It made Grace unconsciously think of

and the house lights were off. She was leaning against the bed, hearing only the faint sounds of movement from the living room. When he entered, a warm aroma of risotto accompanied him. He scooped up some risotto and gently brought it

Ed immediately started cooking and taking care of her,

a bite, she suddenly spoke up. "I had a dream... I dreamed that I was stuck in a cave with a boy. He was dying, and I bit my own wrist to feed him with

further, she heard the spoon fall

was shrouded in darkness. Grace pursed her lips

"Are you... that boy?"

fingers trembled slightly, trying to pull

with his,

his bright, crystal-clear eyes. They were like a stray yearning

forcing him, she

Everyone had their secrets.

"It was me."

he spoke to her, he'd deliberately lower his

only been guessing blindly. She hadn't expected

dream, the boy had been gravely injured. If it weren't for her

were badly hurt then. How did you end up

she got there, so she could only ask the person

risotto, and his