Regret Came Too Late

After leaving the hospital, Grace glanced up at the gray, overcast sky, feeling like

her heart was wrapped in the same heavy haze.

She drove straight to Lambert Group, and the senior executives who now followed

her lead hurried out to meet her.

"Ms. Lambert, have you found Mr. Lambert yet?"

Just then, Sebastian pushed the door open.

Grace was surprised to see him. "I thought you were at the hospital with your

family," she said.

Sebastian frowned, and there was a hint of unease in his voice. "After you called

me, I had a bad feeling. What's going on?"

Grace motioned for the others to leave, keeping only Sebastian behind. He had

worked with Quentin for years and had helped Liam without complaint. He was

someone she could trust.

She quickly filled him in on what had happened with Liam, then showed him the

scandal online. It was obvious the person behind it was deliberately dragging

things out, waiting for the right moment to push Liam's scandal to the top of social

media.

Once it hit number one, they would expose everything.

And when that happened, it wouldn't just destroy Liam. The entire company would

become public enemy number one.

At this point, Grace knew there was only one move left.

She looked up and locked eyes with Sebastian. The understanding in his gaze

was immediate.

Sebastian said solemnly, "Ms. Lambert, you have to step up and take the CEO

position. It's the only way to calm the public."

"What had happened crossed a line-not just for the country but for the people. It

didn't matter if Liam had been led astray.

"Wrong was wrong, and mistakes came with consequences.

Grace tugged lightly at the corner of her mouth. The reason she had helped push

Liam into that position in the first place was because Carmen had always been

her, suspecting she was after the Lambert

kindly. But when it came to Quentin and

devotion was undeniable. So much of what Quentin had built came

Carmen's efforts as well.

dark the world got, Grace was determined to live

there was no other way-especially with Alice

paralyzed.

sharpening

public statement and admit our

but he's already been

and we won't excuse

often than not, just wanted to see a stance.

suppress a scandal, the harder it would hit

better to face it head-on

helping the police crack down

like this.

was already on shaky ground. With that plot of

were cash-strapped as it

made a five-million-dollar donation. It wasn't her money. The

through Yancey a few days ago as hush money

what happened with Jodie.

statement went out and the donation was made, everything

hours, Lambert Group underwent a brutal internal

wiped clean, and a wave of younger employees were

to key positions.

very least, it sent a clear message. The

there to

the moment Grace decided to take control of everything that followed,

six hours had passed.

felt like six centuries. The

iron-fisted response-paired with

redirected

of condemning the company, people were now praising Liam for

sister like her.

ready to tear into them, but honestly? She handled every step

right."

The official statement wasn't

though the company is reportedly broke, she

public opinion shift in her favor, Grace

over the past six hours,

uptick and

first, the person behind the initial

fact, people were now starting to

was the same person who set Liam up in the first

netizens weren't so

public eye, Grace wasted

meeting.

up and left.

present had risen through the ranks

sat by the

calm and unreadable.

past few hours,

gone through the company's

upcoming project proposals. Every

them was teetering on

if at

wave of her hand, she