Regret Came Too Late

This was a high-end private banquet, and Grace had even specially asked them to add extra courses. It shouldn't have been possible for anyone to leave hungry.

Ethan didn't answer her. He kept his head down, his expression unreadable.

Grace, thinking about the five million dollars he had casually handed her earlier, gave a small, awkward smile and tried to smooth things over. "Maybe I could head over to Palm Bay and whip up a few light dishes for you?" she offered.

The words had barely left her mouth when Damien snorted from the side.

"Going to Palm Bay to make a midnight snack?" he sneered. "Come on, it's obvious what you're really after. You're not fooling anyone."

Damien raised an eyebrow, smirking like he was waiting for a thank-you. He had come tonight to shut down whatever plans Grace thought she had. But as he kept smiling, an uneasy feeling crept up inside him.

Ethan asked coolly, "Where's Selene tonight?"

That caught Damien completely off guard. He had no idea where Selene was. Ever since the last time they slept together, she had been avoiding him like the plague. Even thinking about it twisted something inside him.

He needed her. She, apparently, didn't need him. And that brutal truth cut deeper than he wanted to admit.

Before he could say anything, Grace jumped in. "I think Selene mentioned she's meeting her boyfriend tonight," she said lightly.

Damien's expression darkened instantly. A cold, suffocating air seemed to wrap around him as he pulled out his phone and stormed off to the side to call her.

that moment, Selene happened to be

open, Grace found herself face-to- face with Selene. For a second, neither of them spoke.

you asked me for restaurant suggestions this morning," Selene said teasingly. "Trying to

drilling into her from down the hallway. She turned her head and met Damien's

wasn't looking

even looking at her.

locked

kill,

dead on

the calm university professor, gave

felt like the air pressure in the corridor had dropped

like splashing gasoline on a fire, Ethan asked a simple, polite question

was the kind of small talk you made when you ran into old friends perfectly normal. Except in this case, it hit Damien like a bullet

his eyes locked on

demanded, his voice shaking. "Selene,

of it bled out of him

Vincent—at least not yet. She didn't even