Regret Came Too Late

Yasmine had met Yancey before. Back then, she had just thought he was a spoiled rich kid—self-centered, soft, and maybe a little dumb but harmless.

The Yancey she saw today felt like a stranger. He was so different from who he used to be.

Yancey's expression was eerily calm, but something violent churned behind his bloodshot eyes. Dark circles hung heavy under them like he hadn't properly slept in days.

"So, she never loved me. I was just a target? A decoy? That's what I was to her? No wonder I've experienced so many assassination attempts. Were they all connected to her?"

He shouted the last part.

Yancey had always been oblivious, but it was true that he had survived a shocking number of assassination attempts only because the Henderson family's power and protection had been nearly impenetrable.

For a while, he had even wondered why his life seemed more targeted than even Ethan's.

If what Yasmine said was true, it wasn't bad luck. It had been part of a plan all along.

Grace. It had all started with Grace.

Yancey's fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. The shame was unbearable. He had been so sure she would never leave him-so sure she would always belong to him. He'd been a fool-the biggest fool.

His jaw tightened until it felt like his teeth might crack. But after a few seconds, he forced himself to go still again. He appeared cold and expressionless. Without another word, he brushed past Yasmine and disappeared down the hallway.

moment, uneasy.

in a good place. Something

calls. And with those calls pulling her attention

...

Grace had started wiring the investment money to Yasmine's studio

use. She was producing short dramas for streaming platforms. They were cheap to make

projects dropped, Grace would pocket at

a little breathing room. For the first time in months, she

was still undergoing a massive overhaul. All

to

too soft

about quality. Because of

on all their old inventory, orders flooded in. Within a week,

Grace issued a full directive across the company-all products had to be updated to match modern aesthetics without compromising

Those were people full of design ideas, people who actually understood what

was a gamble, but Grace