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.

for a long moment, uneasy. She thought maybe she should

a good place. Something about him

she could make a decision, her phone buzzed with more work calls. And with those calls pulling her attention away, she forgot

...

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

She was producing short dramas for streaming platforms. They were cheap to make as there was no need for tedious TV licensing, and the return on investment was almost

projections, once all three projects dropped,

a little breathing room. For the first time in months, she didn't

Group was still undergoing a

had to be scrapped.

had been too

had always been obsessive about quality. Because of that,

their old inventory, orders flooded in. Within a week, every single item had been cleared out. They even started

full directive across the company-all products had

been overlooked before. Those were people

gamble, but Grace had