Regret Came Too Late

Jodie's lips trembled, her gaze blazing like she wanted to tear Grace apart.

Grace's brows knitted as she stared at the crushed flowers on the ground, anger bubbling in her chest.

Jodie's voice was cold and deadly as she spat, "You'd better watch your back!"

Then, she turned on her heel, walked off to pay, and told the staff to send every last magnolia to Palm Bay.

Grace stood frozen, her emotions wiped clean in an instant.

Selene gave her shoulder a quick pat. "Keep an eye out. I don't think she's in her right mind."

Grace let out a dry smile. Not acting right was putting it mildly—she felt like she was hunted by a rabid dog.

She exhaled, gave up on the idea of buying flowers, and just headed home with her groceries.

Jodie, on the other hand, walked into Palm Bay with an armful of magnolias, practically glowing as she handed them to the maid.

"Handle these with care-put them in something nice."

One maid piped up, "The best vase was taken by Mr. Henderson already. He went through a whole bunch before Mr. Bennett brought one in from elsewhere."

Jodie blinked in surprise. Since when did Ethan care so much about magnolias?

When she saw Tim step out, she rushed straight over.

take these flowers to Uncle Ethan for

his bedroom without asking, she hadn't dared to set foot

way in now. He looked at the mountain of magnolias

The scent's

said he's really into them lately. Isn't that your job to know? He's even got some in his

Bay, they were trained to keep quiet- nothing about Ethan was

looked stricken and

you should really

dip instantly. With a wave, she told the maids to toss the

trying to figure Ethan out, only to discover he lived like a man untouched by the world-untouchable and

learned he liked magnolias, it felt

now, Tim had casually crushed that

maids wouldn't lie. Ethan really had kept

it wasn't the

widened, and her breath caught. She crushed the bouquet in one swift, violent

maid flinched and went to grab a

worry. Just clean it up. I have somewhere

drove straight to

dinner when the

it and

her face pale

her whole body trembled with rage, Bwas still

as she

hand into the