Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Once Selene finished explaining the situation, Damien glanced down, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Doesn't sound hard. So, what do I get out of it?"

Selene knew what he meant. There was no use pretending. Rubbing her temples, she asked, "What do you want?"

"You. In my bed." Damien's voice was low. It was like he had been waiting for this.

Selene froze in place. There were still moments she couldn't believe this was the same Damien she had grown up with. They had grown up together like siblings, and she had never seen this coming. She had always seen him as a little brother.

When had he stopped being that? When did he get so bold, so filthy with his words?

But for Grace's sake, she didn't have many options. And honestly, it wouldn't be the first time.

"I'll be at your place tonight."

Since the day Selene ended things, she hadn't set foot in the Jensen residence again. Later on, Damien packed up and bought a villa of his own, and she hadn't been there either.

Damien's eyes went red the moment he heard her answer. He didn't know what changed her mind, but just hearing her agree made something blaze inside him.

He texted her his address immediately. With the way Selene had been avoiding him like the plague, he was sure she didn't even know where he lived now. That thought alone made his blood boil.

She was the one to cross the line first, so why did he end up being the one treated like something dirty?

Selene didn't even know where he lived now, not until that address came through.

She had been avoiding him for years now. Without the Jensen family tie binding them, they had no reason to run into each other. Anything she knew about him came through secondhand gossip from the rich.

Selene took a deep breath before driving over without hesitation. When she pulled up outside the villa, she sent a quick text to Grace. "You have no idea how much I'm sacrificing for this."

Grace didn't know what Selene meant by that text. As she was about to reply, Selene sent another message. "You'd better not leave me hanging next time when I need something."

That was a given. Selene had always been someone Grace admired.

"Of course, Ms. Jensen. If you tell me to move, I'm already gone," Grace replied.

Selene smiled, exhaled softly, and rang the bell. Footsteps echoed quickly toward the entrance, with Damien opening the door himself.

When she called him earlier, he had been in the middle of a meeting. Once the call ended, he walked out right away without finishing the meeting.

The moment he saw Selene, his face lit up. He pulled her in and kissed her like he had been starving for it.

Selene had always had that elegant, dominant beauty. But now, she turned her head away, flustered.

"Make your call first."

With his face flushed, Damien tried to unbutton her shirt with one hand while using the other to dial the number for the police station. He rattled off a few words, then tossed the phone aside and scooped her up.

Selene hit the bed with a soft bounce, staring wide-eyed as Damien unbuttoned his shirt. Each step he took forward thickened the tension in the room.noveldrama

Their first time was a drunken disaster, and they had never touched each other since then.

This man, who used to be her little brother, now looked at her like she was the only thing in the world, and she wasn't ready for it.

Selene had always been sharp and in control when it came to business, even when handling flirtatious men. However, when it came to Damien, she never quite knew how to hold her ground. He was too impatient, too intense.

The moment she let her guard down, he was already on top of her. Selene took a deep breath, gave up resisting, and muttered, "Cover my eyes, at least..."

The second the words left her mouth, Damien gripped her chin tightly. "You really can't stand looking at me, huh?"

She frowned. "Damien!"

Before she could finish, he leaned down and kissed her hard.

"No blindfolds," he said against her lips. "I want you to see who's with you."

Selene's face flushed red, then

paled. She was used to playful banter, even teasing younger men but she had never crossed the line like this-especially not with Damien. She turned her head away, unwilling to meet his gaze, but he caught her chin again.

"Look at me, Selene."

Selene shut her eyes. Her posture was still and resigned; it was like she just wanted this over with.

But Damien had clearly changed. Their first time had been clumsy and confused. They had both been drunk, and even then, Selene vaguely remembered being the one in control. He hadn't even known what to do.

Now, everything was different. He knew exactly where to touch, how to push her boundaries, and how to make her lose control piece by piece.

And worst of all, he watched her the whole time, searching for cracks in her composure. He could tell that she was enduring or pretending it didn't affect her, but that only fueled the fire in him.

Every move seemed more deliberate than the last as if he was determined to break her calm. Then, just as her breath hitched and just as her resistance began to blur, he leaned close and whispered, "Say my name."

Selene bit her lip hard, refusing to do as he said. So, he pushed further.

He thought she would give in eventually, but Selene had her pride. She refused to break first.

Damien's expression darkened,

frustration mixing with something

far more dangerous. He didn't let

until her strength finally gave

and she slipped into

unconsciousness. And just like that,

the room fell silent.

Damien leaned down, pressing his forehead gently against her shoulder. The fire

in him had burned through, but all it left behind was a hollow ache.

What now, then?

Why couldn't he let Selene go?

Why was it that his entire world had unraveled after that night while she had managed to walk away so easily, draw a clean line, and never look back? He wasn't willing to accept it.