Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Chester went pale in an instant, panic gripping him. "Mr. Henderson, what are you doing? I came here out of goodwill to warn you about Grace. How could you do this to me?"

Without warning, a razor-sharp dagger chopped off three of his fingers in a flash. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, his whole body jerking uncontrollably.

Ethan set down his cup, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Go on. Tell me. What kind of person is she?"

That was when it hit Chester-Ethan was avenging Grace. This wasn't anything like what Yancey had said would happen!

His lips were bloodless, and he was just about to beg for mercy when he heard the sound of a gun being loaded. Fear hit him like a truck, and he pissed himself as cold sweat ran down his face.

"Mr. Henderson, I was wrong! It's all a misunderstanding, I swear! I faked those photos. I never laid a finger on Grace! It was Jessica. She made me do it. And Yancey-he's just as bad!"

Gunshots rang out, and four bullets tore into Chester's legs. This time, not even a scream came out. Wracked with agony, his body convulsed and he couldn't get a sound out of his throat.

Ethan didn't rush, but his movements flowed with an easy grace.

"Go on," he said.

But Chester couldn't get a single word out. His legs trembled so badly he could barely stand, and a puddle formed beneath him. Only now did he fully grasp just how terrifying Ethan really was.

Yancey had been right. Ethan rarely lost his temper, but the calmer he seemed, the more terrifying he became.

By the time the 12 bullets were spent, a hint of blood had splattered across Ethan's cheek. His long lashes fluttered slightly as he reached up and wiped the stain away with his fingertips.

Chester was nothing more than a bloodied pile, completely still. Ethan handed his gun to the man beside him and rolled his wheelchair out of the secret room.

Just as Ethan headed out, Julian's voice rang out. "You would've kept firing if it weren't for the gun's 12-bullet capacity, right?"

Julian stood with his arms crossed, his shirt hanging open halfway down his chest. He looked just as bold as always. As Ethan moved forward, Julian fell into step beside him.

Julian continued, "Do you have any idea how long it took me to erase all that surveillance footage after you saved her yesterday? So many people are keeping an eye on your legs. They're convinced you'll be crippled for life. And yet, you don't even bother hiding your condition when you're with her. Aren't you worried she'll spill?"

It would be a massacre if word got out. But Grace herself didn't seem to realize that Ethan had trusted her with his biggest secret.

Ethan pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped the blood off his fingers, his expression composed. Then, he tossed the stained cloth into a nearby trash can.noveldrama

"I was wondering if she would," he said.

Julian raised an eyebrow, then let out a short laugh. Neither of them said anything else.

Meanwhile, Grace was in her room when a sudden chill ran down her spine. She couldn't help but shiver. Later, she asked Mandy a few more questions about Jessica.

Since returning from Southbrook, Mandy had been telling everyone how nice Grace was, though most people just scoffed and didn't buy it.

Now that Mandy could finally lend Grace a hand, she pounced at the chance.

"Jessica? Yeah, I know her. She's got a boyfriend, but she also has a kid she keeps a secret from him. Her boyfriend's family has a decent amount of money. He has even swung by the office to pick her up."

As for how Mandy knew about Jessica's kid, Gary, she had run into him by accident while out shopping.

He had been a troublemaker since he was little. Once, he was caught shoplifting and got chewed out by the store owner. Another time, he was slapped for groping a woman. He was a straight-up delinquent, just like his loser of a father.

Grace raised an eyebrow and gave a faint smile. She had a pretty good idea of how to handle Jessica.

...

That evening, Jessica was meeting her boyfriend, Peter Atkins, at a restaurant.

She always talked a big game about being independent, but deep down, she still wanted a man she could count on and wished for a family. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen for all that sweet talk at 19 and ended up with Gary. Now, she had to make sure no one found out.

Jessica had been with Peter for six months and wasn't planning to tell him about Gary until after they were married and she was pregnant. By then, there'd be no way for him to back out.

Whenever she went on a date, she would make Gary wait in the restaurant next door. She couldn't stand him. All he ever did was ask for money and drain her dry.

She would've gotten rid of him already if she weren't afraid of getting caught. She hated having a deadweight like him dragging her down.

Jessica and Gary didn't get along. He definitely took after his father's nasty streak. Even as a kid, he was always up to no good. He'd play nice if someone gave him money, so in a twisted way, that was how he and Jessica got by.

Gary, who was sitting in the restaurant next door, noticed a woman slide into the seat beside him. His first instinct was to splash his cup of hot water in her face just because he liked watching people suffer.

But just as he made a move to do it, the woman who was stunning, by the way said, "Your mom's keeping you a secret from her boyfriend. She's planning to ship you off once they're married and have his baby."

Gary shot up from his seat. "What the hell, you bitch? Quit talking nonsense!"

Then, he threw out the same filthy insults he had heard Jessica use on other women, "I'll kill you, you slut!"

Grace smiled at him. "Go ask her yourself if you don't believe me."