Regret Came Too Late

Grace stood motionless at the kitchen's sliding door, thinking it over for several long minutes. There was really

no point in torturing herself. If the pain got her in the end, it wouldn't be worth it. Her stomach was already

twisting in spasms, and sweat was slick on her forehead.

With her head down, she walked toward the coffee table and quietly sat in the armchair. She picked up a warm

slice of bread and began to eat. After a few bites, she spotted her legal documents resting at the edge of the

table. She froze, then looked over at Ethan.

Without even looking at her, he said, "We're heading to the city hall once you're done eating."

Upon hearing that, Grace's grip on the bread tightened. She ended up squashing it out of shape.

The moment she walked in and saw Ethan earlier, she nearly convinced herself that the chaos last night had just

been a dream. However, hearing what he just said made her realize that it wasn't a dream.

Did Ethan actually have feelings for her?

Grace kept her head down, eating a little more until the ache in her stomach eased. Then, she asked quietly, "Do

you like me, Mr. Henderson?"

Ethan flipped the page of his book. In a neutral voice, he replied, "What do you think?"

"You don't like me. This isn't how someone acts when they like someone."

She answered without hesitation, but she couldn't actually define what love was supposed to look like. She truly

liked Ed. Still, she knew what they had was a little toxic. It was the kind of thing most people wouldn't

understand, let alone accept.

"Then no," Ethan said, still focused on his book. "I don't like you."

His grip on the page remained soft, detached—like none of this mattered.

Grace slowed her eating. She suddenly recalled something. Hadn't Yancey once said she looked a bit like

Eleanor?

If Ethan didn't like her for who she was, could it be that he simply found her face familiar and transferred those

feelings onto her? She glanced at him, a quiet discomfort surfacing in her chest. After all, no one wanted to be a

replacement for someone else.

"Am | just a replacement, Mr. Henderson?"

Ethan's eyes flickered. He put away his book, rose to his feet, and asked, "Have you finished eating?"

If she had, they would head to the city clerk's office to register their marriage. Grace's expression tightened in

disbelief because Ethan didn't seem like he was joking. Were they really going to get married? It felt like she was

holding something too hot to handle.

She lowered her gaze and kept eating, silently signaling that she wasn't done with her food. As she chewed, her

mind kept spinning, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't marry Ethan; it would throw everything into

chaos.

To Ed, she would becsomeone who started things and walked away. The mere thought of him.

made her chest tighten painfullynet

She had given him a beaded

bracelet, a ring, and countless loving words. Honestly, she never expected it all to fall apart like this. s

Ed was emotionally delicate. She had no idea how he would react if he learned about this. She recalled the times

she had brought up breaking up with him; he had been devastated. He had even gone to the edge of a cliff one

time.

Just a few nights ago, when she decided to leave without a word, there hadn't been this kind of emotional

weight. But right now, it felt like something was tugging painfully at her chest.

She didn't take another bite of the bread.

From Ethan's perspective, she was upset, and she would rather sit in silence than say another word to him.

He averted his gaze, then asked, "Finished eating?"

Snapping out of her daze, Grace set down the half-eaten bread. "I really can't go through with this marriage, Mr.

Henderson. Why not just sendoverseas?"

She knew Ed well. Leaving him

might hurt, but it would never hurt as

much as marrying someone else.

After all, if she left, there was still a chance for her to be found and brought back. However, it would be a

complete betrayal to him if she married someone else. s

Ethan sank into the wheelchair beside him, looking a little pale.

Grace almost believed he was backing off. Yet in the next instant, a row of black-

suited bodyguards stepped out and surrounded her from behind. Her eyes

widened in disbelief. "Are you forcingnow?"

The staff at the city clerk's office

would have to confirm that it was

voluntary on t

voluntary on both sides. Anyone could tell that she was being forced

if this kind of scene played out There was no way they would be allowed to register the marriage. s

However, she had clearly underestimated Ethan's power. As she was forced into the car, Tim, who was in the

front seat, said, "Everything's ready, Mr. Henderson."

Once the car reached the city clerk's office, she would have to marry Ethan no matter what.

How had things spiraled into this anyway? It just felt like an absurd dream.

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