Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

The bodyguard didn't know the car belonged to Grace, and the security footage showed another woman damaging it—someone completely unrelated to Jodie.

Jodie's face lit up with delight, and she immediately started yelling toward the next room.

"Grace, you bitch! How dare you frame me?"

The police station had good soundproofing, so Grace could only see Ethan talking to Jodie, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

When she heard how loudly Jodie was screaming, she walked out.

Jodie immediately straightened up. "So you were trying to blame me for what happened to your car! You're seriously twisted. Yancey, why are you siding with her? I swear I didn't do anything to her car."

Grace looked over at Ethan.

That was also when Ethan realized that the person Jodie had been fighting with was Grace.

Grace's expression remained calm. "Ms. Henderson, you confronted me moments before my car was vandalized. Who else could it be?"

Jodie started to cry again. She turned back and kneeled before Ethan, tugging on his sleeve.

"Uncle Ethan, look at her!"

Ethan's hand, resting at his side, tightened slightly. He looked down as he said, "It wasn't her."

Grace knew Ethan doted on Jodie, but she hadn't realized the extent of his favoritism.

She opened her mouth, unsure what to say.

On the other hand, Jodie looked at her with a smug expression.

A fire burned in Grace's chest, but she knew that as long as Ethan sided with Jodie, there was no way out of this.

The police officer spoke up at that moment.

"Ms. Lambert, we reviewed the security footage. It really wasn't Ms. Henderson."

Grace hadn't seen the security footage yet, so she just snorted. "Fine. I'll take Mr. Henderson's 20 grand for now. Let's just call it even."

She snatched her purse and made for the door, but Jodie wasn't done.

"Hey! You just accused me of something I didn't do! Don't you owe me an apology?"

Grace stopped in her tracks, acted like she didn't hear a thing, and just left.

"You!"

Jodie stomped her foot; then, a thought popped into her head. She smirked, rolling her eyes. "Well, what do you expect from someone from the streets? Not a drop of class."

Grace walked out of the police station, still feeling a knot of anger in her chest.noveldrama

Yancey followed her out, sighing. "Let me give you a ride. I told you, Uncle Ethan really spoils Jodie."

Grace didn't know that it really wasn't Jodie this time around.

In her mind, this was Ethan's unconditional favoritism toward Jodie, to the point

where he'd even gotten the police to change their story.

She and Ethan were ultimately from two different worlds.

She got into Yancey's car. Through the window, she could see Ethan coming out of the police station.

Tim and Jodie were by his side, and Jodie chatted away to Ethan.

Grace looked away, leaning back in her seat. Suddenly, she realized something— she had gotten the 20 grand. There was no point in being upset.

She and Ethan weren't even friends, so it was normal for him to side with Jodie.

Besides, Ethan's attitude toward her had always been that of a superior showing pity to a lowly being.

The fact that he didn't hold anything else against her was already pretty generous of him.

In the driver's seat, Yancey gripped the wheel. While waiting at a red light, he said, "Grace, even though ( Uncle Ethan really can't stand you,

he has his limits. He won't show it, making you think he might actually like you. You should steer clear of him.

"I used to always think he was into you, trying so hard to find any little sign, but I

overheard him telling Julian he still can't get over a person."

As for who that person was, it was obviously his deceased true love.

Grace understood. She had only asked Andrea to play the part of that one true love, yet Ethan's emotions had already been affected.

She smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. "I thought we could at least be friends. It seems I overstepped. Someone like Mr. Henderson doesn't lack friends."

Yancey's gaze was calm as he held

the steering wheel. "I was stupid

before, always yelling and

embarrassing you. You were right to slap me. Uncle Ethan clearly doesn't

like you, but I forced you two together and made things awkward for both of you. Sorry."

Grace hadn't expected Yancey to be so understanding. He'd always been the one

to suggest to Ethan that they were involved with one another, which had really made her uncomfortable.

It had also happened more than once.

"Grace, can we still be friends? I

we still

won't try to get back together with you. I can see you've completely

moved on. I might be stupid andet anything horrible. You woul

annoying, but I've never done

say

no to being friends, would you? Liam at least regards me like a brother," Yancey said.