Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 278

Thomson was displeased with Yancey's comments. "Mr. Henderson, Grace no longer has any affection for you. I suggest you conduct yourself with some dignity."

No sooner had he said that than Yancey lashed out, kicking over his chair with a brutal lack of restraint. As a result, Thomson tumbled to the ground with the overturned chair.

The Henderson family's standing was unquestioned. Even if Yancey wasn't the designated heir, with such a name behind him, he could stroll unchallenged through Druville. To him, the insolence of a minor celebrity was beneath notice.

Thomson was offended to a degree. His lips trembled before he let out a scoff. "No wonder Grace doesn't like you, Mr. Henderson."

Yancey stepped forward without hesitation and pulled Grace into his embrace. His expression was triumphantly arrogant as he said, "Take a good look at your own face before you speak. You're nothing but a substitute!"

A hot wave of shame surged through Thomson. He had been certain he had captivated Grace, certain his charm had begun to work. Yet here he was, humiliated on the floor, and she wasn't reacting at all.

All at once, he forgot every instruction Edric had given him. Turning on his heel, he strode away, though not without casting a final threat over his shoulder. "If you really want to be with me, Grace, you'd best get rid of the men around you first."

He spoke as if convinced she would chase after him no matter what.

Anger simmered within him as he left. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable it became. So, he decided to meet up with friends, intending to drink the insult away. However, he ended up hearing Grace's name mentioned once more.

"The other day, I was at Northbrook working on a project. Who would've thought Grace was so well-known over there?"

"Grace? Who's that?"

"She's Quentin Lambert's daughter, the one who used to follow Mr. Henderson around like a puppy. She's gorgeous, too. Thomson should know her. His father is an executive at Lambert Group, isn't he?"

The group turned their attention to him almost immediately.

Each one of them was a child of privilege, born into wealth and connections, though none of them were involved in the true power circles.

Still seething from his earlier humiliation, Thomson lowered his glass onto the table. "Of course, I know her. She's been chasing me lately, but I haven't agreed."

Everyone's eyes lit up with curiosity, and everyone was instantly in the mood for gossip.

"She's chasing you?"

Thomson's captivating visuals were undeniable, and his sudden rise to fame as a fresh-faced celebrity had made him wildly popular among young women.

He let a smug smile play on his lips, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Yeah. She even asked me out for dinner tonight, but I turned her down. She's beautiful, no doubt, but her appeal? Fairly average. With women, once the lights are off in bed, who cares what they look like?"

The atmosphere erupted in cheers and laughter.

"Seriously? You got her into bed? I've met her once, and she wouldn't even look at me."

Thomson sneered, finally reclaiming the dignity he had lost to Yancey earlier. "She's not that hard to deal with. She was dazed a few times when she saw me. I invited her out, and she agreed. Now, she's considering whether to take it further."

More words of admiration were exchanged.

As Thomson thought about Grace's face, a burst of heat surged through him, leaving him uncomfortable as he quietly thought to himself, "That bitch has probably already been toyed with by Yancey more times than one could count."

The fact that she had the audacity to act all high and mighty despite that! Once he had her in the palm of his hand, he would make her pay in full.

Thomson instantly turned pale. The searing pain and his overwhelming will to survive forced him to untangle the web of possibilities. The man before him was no ordinary stranger. Perhaps he was one of Grace's admirers. Scorned and maddened by rejection, he was now seeking retribution in the most direct ways.

His bravado crumbled in an instant.

"She doesn't like me at all! She never has," he choked out the words. "I never touched her either. Everything I said was a joke. Maybe she only sees me as a stand-in. She even asked if we'd met before, but that was actually our first time meeting. I might resemble Yancey to a certain extent, but I swear, I don't know anything else!"

His eyes widened in fear as he watched the knife hover, dreading the moment it might slice across his throat.

However, the man paused. With deliberate slowness, he took the handkerchief and began to clean the bloodstain from the steel blade.

Thomson was on the verge of tears, the looming threat made more severe by the man's unhurried, even elegant actions. Each gesture solidified the horrifying image of Thomson as nothing more than a lamb on the butcher's block.

"I'll stay away from her," he said in a panic. "I swear I will. Just let me go. You and she… are the perfect match for each other—a match made in heaven!"

The man's slender fingers stilled for a moment. His lips then curved into a faint smile. "Is that so?"

Thomson, having spent time in the entertainment industry, knew exactly what to say to appease someone like this. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees. "Yeah, of course! Grace likes you a lot! You two are meant to be!"

A bitch and a monster—what better pairing could there be?

Thomson had no idea what sin he had committed to deserve this. All he had ever done was indulge in a little bragging, and now, he had come face to face with a devil in disguise.

The man's mood seemed to have shifted as amusement flickered faintly in his eyes. He tossed the knife aside, his tone light as he said, "We're meant to be."