Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 448

Grace narrowed her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "You know Tristan, right?"

Since Lyle had been tailing her, she figured he had to be aware of her recent movements.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."

"The people who came after me tonight… that was him?"

"No. That was Daphne."

Grace lowered her gaze. Of course, it was Daphne—That one would be easy to deal with.

She pulled out her phone and, using the burner number she kept for situations like this, sent a series of emotionally charged texts to Daphne—each one baited with just the right mix of provocation and vulnerability. Unsurprisingly, Daphne took the bait and agreed to meet up.

Grace almost laughed. With a brain that soft, if she weren't a Yule by birth, she'd have been destroyed.

As she started the engine, Lyle immediately climbed in.

"You're not going there alone," he said.

"I'm just going to meet her," Grace replied evenly. "She hates me way too much for no reason. I want to find out if Jodie is behind it."

Lyle yanked the passenger door shut. "I'm coming along."

She didn't bother arguing.

They pulled up at the meeting spot a few minutes early. Grace glanced over at him. "You said you were tough, right? The second she steps out of the car, knock her out and bring her over."

She parked in a surveillance blind spot, already having scoped the area.

Lyle stared through the windshield, then gave a curt nod. "On it."

Daphne's car showed up like clockwork. She stomped out, clearly fuming—probably expecting a chance to scream in Grace's face. But before she could take a full step forward, Lyle clipped her clean across the back of the neck. She collapsed, out cold.

Grace planned to take her to Ed's place, which was isolated, with no neighbors, and completely off the radar.

As they drove, Lyle grew visibly tense. When Grace finally parked outside Ed's quiet house, he looked shocked.

She knocked on his window. "What's wrong? Get out."

Daphne lost it, thrashing wildly.

"You wouldn't dare!" she spat. "You know who my family is? You touch me and you're done!"

The blade nicked her throat before she could finish. It was shallow, but blood spilled fast.

It was like Daphne had been hit in a pressure point—she froze for a second, then suddenly clutched her neck and let out a shrill, panicked cry.

Now worried that Ed might hear her from inside, Grace hissed, "Shut up!"

Daphne fell silent instantly, shaking all over. In that moment, she wasn't looking at the Grace she thought she knew.

Wasn't Grace supposed to be the pathetic little lapdog?

Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the ground, too afraid to meet Grace's eyes.

Grace crouched beside her. She said evenly, "Daphne, I've been wondering why you hate me so much. Is someone putting you up to this?"