Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 479

Just when Lyle thought Grace had given up, she suddenly turned around and ordered, "Beat him within an inch of his life, then dump him back into the slums."

With that, she left and made her way to Joanne's unit.

Both units were barely 30 feet apart, close enough that the sounds from Lyle's side could easily carry through the walls.

However, Joanne showed no reaction as she sat there on the couch. It wasn't until Grace entered that she stood up.

"Grace, who was that man with you earlier? Did you run into trouble lately?" she asked.

Grace slowly shook her head and walked over to the coffee table. She reached for the cup of water but paused in mid-air in hesitation.

"Joanne, have I ever told you about my past?" she asked gently.

"Not really. Why? Is there something wrong with it?"

Grace nudged the cup away and smiled weakly, saying, "Oh no. I just had a bit of a problem with Liam. That boy's gotten good at lying recently. I have to teach him a lesson. You see, if you wear a mask for too long, ripping it off will tear at your skin. It'll hurt for sure."

Joanne's carefully constructed expression nearly crumbled. She couldn't fully comprehend the true meaning behind those words. Had she been exposed?

However, ever since they ran into Lucian, she had acted perfectly normal. Lucian had also played his part and shut his eyes just in time. There had been no eye contact between them.

Aside from that one initial glance…

But Grace couldn't possibly be so sharp as to catch something from just that. If she were truly that perceptive, would she have been so easily fooled by Yancey for so long?

Joanne tried to calm herself down, quietly exhaling as if a weight had just been lifted from her chest. She said, "He's your brother, after all. If there's any problem, you just need to talk it through."

Grace rose to her feet and gave a casual wave of her hand, saying, "I'm leaving. Don't mention anything about tonight to anyone."

Joanne nodded as she silently watched her leave.

Once in the hallway, Grace let out a faint breath before slipping into her car. She didn't wait long before Lyle appeared before her with Lucian hanging over his shoulder.

He shoved the man into the backseat without consideration, then slid into the passenger seat.

"This idiot says it was all Jodie's idea," he said.

With an unreadable expression, Grace stepped on the gas and drove toward the outskirts of the slums.

Lyle scanned for any nearby surveillance cameras, then hauled Lucian out and dropped him beside a reeking drainage ditch.

He expected Grace to drive off right after, yet the car remained parked at a short distance. It puzzled him.

"Grace, what are you waiting for?" he asked.

From dusk till dawn, no one came looking for Lucian. Eventually, it was a gang of his men who found him.

The corner of Grace's lips curled up as she said, "I was just wondering… if anyone would show up."

Lyle yawned. "There are always people around here. Someone was bound to find him. It's not like you want him dead. You just need to know who sent him. Still, Jodie… I don't buy it. Feels like he's pinning this on the wrong person."

No sooner had he spoken than Grace slammed her foot down on the gas and said, "Whether he's framing her or not, we'll know soon enough."

…

Jodie never expected to run into Grace on her way home. Her eyes widened in shock, and the first words out of her mouth were pure disbelief.

She instantly locked eyes with Grace through the windshield.

Jodie was the first to falter.

She dropped to her knees, trembling from head to toe. Her nails scraped against the hard dirt as the stark truth settled upon her. This was a warning to her.

Grace stepped out of the car and walked to her side.

This time, Jodie didn't cry, but her gaze was filled with unmistakable hatred. Why should she fear Grace?

Jordan had promised to protect her. Even if Ethan were to find out Jodie had attempted to kill Grace, he would need to side with her for Jordan's sake.

Nevertheless, at that moment, her nails cracked from the pressure of her clenched fists. She gritted her teeth and glared up at Grace with seething resentment.

Grace gave her a light chuckle. "I thought you weren't the type to be scared, Ms. Henderson."

Jodie's chest heaved with rage, but she quickly composed herself and slowly rose to her feet.

"Grace, do you really think I'll keep losing to you like I did before?" she challenged.

That faint lift of Grace's eyebrow went unanswered. Jodie had already clambered into the car.

What now?

In the next second, Jodie floored the accelerator, sending the car straight toward where Grace and Lyle stood.

If Grace's charge had been a warning, then Jodie's response was nothing short of a death sentence.