Regret Came Too Late

After leaving the hospital, Grace glanced up at the gray, overcast sky, feeling like

her heart was wrapped in the same heavy haze.

She drove straight to Lambert Group, and the senior executives who now followed

her lead hurried out to meet her.

"Ms. Lambert, have you found Mr. Lambert yet?"

Just then, Sebastian pushed the door open.

Grace was surprised to see him. "I thought you were at the hospital with your

family," she said.

Sebastian frowned, and there was a hint of unease in his voice. "After you called

me, I had a bad feeling. What's going on?"

Grace motioned for the others to leave, keeping only Sebastian behind. He had

worked with Quentin for years and had helped Liam without complaint. He was

someone she could trust.

She quickly filled him in on what had happened with Liam, then showed him the

scandal online. It was obvious the person behind it was deliberately dragging

things out, waiting for the right moment to push Liam's scandal to the top of social

media.

Once it hit number one, they would expose everything.

And when that happened, it wouldn't just destroy Liam. The entire company would

become public enemy number one.

At this point, Grace knew there was only one move left.

She looked up and locked eyes with Sebastian. The understanding in his gaze

was immediate.

Sebastian said solemnly, "Ms. Lambert, you have to step up and take the CEO

position. It's the only way to calm the public."

"What had happened crossed a line-not just for the country but for the people. It

didn't matter if Liam had been led astray.

"Wrong was wrong, and mistakes came with consequences.

Grace tugged lightly at the corner of her mouth. The reason she had helped push

Liam into that position in the first place was because Carmen had always been

wary of her, suspecting she was after the Lambert family's wealth.

Carmen had never treated Grace kindly. But when it came to Quentin and Liam,

So much of what

Carmen's efforts as well.

the world got, Grace

But right now, there was no

paralyzed.

breath, her gaze sharpening with

a public statement and admit our wrongdoing. Make

but he's already been detained

for him, and we

than not, just wanted to see

a scandal, the harder it would

face it head-on by being honest,

money toward helping the police crack

like this.

Lambert family was already on shaky ground. With that plot of land

were cash-strapped

donation. It wasn't her money.

Yancey a

what happened with Jodie.

statement went out and the donation

hours, Lambert Group underwent a brutal internal

were wiped clean, and a wave

to key positions.

a clear message. The new CEO wasn't afraid

wasn't there

moment Grace decided to take control of everything

six hours had passed.

to her, it felt like six centuries. The only thing keeping

that her iron-fisted response-paired with the

successfully redirected public

of condemning the company, people were now

sister like her.

into them, but honestly? She

right."

The official statement wasn't some half-assed PR

is reportedly broke, she

shift in her favor, Grace

Sebastian had barely slept over the past six hours, staying glued

every uptick and thread in

decision to go public first, the

starting to wonder if the

same person who set Liam up in the first

netizens weren't so easy

a win in the public eye, Grace

meeting.

already packed up and left. Aside from

had risen through the ranks

sat by

calm and unreadable.

past few hours, she

gone through the company's

upcoming project proposals. Every

was teetering

if

of her hand,

their mouth to protest, but after

sharp-they quietly