Lahat ng Kabanata ng Too Late to Regret: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Candice left her parents’ house at six in the morning.Usually by that time, her dad would be out for his morning walk, and her mom would already be in the kitchen making breakfast. But today, both were still asleep—after all, they hadn’t gone to bed until past 2 a.m., which was a late night for them.She left a note stuck on the fridge.After sneaking out of the neighborhood in disguise, she took a cab to Sophia’s place.When Sophia opened the door, she had two dark circles under her eyes.“Kyle doesn’t deserve to be called human! He’s a freaking animal! No—calling him an animal is an insult to animals!”“And Mia Jones and her mother? They’re worse than pigs and dogs!”Ever since she got the call from Candice in the middle of the night, she’d been burning with fury. The moment Candice told her what happened, she’d wanted to storm over and tear those people apart.Sophia was practically shaking with rage.Candice, on the other hand, was unusually calm.After changing into slippers, sh

Candice fell hard to the ground.Kyle hadn’t even recovered from the shock of Candice asking for a divorce when Mia Jones’s vile words struck him like a bolt of lightning.“Kyle, she’s filthy now! Last night, she slept with eight men—one of them even has AIDS! She’s dirty, ruined, she’s a complete whore! Are you still going to want her after that?”Mia Jones spat her venom, her voice shrill with jealousy and spite. She was so consumed by bitterness that she didn’t even realize she was confessing to a crime—something that could put her behind bars. She only cared about making Kyle hate Candice.The entire banquet hall froze.Eight men in one night? One of them HIV-positive?Could that be true?But then, a key question emerged in everyone’s minds: how would Mia Jones know so many details?Caroline Jenkins’s body visibly swayed, her face draining of color like a corpse.Candice had already pushed herself up off the ground. She looked at Mia like she was something rotting in the gutter. “

Charlie turned his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and asked Candice in a polite and gentle tone, “I heard someone questioning your innocence. I spoke up impulsively without asking your permission first. I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble?”Candice pushed down the flutter of surprise in her chest. “...I’m the one troubling you, Mr. Clemens.”“Would you like me to clarify for you?”“...Please.”She barely kept herself from gasping aloud.He was already here—refusing his help would just be rude.All the socialites at the scene had stars in their eyes. That face, that elegance, that noble bearing… The way he gently looked down and spoke softly could kill a girl with charm.Charlie turned to the crowd and calmly said, “Last night, I was the one who rescued Miss Hale.”“I was meeting a client at that hotel. On my way out, I saw Miss Hale in the corridor. She was disoriented, and the man supporting her looked suspicious. I asked the hotel to look into it, and together with their staff,

"I've already called a car.""Just cancel it."Jim got out of the car, smiling cheerfully. Without giving her a chance to refuse, he grabbed her suitcase and placed it in the trunk.If it weren’t for the luxury car, passersby might’ve thought Candice was getting mugged.Jim opened the backseat door for her. “Come on, don’t be shy. It’s on the way.”Candice was a little embarrassed by his enthusiasm. Having an elder open the car door for her—she really couldn’t turn it down. So she politely thanked him and got in the car.The moment she got in, she saw Charlie sitting on the other side.He wasn’t dressed too formally today—light blue shirt, black trousers and leather shoes. No tie, but his cufflinks sparkled. Bathed in the bluish light filtering through the tinted window, he exuded a kind of crisp, noble air that reminded her of a pale blue flower blooming on a mountaintop—beautiful, rare, and distant.“Morning.”Candice greeted him while adjusting the hem of her trench coat.There was

The bed shifted abruptly.Before Candice could react, a large hand pressed down on the back of her head—Her lips landed squarely on his jawline.Her pupils dilated in shock.The smooth texture of his skin, the intense hormonal scent, the warmth, the subtle freshness, the exquisite tactile sensation—every detail transmitted vividly and unfiltered into her brain.Charlie stiffened.He released her, head tilting back slightly, but his hand remained on the back of her head, holding her in place.Their eyes met.One looked completely stunned; the other, utterly expressionless.After what felt like an eternity, Candice came back to her senses. She quickly pulled away from his hand, straightened up, ran her fingers through her hair, and tried her best to regulate her breathing.“It’s already five-thirty, sir. You really need to wake up now.”With that, she turned and rushed out of the room as if propelled by jet engines.Charlie: “…”He stayed silent for a long moment, then dropped his hand