His Regret Can’t Bring Us Back Chapter 04
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Her calf split open, flesh tearing around a deep, gaping wound.
The agony cleared Nicole’s mind for a few seconds. She didn’t dare waste a single moment. She started pounding on the door and making as much noise as she could…
But soon, the dizziness came rushing back.
Again and again, she lifted the ax and brought it down on herself, using the pain to steal a few more seconds of consciousness.
She didn’t know how long it had been when someone finally cried out from outside.
“There’s someone still inside!”
Fresh air poured in, and Nicole struggled to open her eyes.
In the yard, Anastasia was clinging tightly to Sebastian, her eyes full of lingering fear.
He was about to push her away when she said, “Sebastian, I thought no one cared whether I lived or died except Eunice.”
His body stiffened. The hand that had meant to move her away slowly settled on her shoulder instead. “I care.”
Nicole wanted to laugh, but she no longer had the strength.
“Get her to the hospital!”
“Oh my goodness! She’s dying! Why is she covered in blood?”
The neighbors’ screams rang out, and Sebastian whipped his head around.
He saw a person soaked in blood, wearing that faded shirt he knew so well.
“Nikki!”
His eyes went red with panic. He shoved Anastasia away and rushed to Nicole’s side.
“Nikki! I’ll take you to the hospital. I’ll take you right now.”
He reached out to help her, but there were so many wounds across her body that he didn’t know where to touch.
He trembled all over, his pupils trembling hard. “How did this happen…”
Nicole was ice-cold. Powerless, she closed her eyes.
“Yes. How did this happen?” she thought.
***
When she woke again, the sharp smell of hospital disinfectant filled her nose.
Sebastian sat by her hospital bed, propping his head in one hand as he dozed lightly, with dark circles shadowing his eyes.
She coughed, and a tearing pain ripped through her chest.
“Nikki!” He jolted awake and sprang up from the wooden stool. “You’re finally awake. Does anything hurt?”
Then, he reached for her forehead in a rush. “Good. Thank goodness! Your fever finally broke.”
Nicole looked at him without speaking.
Her eyes were deathly still. There wasn’t a trace of feeling in them.
For a second, Sebastian felt like something had grabbed his heart and let go, leaving a hollow ache behind.
“Nikki, I…”
“Captain Crawford, this is a hospital,” she said flatly, correcting the way he addressed her.
Sebastian froze. His lips moved, but it took him a long while to speak in a dry, hoarse voice. “Ms. Bradford, your injuries are serious.”
She nodded indifferently and hummed.
In truth, she hadn’t cut herself that many times with the ax.
Most of the wounds had come from the gang.
He fell silent for a moment. “The woodshed door wasn’t locked. I thought you had already gotten out. Anastasia is the orphaned sister of a fallen officer, and—”
“Captain Crawford,” she cut him off suddenly and closed her eyes. “Could you please leave? I need to rest.”
The ward fell into dead silence.
Sebastian looked at her pale profile and felt as if an invisible wall had risen between them.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t reach her.
A sudden fear rose in him, but he didn’t know where it came from.
He wanted to say something, yet he realized those same explanations had been said too many times before, and now they sounded unbearably useless.
The door closed softly.
But soon, it was pushed open again.
Anastasia walked in carrying a metal lunch box, her expression smug.
“Ms. Bradford, I came to check on you.”
Nicole kept her eyes closed and gave no response.
Being ignored enraged Anastasia at once. “Do you really think Sebastian still loves you the way he used to? Let me tell you something. He’s a decorated captain in the criminal investigation unit. He needs someone who can help his career.” Anastasia’s face filled with mockery. “Not someone like you. A useless woman who’s only good for laundry and cooking.”
Nicole opened her eyes and looked at her. “You think you can help him?”
“Of course.” Anastasia lifted her chin. “I’m the surviving family member of a fallen officer…”
A soft laugh suddenly broke the air.
Anastasia’s face darkened. “What are you laughing at?”
Nicole turned her head, her expression calm. “I’m laughing because you’re using Eunice’s sacrifice to scheme your way into a man’s heart. How impressive.”
Anastasia’s chest rose and fell sharply. Her eyes turned vicious. “Nicole, you still don’t know, do you? I let the gang take me on purpose.
“And the carbon monoxide incident that night? I was the one who blocked the woodshed door.”
The truth hit Nicole like a thunderclap.
So none of it had been an accident. Anastasia had planned everything.
Nicole stared hard at her. “If anyone investigates, do you really think they won’t find out?”
Anastasia opened the metal lunch box with a cold smile. “Let’s see if Sebastian believes you or me.”
She yanked the blanket away and poured the entire container of scalding hot pepper sauce over Nicole’s body.
“Ah!”
In an instant, Nicole’s face turned deathly pale. The burning pain spread like poison, as if countless venomous snakes were tearing into every nerve in her body.
Anastasia laughed coldly and dug her fingers hard into Nicole’s bleeding wounds.
Nicole screamed from the pain and struggled with everything she had. “Get off me!”
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Anastasia suddenly pulled her hand back, swayed, and collapsed onto the floor.
Then, the door opened.
